Page 21 of One Night in Vauxhall Gardens (Singular Sensation #11)

June 1, 1820

Hedgecomb House

St. James Square

Mayfair, London

Harry came into the suite that he shared with his wife with an expectant grin on his face. It was their first wedding anniversary, and they were hosting a dinner party for the closest of their friends, which basically meant a lovely assembly of the men from the Rogue’s Arcade and their wives.

The gathering would no doubt prove bittersweet, for nearly a year ago, they’d lost the club to an explosion and fire. There had been causalities during that horrific night and there had also been many injuries sustained—including him losing his left arm—but during that time, Lady Stover and her gang had finally been neutralized, and now the rogues were trying to rebuild their lives with the pieces left to them.

So many of the rogues had expanding families, and there were so many little ones that every house rang with laughter throughout the year. The rogues and their wives had also succeeded in their many and varied talents and skills, which largely contributed into growing the community and making it stronger. London was coming into its own and it was slowly changing. Perhaps in the next ten years or so there would be solid policies in place that would help combat some of the growing pains and divides still causing birthing pains.

But for now, he was happy and grateful with his life, for he never thought he would arrive in this place to begin with.

“You are looking as pleased with yourself as a cat is after catching the canary.” Theresa met him in the middle of their shared bedchamber, but she’d not yet donned her gown for the event. “What has occurred?”

“Nothing, truly. I’ve just been lost in thought—good ones.” When he sent his gaze up and down her body which was a bit more curvaceous in places due to her pregnancy, interest shivered through his shaft. Clad as she was in her fine lawn shift and petticoat with stays on top, she was quite ravishing, especially since her breasts were more swollen than usual. “I stand in awe of everything that has happened over the past year, good and bad, but in the end, love has won, sweeting. Love is more powerful than hate.”

“Oh, I quite agree.” But there were shadows in the brown depths of her eyes, for the losses on the way to this peace wouldn’t be soon forgotten. “However, there is much to look forward to.” She laid a hand on her rounded belly. “In four months, our little one will arrive.”

Dear God, I’m going to be a father after all this time.

“I’m beside myself with cautious joy.” Birthing a child was a dangerous endeavor, but he did allow himself to envision a future in which he would hold an infant in his arms. “I can’t wait to meet our child. After everything, we deserve this, I think.” He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close to his chest. “Never did I believe someone would see me as worthy let alone fall in love with me. It makes me catch my breath to this day.”

“I know the feeling.” Tears sprang to her eyes, but then, ever since she’d announced she’d been increasing, she tended to become a watering pot quite often. It was adorable. “I’m almost frightened of how happy, how content I am and keep waiting for someone to wrench that away from me.”

“It won’t happen, sweeting. Not now, not ever.” Then, because he could, Harry claimed her lips in a series of kisses that had them both breathless and heated by the end. “Unless I’ve miscalculated, we still have thirty minutes before our guests will arrive. I wonder how we should fill that time.”

A pretty blush went through her cheeks after all this time. “Hmm, I wonder myself, but since I was waiting on you to help with my gown…”

“Cheeky.” It was a game they played, and often, for she often dismissed her maid whenever she needed to dress for a society event because he enjoyed the act of helping her into—or out of—her clothing during those times. Harry kissed her again. “If we don’t allow ourselves to be too carried away, we can manage it.”

And they had before many times since they’d wed last June, only a few weeks following the frightening contretemps at London Bridge.

“Even if we do arrive downstairs a tad late, our friends will give us grace, for they all feel the same way about their spouses.” So saying, she quickly undid the work of his valet and tugged his cravat free of his person. “Besides, you’re skilled enough that we can achieve release swiftly when we need to.” She laughed as she tossed the length of silk away.

He frowned as he reached for the laces of her stays. “Are you certain you don’t mind having a one-armed man for a husband?” That had been a valid fear after the club had been destroyed and he’d been in hospital for a time.

“Quite certain. In fact, I’m still as certain as I was about you when we first got up to scandal at Vauxhall Gardens that long ago night and were forced into an engagement.”

“You saved me then.”

“Not as much as you saved me, Harry, and that is all that matters.”

“So damned fortunate,” he whispered.

“As am I.” She lifted on her toes to kiss him. “And the last time I checked, you only needed one hand to send me flying.” With a wink, she helped him to remove her clothing. “I also adore when you do the same with your mouth. Barring that, you only need one arm to hold your child, so you are doing well indeed.”

Was it any wonder why he loved her to distraction? “Ah, Theresa.” Letting his fingers dance down her spine, he reveled in the softness of her skin. “Since we weren’t able to have a wedding trip following our nuptial ceremony due the final machinations from Lady Stover, what would you say to going to Rome after the birth of our child? We could take the infant with us, put the love of travel into the little one’s mind early in its development.”

“I would like that above all things. We can spend the winter in the sunshine and return to England in the spring just when the Rogue’s Arcade will open once more.”

“Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes.”

“Yes.” In a thrice, she’d manipulated the buttons on his tailcoat and had the garment shoved from his shoulders. “Far too many clothes separate me from you, Hedgecomb.”

“I can rectify that.” Then he did. Once he was as naked as she, he tumbled them both into their large four-poster bed and set out to bring her to a fast release in the way she liked above all others. All too soon, he was lost in the wonder that was his wife.

The soft cry of her falling over that edge made him shudder with anticipation, for he didn’t need to be a whole man to know what it felt like to be so connected to someone else.

Without her, he would never have had a second chance at life. And perhaps that was all a man needed was a chance. Without her, nothing would have changed, but with her, everything did, and that made all the difference.

And when a man accidentally stumbled onto love, the only advice he could give was to hang onto it with both hands because it was well worth the fall.

The End

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