Page 7 of The Duke’s Sharpshooter (The Duke’s Guard #14)

M addy watched the duchess with unabashed awe.

The light from the window shone on the duchess, magically adding streaks of blue to her black hair.

Mum had the same color hair, but she’d never seen blue in it.

Unable to help herself, Maddy reached out to touch the duchess’s hair, but quickly drew her hand back. “You have blue in your hair.”

The duchess nodded. “The sun must be coming in the window behind me.”

Wonder filled Maddy. “How did you know?”

“I’ve never seen it happen, because it’s always scooped up on my head, but other people have noticed and told me.”

Maddy remembered Mum telling her about faeries with dark hair and green eyes. But did they have brown eyes, too? Was the duchess a faerie in disguise? “Did the faeries put it there?”

When the duchess smiled at her, Maddy felt warm inside. The duchess had a pretty face and a soft voice, like Mum. Maddy liked her. She smiled, watching the duchess set her teacup on its saucer and place it on the table between them.

“I often wondered if they had,” the duchess replied. “It is a question I have asked myself more than once over the years.”

Maddy frowned. “Did yourself answer?”

“I haven’t,” the duchess replied. “Although I have been waiting for another chance to sneak down to the rose garden and wait for dawn to break. And do you know why?”

Hearing the excitement in the duchess’s voice, Maddy bounced in her seat. “Why?”

“The tween times—when the clock strikes on the half-hours—are when the fae can be seen,” the duchess confided. “At dawn, they come to our gardens to wash their faces in the dew that settles on the flowers overnight.”

Maddy gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. The beautiful duchess who had been so nice to her and her mum must be part faerie!

“Do you know what they do then?”

Maddy shook her head, blowing at a curl that flopped into her eyes. “What?”

“They lift their faces to catch the first hint of the morning breeze, spread their arms, unfurl their wings, and dance upon the air.”

Maddy slowly flipped onto her tummy, scooted to the edge of the chair, and slid off the chair.

She rushed over to stand beside the duchess.

“Mum says there’s magic in the air…” Her voice trailed off, and she frowned.

Maybe the duchess didn’t have a mum anymore.

Maddy’s mum didn’t. She knew Mum disliked it when people asked her questions.

But if Maddy didn’t ask, how could she find out what she wanted to know? “Mum says we gotta believe to see it.”

“Your mum is a very wise woman, Maddy.”

Maddy nodded. “Can I watch for faeries with you?”

*

Persephone was charmed by the little girl’s sunny nature and inquisitiveness.

“I do not see any reason why you cannot go, but we shall have to ask permission from your mum.” Watching Maddy’s face, she was not surprised when the child’s expression changed yet again.

She had noticed the same swift shift from happiness to tears in her own children.

“She’ll say yes.”

“If she does, I hope you can be quiet as a mouse.”

“I can!” Maddy covered her mouth with her hands, then slowly removed them, whispering, “I can.”

“Wonderful. We shall need to be, when we sneak past the guards.” Persephone sighed deeply, knowing how it vexed the men—especially Patrick—but what choice did she have?

They’d sworn an oath to her husband that they would protect her and the children, and the rest of Jared’s family.

It was easier for the guard to protect them if they remained indoors.

Maddy seemed to be waiting for her to say more.

The duchess decided to explain about her fierce protectors.

“The guards have our best interests at heart, and their job protecting us has not been easy. I admire their diligence and efficiency in patrolling our home, the extensive grounds, and the surrounding land between our home and the village. But I do not like being told what to do.”

The little girl tilted her head to one side, and Persephone could swear she could hear the cogs moving through the gears until Maddy’s thought clicked into place. “Ask them.”

Unable to resist, the duchess brushed a hand over the mop of golden curls. “For permission?”

Maddy nodded.

Persephone wished all of life’s questions could be handled so smoothly by simply asking and receiving the answers.

Not everyone appreciated being questioned, nor did they feel obliged to answer.

“An excellent notion, but I should warn you, Miss Maddy, the men in my husband’s guard will try to escort us right back inside if they catch us creeping outside at such an early hour. ”

“But we aren’t bad people.”

The duchess realized the little girl needed her to explain further. “The men in the guard are strong and brave and will insist that it is for our own good if we wait until the sun comes up to visit the gardens.”

Maddy’s little face showed every unspoken thought.

The dear little girl reminded Persephone of her own daughter.

Abigail loved picture books of faeries, elves, wood sprites, and water horses.

Anything magical. Her twin Richard preferred books with knights on horseback holding shields and wielding swords.

Finally, Maddy asked, “Will the faeries hide if they see the men?”

Thinking of the tall, broad-shouldered, fiercely protective Irishmen standing shoulder to shoulder in a solid wall of protection, Persephone sighed. “They might.”

“Maybe we could ask Just Flaherty to guard us. He can carry Mum outside. Then she can wait and watch for the faeries with us!”

The duchess was not surprised that the little one had already detected Flaherty’s interest in her mother. If he were anything like his O’Malley and Garahan cousins, he would be wed before the month was out.

“Leave it to me,” she said. “I’ll see to it that Rory—Just Flaherty—accompanies us and carries your mother out to the rose garden.”

“Thank you!”

The duchess smiled. “Now then, someone has to help Constance bake a batch of faerie cakes. Then we’ll need some of her special dandelion wine. The fae are partial to it.”

“Do you have tiny teacups?”

Utterly delighted with the child, Persephone paused to think about it.

“I’m afraid I do not, but I once read that acorn tops turned upside down will serve as teacups, and tiny leaves can substitute for cake plates.

” Pleased with their plans so far, Persephone was reminded of the time Ladies Phoebe, Aurelia, and Calliope had planned a dawn adventure to wait for the fae.

