Page 90 of My Deceitful Duchess

Jenny rubbed the smile off of her face with one hand, but shedidhave to admit that Josie did, indeed, love it. She doubted she clearlyunderstood, but she had been raised on tales of the ghoulish and ghastly. Since Sebastian had never had much interest in fairy stories suitable to children, instead Josie went to sleep with thrilling tales of murderers caught and criminals apprehended, stories where justice prevailed and wrongs were righted. And shedidsoadore the sound of her father’s voice.

Then again, Josie was her father’s daughter through and through—so maybe shedidunderstand. At least enough to know that her father would never let any of the evilness of the world touch her, that she would always be safe within the circle of his arms. Perhaps she had inherited Sebastian’s interest in the macabre as well. Certainly she had inherited his keen intellect.

“You can’tcondonethis,” Winston blustered, turning on Jenny once more.

“I don’t, rather,” she said, rubbing the slight swell of her belly where their second child rested within her. “Sebastian, you’ll spend all your time explaining things to Josie, when it is Mr. Beckett who needs your help. Besides,” she said, “Lottie is bringing little Joshua to Ambrosia this evening.”

“Josh!” Josie perked up immediately, her face lighting in a smile. “Papa, Josh! My friend!”

“So I heard,” Sebastian said, but there was a note of disappointment in his voice. “Wouldn’t you like to go with Papa instead and solve a crime for nice Mr. Beckett?”

Mr. Beckett groaned; the piteous sound of a man who deeply disliked being referred to asnice.

“No! Josh!” Josie clapped her hands and stretched them out toward Jenny, listing as far as she could. “Josh, Mama?”

“Yes, my darling,” Jenny said, scooping Josie into her arms. “We’ll go see Josh. And Auntie Lottie will bring Nanny Jenkins to watch over you while Mama is working. You and Josh will have a grand time.” Jenny’s former bedroom had been refurbished into a nursery, and it was there that the children stayed most often—though sometimes they were brought down to be cooed over and admired. “And then, in the morning, we’ll get profiteroles with Papa, hmm?”

“Charlie come, Mama!”

Jenny chuckled as Charlie came prancing at the sound of his name, leaping up to swipe a lick of a kiss to Josie’s knee. Both Jenny and Sebastian had been thoroughly replaced in his affections; it wasJosiewhom he now considered his mistress. “Yes, darling. Charlie can come, too.” Nanny Jenkins wasn’t preciselyfondof the dog—but both of the children adored him. Josie had learned to walk by steadying herself upon his flanks, letting him lead her about the house in a bizarre—if adorable—procession.

Sebastian made a scornful sound in his throat. “Clybourne will have them betrothed before they’re out of leading strings.” He dropped a kiss on Josie’s cheek. “I won’t stand for it.”

Jenny grinned. “She could do worse, you know, than a boy who will eventually inherit an earldom.”

“She’syourdaughter. She could dobetter,” he grumbled.

“But she is also yours,” she said. “And just like her father, I think she knows what she wants.”