Page 46 of The Rules of Matrimony (The Matchmaking Mamas #4)

Three Weeks Later

Amie set down her billiard’s cue stick. “You must never let Mama know that you taught me such a vulgar sport.” She winked at him to show she was teasing. They’d been in Brookeside at Bellmont Manor for several weeks, and Ian had tried to teach her to swim in his pond, had given her archery lessons, and now this.

“As long you never tell my mother either,” Ian said, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Amie nestled back against him. “Have you received a response from Sir Robert Peel yet?”

He shook his head, his chin tickling her neck. “I expect one any day.”

“You will need a secretary, you know.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“I happen to know someone I can recommend.”

“Oh? My wife thinks she can stand working with me again? Does this mean I get a kiss after every letter you scribe?”

“Heavens no. You will kiss me . I don’t work for free.”

He turned her in his arms. “Can I pay in advance?”

A thrill stole through her, as it always did in anticipation of Ian’s kisses. “You most certainly can.” They spent nearly all their time together, never tiring of the other’s company. Even while with company, they rarely left each other’s side. Which was quite the feat considering they had met every tenant family and many in town, thanks to Miles’s constant effort to deliver charity baskets to the poor in his parish and Amie’s own desire to care for their neighbors.

For so long, she had been passed from house to house, never feeling wanted, never belonging. Those feelings were so distant now, she had nearly forgotten them. Ian hadn’t been the only one to accept her, but all the Rebels and their spouses seemed eager to adopt her into their intimate society too.

Ian pressed his lips to hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She relished the feel of his strong arms around her waist and back and grinned on the other side of his kiss. No sooner had this happened than they heard a commotion on the other side of the wall.

Amie quickly pulled back, anxious that someone would catch them in their passionate embrace.

Ian put a finger to her lips but did not fully release her.

Her brow furrowed, but she said nothing.

Voices sounded. Women’s voices.

He motioned with his head toward the wall that separated them from the music room. Reluctantly, she followed his noiseless steps to the wall, where the voices became far clearer.

“The walls are thin in this room, so don’t say anything you don’t want overhead,” Ian whispered in her ear before leaving a kiss on her lobe. The touch sent gooseflesh down her arms.

“I’m surprised we are still holding meetings,” came a feminine voice through the wall.

“That’s Miles’s mother, Mrs. Jackson,” Ian whispered.

“Indeed. It looks like our work here is done,” came another voice.

“And that,” he whispered, “is Lady Felcroft, Tom’s mother.”

Amie frowned. Why were all these women here, and why had no one invited her to join them? For a moment, the sense of being an outsider threatened to overwhelm her. Perhaps she should question her newfound feelings of belonging.

“Good heavens, ladies. Our work is far from done.” Here was a voice she could identify. It was her mother-in-law, Lady Kellen. “There are too many unwed, lonely souls in the world for us to put down Cupid’s arrow now.”

“So, we will continue our musical club?” a voice that sounded very much like Lisette asked.

“That’s Mrs. Manning, Lisette’s mother,” Ian said a moment later.

Amie was proud of herself for guessing so well.

Lady Kellen spoke again. “We meet Tuesday next, and I want everyone to come with a list of names to present. We will vote for our next project.”

The women visited for a few moments longer before leaving, but no more was said about lonely souls or impending projects. Their voices slowly faded down the corridors until they were gone.

“What did we just overhear?” she asked Ian.

Ian seemed lost in thought but blinked a few times, then answered her. “That, my darling, was a secret meeting of the Matchmaking Mamas of Brookeside.”

“They sounded serious.”

He nodded long and slow. “Never underestimate a mother’s intuition in discovering the perfect match for her child.”

“Trust me,” she said. “I won’t.”

They laughed together, and Ian pulled her toward one of the two chairs in the room. He sat first and tugged her onto his lap. “Before we started playing billiards, you mentioned you had something to speak to me about. What was it?”

“Yes, I did,” she hedged.

“And? Are my mother’s machinations scaring you?”

“Though I wonder who they will match next, this is something quite different.”

“Go ahead.”

She swallowed. “Remember how I teased you when you were holding baby Katie a few weeks ago?”

“Ah, yes. You were concerned that our future children would inherit some of our best family traits.”

She giggled. “Well, I was merely testing the waters until I was certain.”

“Certain of what?”

She stared into his sky-blue eyes brimming with love, and her smile wobbled. “Certain that I was with child.”

Those same cerulean eyes widened considerably. “You’re ... you’re with child?”

“It’s still early, but when I went to Town yesterday with Cassandra, I stopped in and saw her doctor.”

His arm tightened around her. “Are you well?”

“My symptoms are typical. He assured me that both the baby and I are healthy.”

“The baby,” he breathed, his hand falling to her middle with wonder. “I can hardly believe it.”

“I know it’s soon. Our marriage is so young, and our family is already growing.” It was hard to explain her nerves ... her anxiety to know if he approved. They had come so far, but each of them was still overcoming their past struggles.

He drew her ever closer. “It’s going to be wonderful, Amie. You’re a natural at taking care of everyone around you. I have no doubt you will be the best mother.”

She had meant to reassure him, yet his words eased her. The sheer happiness in his expression and perfect assuredness in his voice brought a smile to her lips. Cupping his face in her hand, she said with equal fervor, “You have a way of making a person feel safe, protected, and cared for. You will be an ideal father.”

Ian grinned, his eyes beaming. “Thank you, darling, for always believing in me. But you know it will be easier if he or she takes after you.”

“I will be sure to pass that along.”

He chuckled, reaching up and placing his hand behind her neck, his thumb gently caressing the skin there. “Just one more request. It is imperative that you join the town’s musical club straightaway. I don’t want our baby to get the last pickings for a spouse.”

Her laugh was silenced with Ian’s celebratory kiss. She relished every second in his arms. Moments like this were worth being engaged to a dead man or all the humiliatingly sleepless nights from warm milk. All that they had endured had brought them to this moment. They were growing a family now. Marriage to Ian had been a gift from heaven itself, and having his child would be the greatest privilege of her life. She had never been happier.