Gabriel peered over and saw a jagged white line about two inches across. He had never noticed it before. When was she thrown from a horse? James should have informed him of any injury she had sustained.
Nicholas gave a low whistle. ‘Did it hurt? Did you cry, Mama?’
She ran her fingers through their son’s hair. ‘For just a bit, my love. Now up you go so your father and I can begin our day.’
‘Will you have breakfast with us too, Papa?’ Nicholas asked with a wide smile. ‘You never do and I would like that very much. I am rarely with you and Mama together. I rather like this.’
And lying there in bed with his wife and child, Gabriel realised he liked it too. They were shut away from the problems and whispers of the outside world. It felt like they were a true family and it was awfully intimate. Suddenly going back to sleep in his room and having breakfast alone held no appeal.
Olivia shook her head and began to say something when he interrupted her. ‘Of course we will take breakfast together,’ he replied, noticing his wife’s surprised expression. Was she at all happy about his announcement? ‘Run off and tell Bennett we will dine together in the breakfast room.’
Nicholas’s smile brightened his face. ‘That’s a capital idea,’ he said, before jumping off the bed and running out the door.
‘Is this part of your ritual each morning?’ He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock on the mantel. ‘My word, it is barely six o’clock!’
She laughed. ‘From what I recall you also rose with the early streaks of dawn. He does not come in every morning, but a fair amount.’
He had forgotten how sinful she looked when she had just woken up. The lids of her eyes were a bit lower and those loose tresses of her dark hair reminded him of how she looked after a rather vigorous bout of lovemaking—like they’d had last night.
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ she asked, moving her head away from him.
He climbed on top of her and propped himself up by his elbows. ‘Like what?’ he countered, rubbing his nose on the side of hers, needing to touch her in even the smallest of ways.
‘Please move. We must get dressed.’
‘But I like the way you look without your dress.’
‘Gabriel.’
He placed coaxing kisses along her mouth. If he could only get her to kiss him back, he was certain he could easily convince her to let him enter her again. When her lips parted to accept his kisses, he hardened in anticipation. She was heaven and sin wrapped all in one. Mornings such as this came flooding back to him. ‘I love being inside you when we are both half-asleep.’
The loud crash startled them both and they swung their heads to the doorway in unison.
Colette stood frozen, the remains of Olivia’s chocolate and a broken cup at her feet. Gabriel let out a low curse and jerked the sheet up to his waist. This day was not starting out as he planned.
‘I...I...knocked but...I saw his lordship leave and thought you’d be needing my assistance getting dressed.’
‘I will ring for you shortly, Colette,’ Olivia murmured while covering her eyes. ‘You may tend to the mess later.’
The maid dashed from the room and thankfully closed the door behind her.
Gabriel sighed and dropped onto his back. Hopefully the remainder of his day would not hold any more unexpected interruptions.
* * *
When Gabriel entered his breakfast room at the unusually early hour to the smells of chocolate, coffee, eggs, ham, warm bread and strawberry jam, he found it hard not to smile. Olivia had shooed him from her room without one more taste of her tempting lips. If he was not able to make love to her this morning, at least he would eat well. He went directly to the sideboard, filled his plate with his favourite morning fare, then took his seat at the head of the table between his wife and son.
As Bennett poured him coffee, Gabriel could have sworn he heard the man humming. ‘Can I get you anything else, sir?’ he asked with an unusually cheerful lilt to his voice.
‘No, that will be all, Bennett.’ Gabriel scanned the freshly ironed copy of The Times. Thankfully there still was no mention of the assassination attempt. The fewer people who know about it, the safer Prinny would be.
‘This just came for you, madam,’ Bennett said, handing Olivia a missive sealed with red wax.
Who would send his wife a note so early in the day? Was that common as well? How was it that he knew the exact time Prinny rose each morning, but he did not know the most mundane things about his own house? Gabriel surreptitiously looked at the handwriting and tried to identify the imprint on the seal. Without tilting his head to the side, he would not be able to distinguish the mark.
‘You do eat a lot of food in the morning, Papa.’
Olivia placed the note down and pursed her lips. His opportunity was lost.
‘Nicholas, it is not polite to comment on what other people place on their plates,’ she corrected him.
Their son turned to her in amazement. ‘But do you see his plate?’
Olivia picked up her cup of chocolate. ‘I see it. Grown men have rather large appetites.’ Her fine dark eyes met Gabriel’s over the gold rim of her blue Sèvres cup and she took a slow sip.
If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was being flirtatious. The very idea of it made him smile.
‘Lord Andrew is here to see you, sir,’ Bennett announced from the doorway. His previous cheerful demeanour seemed to have got lost on his way to escorting Andrew to the breakfast room. Apparently, this morning, when he wanted his family all to himself the outside world seemed determined to disrupt their private moments.
It was just after seven o’clock. Gabriel hoped the urgent news that brought his brother to his doorstep would be good.
‘I realise I am calling early, but—’ Andrew froze in the doorway and his wide-eyed gaze travelled from Gabriel to Olivia and finally to Nicholas.
‘Uncle Andrew,’ Nicholas screamed. Jumping out of his chair, he hurled himself at his uncle. Andrew easily caught him and spun Nicholas around so that the boy rested around his neck like a scarf.
There was no indication from Andrew’s demeanour the direction this visit would take. From the playful attention Andrew was paying to Nicholas, it was impossible to tell the urgency of his call.
‘Is everything all right, Andrew?’ Olivia asked with concern.
He stopped trying to drop Nicholas to the floor. ‘Yes. Forgive me for the early hour.’ His gaze darted to Gabriel and back to Olivia. ‘I found I could not sleep and I know that Gabriel is an early riser. I thought a good ride through the park would clear the cobwebs from my head.’
Patience was a virtue. As much as he wanted to ask the reason for Andrew’s visit, Gabriel would bide his time so as not to draw undue attention
