Page 78 of His Stolen Duchess

“Harry!” Ava scolded. “I saw that!”

“It wasn’t meant to hit Aunt Georgina,” he claimed. “I was aiming for Colin.”

“Well, that doesn’t make it any better,” Ava said. “I thought we had spoken about playing with your food at the dinner table.”

“But Mama, he stuck his tongue out at me.”

Georgina was unsure what had possessed her, but she suddenly stuck her tongue out at her nephew, with him being the only one at the table to see it. His eyes widened, and his smile broadened.

“It’s not funny,” Ava told him.

“But Mama?—”

Georgina shook her head to warn him not to get her in trouble either.

Harry closed his mouth. Georgina had to cover her mouth with a napkin and cough into it to stifle the giggles that threatened to spill out. She placed her napkin back down and smiled appreciatively at her nephew.

“Mama,” Colin piped up. “Since Harry tried to throw a pea at me, does that mean I get to throw one back at him? That’s only fair, isn’t it?”

“No!” Ava squealed.

The table burst into laughter at Colin’s comment. Ava looked around, completely at a loss, getting no help from anyone in calming the situation.

“Can we please not throw peas across the table?” she pleaded. “What have we become?”

The laughter died down, and everyone became silent until Francis added his own words of wisdom.

“I can’t promise anything,” he said.

The table erupted into laughter again, and Ava shook her head as she sat back down, but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her lips.

“We have this to look forward to,” Georgina told Lysander. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I think we can handle it, don’t you? We have faced a lot worse, I’m sure.”

When Georgina thought about it, she remembered that Lysander had gone to war and come back. That was just about the worst thing someone could deal with. No doubt he would be capable of raising children.

I hope he will be a good father. I am sure he will. He can have a firm hand, but as long as he treats them as he treats me, then all will be fine.

Another thought struck her. Would he love them? She could see that his past had closed him off from love. He didn’t love her, but would he love their children? It didn’t matter if he didn’t; she would love them enough for two.

And it was another part of her dream come true. She might not have love, but she would have a family, and that was something she had looked forward to for a long time.

And it would be a lot of pleasure in the process.

Lysander sat with Vincent, Oliver, and Ambrose around the felt-covered card table in the games room. The ladies were in thedrawing room, the children were running around somewhere, and Francis sat in the corner looking like he might nod off at any moment.

As Lysander glanced at him, he saw the key to happiness. It was not anything specific to Francis, but that he knew what he wanted and that he had gifted it to him. He was happy, and that was a wonderful thing.

And what will make me happy? Will a family bring some happiness to my life? Georgina does, so it makes sense that having children with her also will.

Oliver chuckled as he laid down his last card. “That makes their tricks for us. I really can’t believe how well we’re doing. Now, do I need to get some handkerchiefs for you gentlemen, or can you hold back the tears?”

Vincent and Ambrose looked at each other, and both men grumbled under their breath as though the man opposite them was to blame.

“Once again,” Oliver said, raising his glass, “we are victorious.”

Lysander raised his glass and clinked it against his partner’s across the table. “I thought it was sheer luck after not playing for so long, but the more hands that are dealt, the more I realize we are just the superior players.”