Page 34 of Not His Usual Style (Diamonds of London #10)

Greystone Hall

Hertfordshire, England

The breeze brought with it a definite autumn chill in the air, and Grey lifted his face to it, for this was one of his favorite times of the year. As he walked through the grass toward his manor, he couldn’t help but feel gratitude for the life he led presently.

With a grin, his mind went back to this time two years before when he’d married the love of his life—Victoria.

When she’d crashed his nuptial ceremony where he would have married a woman completely wrong for him, his life had changed immediately for the better.

There was something freeing but affirming now that he was with the perfect woman for him.

The Marquess of Beckworth was livid, of course, but Sarah had managed to talk him out of the boughs with the promise of a grandchild on the way.

He was only too happy to forget about Grey—after he paid back the dowry the marquess had given to Grey’s father—but they’d both agreed the small property could remain in his possession.

Shortly after that, Sarah quietly married Phillip in a small, private ceremony, and they left on the wedding trip Grey had planned to take with her anyway.

While Grey, himself, had been obliged to wait for a few weeks to marry his own love, for he needed to secure a license and other things, but he’d wanted to make certain Sarah had been settled first. But once he finally married, everything else in his life had fallen into place.

They’d spent that first holiday season in Brighton as a wedding trip of sorts, and it was as romantic as he could have hoped.

Shortly after the contretemps of his nuptial ceremony with Sarah had broken up, Victoria had discovered a small box in her father’s study with a letter addressed to her.

Inside the box was the teardrop-shaped diamond from the Marie Antionette necklace.

He’d written that he doubted anyone in the French royal family would realize it was missing and to consider it his wedding gift to her and Grey, that it should make up for the dowry he’d no doubt had to pay back to Lady Sarah’s father.

How had he known that Victoria would have been successful in winning him away?

Grey never could say for certain, and though he’d since argued with the man about selling the diamond for funding, what was done was done.

Besides, the baron had returned the necklace to the King of France, no doubt with a fabricated story of how it had come to light.

Everything was right as rain, and Bow Street hadn’t bothered them again.

And what was more, a month later, he was given the news that his wife revealed she was increasing, no doubt as a result of their first coupling, and that child had been born in late June that next year.

He’d finally gotten his heir, a jolly, chubby little boy they’d named Richard, for he very much had a lion’s heart, and it was Grey’s middle name.

He had previously thought his life complete when he’d married Victoria, but when she’d presented him with a son?

His heart had expanded once more.

As the rear gardens came into view, he put a hand to his heart, for he caught sight of Victoria as she cut some late autumn flowers with Sarah.

Was there any more beautiful thing than seeing his wife and his best friend being the closest of friends?

In fact, Sarah and her husband had come out to Greystone Hall for a month with their young daughter, who was a couple of months older than his son.

As babies went, the two got on well enough.

And oddly, both his wife as well as Sarah, were increasing again, and apparently, they were both due to deliver in April of next year.

No wonder the two women were friends. What had happened to them had drawn them together, and though he wasn’t sure, he suspected he might be the glue holding them intact.

Not that he minded. It was amazing having two strong women supporting him, and he’d come to know Phillip well over the two intervening years.

He was a splendid fellow, and more importantly, they were drafting a bill together that they hoped to present in the Lords next year for a debate and if luck was with them, a vote.

Victoria was the first to greet him. The small bump of her pregnancy was hidden by the folds of the skirt of her maroon day dress, but she was brimming with excitement and energy. Never would he tire of seeing that love in her eyes each time she was with him. “Did you enjoy your daily walk?”

“I did. There is something about being in the country that refreshes my mind and body.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you ladies having fun choosing flowers for your dinner arrangement?”

“Of course. Sarah has quite the knack for putting together colors and different heights of flowers.”

“She has an artistic flare for certain.” He sent a wink at Sarah, who waved away his comment.

“Do hush, Greystone.” Sarah took the basket from Victoria’s hand. “I’ll take these inside and start on the arrangement before I go into feed Mary.”

“Thank you.” His wife smiled. “No doubt Richard will stay asleep for another hour, but I’ll be in shortly.”

“Oh, enjoy the lovely day. It’ll turn rainy soon enough,” Sarah said over her shoulder as she moved toward the house.

Once alone, Grey tugged Victoria into his arms. For long moments, he treated her to slow, drugging kisses that had them both breathless by the time he pulled away.

“Are you pleased with how our lives have progressed?”

“How could I not be?” She rose up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his before threading the fingers of one hand with his. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Papa will come out in a week to spend time with Richard, and it’s all because of you.”

He snorted. “I rather think if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have any of this.

” Even now, two years later, knowing he’d won her, the fear that this was all a dream stabbed through him occasionally.

“If you hadn’t had the courage to speak up…

” His words trailed off as a ball of emotion rose in his throat.

“You would have figured it out eventually. I have every confidence that midway through speaking your vows, you would have come to your senses.” But she smiled and his world tilted.

“Oh, Montague, though I adore Richard to distraction, and I can’t wait to meet our new little one, , when we lie in bed and talk about our day?

That is my favorite time, because I can once more be with you, have you all to myself, and remember how you turned my life upside down that long ago night at the rout. ”

Emotions came over him that put a bit of moisture into his eyes, but he didn’t care.

Life was for showing the people he cared about how much they meant to him.

It was something he’d learned since meeting Victoria.

“We are quite the pair, aren’t we?” Instead of going back to the manor, he guided her down a path that would lead to the hedge maze at the rear of the lawn.

“It’s around our anniversary, sweeting. What say you to getting into a bit of scandal in the maze?

And it would give Sarah some privacy as well. ”

Even after everything they’d shared together, there was still a gorgeous blush in Victoria’s cheeks and desire that darkened her stormy eyes. “I would say that anytime with you is a lovely adventure. And you know I’ve never bid you nay when it comes to carnal endeavors.”

“No, you have not, which is just one of the dozens of reasons why I love you.” Then he grinned.

Life was more than a series of responsibilities and duties.

There came a time in everyone’s existence where one needed to decide what was important, truly important, to one and then change everything else to fit around that thing.

Love, at the core, was simply vital to living and actually enjoying one’s life.

When that was found? When one discovered where they were supposed to be and why?

There was nothing else like that feeling in the world.