But they had been forced to cancel their plans when Wyndmere Hall was under attack.

“After we finish our tea, we’re expected in the nursery.

When we’re there, we’ll ask Francis and Gwendolyn to help us search for what we need in the herb garden.

There’s a huge oak tree near the stables.

Oh, and of course we cannot exclude my twins, Richard and Abigail, nor Gwendolyn’s daughter Deidre—they’ll help decide which leaves to use. ”

“But Deidre cannot walk yet.”

“True,” the duchess agreed. “But faeries have been known to show themselves to little children and babes because of their pure and kind hearts.”

The tiny hand that slipped into hers sent a surge of happiness through Persephone.

The trust in Maddy’s expression felt like a hug.

She knew it would take some doing to slip down to the garden and wait for dawn.

The longer they waited, the better the chances that someone would overhear their plans and tell Patrick or one of the other guards. They’d best enact their plan tomorrow.

“Can you keep a secret, Maddy?”

The adorable girl’s curls bobbed as she dipped her head. “Yes!”

“His Grace should be arriving any moment, and it would be best if we did not mention our early morning excursion.”

Maddy’s brow wrinkled. “ ’scursion ?”

“Our dawn trip down to the garden,” the duchess explained. She paused and glanced up as footsteps approached. “That will be the duke.” She mimed turning a key in a lock against her lips, causing Maddy to giggle.

“What a joyous sound. Mind if I join you ladies for tea?”

Maddy ran over to the duke and held out her hand, confident Jared would grasp it. When he did, she exclaimed, “We saved you sweets!”

The duke’s attention to the tiny waif warmed Persephone’s heart. Her husband truly loved all children—not just their twins. While Maddy chattered, and Jared listened, Persephone prayed that the babe sleeping beneath her heart was healthy and strong and would continue to grow to term.

Her husband helped Maddy to sit on the chair she had abandoned, then settled on one of the vacant seats.

Persephone drank in the sight of the powerful Duke of Wyndmere conversing with the green-eyed pixie as if she were already part of their family.

In that moment, the duchess wondered if they, and Flaherty, would be so lucky.

Maddy paused to sip from her cup, and Persephone felt Jared’s eyes on her. Lifting her gaze, she saw the hint of concern that had taken up residence since that first morning she’d cast up her accounts upon rising a fortnight ago. “How are you feeling, my darling?” he asked.

Though his voice was couched in concern, she saw the hint of desperation in his gaze. He was worried for her, and their unborn babe. “Rested, thanks to Miss Maddy for keeping me company while we enjoyed our tea.”

His deep blue eyes darkened, and she knew he was preoccupied with other matters…matters he had yet to divulge that were either dangerous or had the potential to become so. It was a blessing and a curse to be surrounded by protective men.

“Will you be lying down before the midday meal?”

Persephone did not bother to hide the exasperation she felt. “Were you not listening just now, Wyndmere?”

Her husband nearly choked on his last sip of tea. She always addressed him by his title when she was upset with him. She lifted her cup to her lips and met the intensity of his gaze over the rim.

Maddy tiled her head to one side to stare at her, and then the duke. “It’s my turn to read to the twins.”

“Read to them?” Jared asked.

“Maddy likes to use different voices as she tells the stories,” Persephone explained.

“Indeed.”

“Don’t be so stuffy, Jared. Miss Maddy is a wonderful companion to Richard and Abigail—and little Deidre, too. There are plenty of picture books for her to read from.”

Her husband set his cup on the saucer and placed it on the table. “How does one read from a book filled with pictures?”

Persephone smiled at Maddy before answering, “With one’s heart, and the gift of one’s imagination.”

“An overactive imagination should not be encouraged,” he warned.

“Stifling an imagination should be a punishable crime,” she retorted.

“What’s stifling?” Maddy asked.

The duke raised his eyes to the ceiling and mumbled beneath his breath.

He could count all he wished to. But it would not stop Persephone from seeing that neither their children, nor the any of the guards’ children—and this precious child, for that matter—would feel stifled or be admonished for daydreaming!

He finished mentally counting and stared at her. She returned the look with one of barely veiled irritation. Lord love the man, Jared sighed and answered Maddy, “To stifle is to suppress something or someone.”

“Suppress?”

The duke frowned, searching for another word to use. “Tamp down.”

“What’s tamp?”

Persephone’s emotions were wont to shift dramatically when she was expecting.

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to check on her children and spend the next hour or so cuddling them, while Maddy interpreted the picture books with smiles and funny voices.

She rose to her feet and answered, “This.” She followed the word with an exaggerated stamp of her foot.

Maddy’s eyes widened. “Stamp rhymes with tamp!”

The duke chuckled. “Yes, it does, clever girl.” Rising to his feet, he bowed to Maddy, before turning to lift Persephone’s hand to his lips.

The swift kiss arrowed straight to her heart.

The wicked look he sent from beneath his lashes promised he would tire her out…

later. “I shall be in my study, should you need me.”

“Jared?”

He paused in the doorway. “Yes, love?”

“I shall always need you.”

His potent smile assured her that he understood her mood shifts and expected them. “Until later.”

The duchess drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Rising to her feet, she walked over to the corner and called to Maddy, “Would you please help me ring the bellpull?” The little girl rushed over to her side.

“Now then, place your hands here, and I’ll place mine above and below yours. On three we shall give it a tug. One…”

“Two, three!” Maddy called out as she tugged the cord with all her strength.

The duchess barely had to pull before she felt it engage. “Well done. Thank you.”

Maddy’s smile was infectious. “You’re welcome.”

Persephone held out her hand. The little girl held on tight as the two walked to the nursery. There were babes to cuddle, castles to build out of blocks, and stories to tell.