looked at Roxanne, his eyes warm with love. ‘We both hope there will be others as happy, sir.’
‘Yes.’ Roxanne stood up and went to him. She glanced back at the earl. ‘We have decided that you shall name our first child—boy or girl, the choice shall be yours.’
‘Emily for a girl or Selwyn if it’s a boy,’ the earl said. ‘To tell the truth, I have a fancy for a little girl first, but we must wait and see what the good lord sends us.’
‘Yes, I do not think even Roxanne can arrange that, though she leaves little else to chance,’ Luke said and laughed as his wife pulled a face at him. ‘For myself I care not whether the child is male or female—as long as Roxanne is well after the birth I shall be quite content.’
‘I have decided we should have at least two boys and two girls,’ Roxanne said and smiled. ‘But as long as we are all well and content together little else matters.’
‘We should send for champagne,’ the earl said. ‘I want to toast my new grandchild—and the staff must share in our good fortune. We shall give a fête for the people, Luke. I’ll leave it to you to organise the affair, but I shall attend if the day is fine.’
‘I shall set it all in order before I leave for London—and I’ll be back within a week so you need not pull caps with me, Grandfather. My home is here with the people I love and I have no wish to stay away an hour longer than I need.’
The door opened to admit Mrs Arlet. A few words from the earl and she left, face wreathed in smiles, to communicate the news to the rest of the household and order their champagne and lemonade for Roxanne.
‘You know that they will be counting back the weeks after the birth,’ Roxanne said. ‘I think we shall shock our neighbours a little, sir.’
‘Nonsense,’ the earl replied and winked at her. ‘Have you never heard of a babe coming early? My Emily had our son a month sooner than expected—big bonnie boy he was, too.’
‘Grandfather,’ Roxanne said and laughed. ‘You are a rascal.’
‘I was a bit of a rascal when I was younger,’ he agreed and glanced at his grandson. ‘It might be that Clarendon is more like me than any of you thought…’
‘So, Selwyn Luke John Arnold Hartingdon, future Lord Clarendon and one day heir to this old pile,’ the earl said, looking down at the child in the cot beside Roxanne’s bed. ‘How does it feel to be the first-born of a clever girl like your mama? I dare say you are pleased with yourself and will lead us all a merry dance one day.’
‘Grandfather,’ Roxanne scolded with a smile of affection. ‘He is but a day old and interested only in feeding and sleeping.’
‘He is my great-grandson and will take after his father and his great-grandfather,’ the earl replied with satisfaction. ‘He is going to be a fine big chap and will make us all proud of him. I dare say he might be the Prime Minister or a famous general if he chose.’
‘I think he may have some of Roxanne’s qualities,’ Luke said and raised his brows at her. ‘I certainly hope he has more sense than either of us ever had.’
‘Well, yes, of course—but he’s got my nose and his mouth is just like yours, Luke.’ The earl chuckled. ‘And I am an old fool clucking over him as if I’d never seen a babe before. Roxanne, I am proud of you, girl. I wanted to tell you that I love you and make sure you were well—but there never was such a beautiful child.’
‘Thank you, dearest Grandfather. I love you, too.’
‘Well, I’ll leave you together for a while—but you should let Roxanne rest, Luke. She needs to get her strength back.’
‘I shall do so in a moment, sir.’
Luke grinned as the door closed behind him. ‘I’ve never seen him look so happy and proud. Anyone would think the boy was his son.’
‘He loves us all,’ Roxanne said. ‘Are you proud of me, Luke? Are you pleased with your son?’
‘You know I am,’ he said and perched on the edge of her bed, reaching for her hand. ‘I am the happiest man alive—except perhaps for Grandfather. He looks younger and I begin to think he is an old fraud. He will live for years.’
‘His health is not good,’ Roxanne said and held his hand tighter, ‘but he is content and will have some time with us yet.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Luke bent his head and kissed her. ‘Now I must do as Grandfather bid me and leave you to rest. Beth will be here later and I know she will be eager to see you. Rest now and you will feel better when she arrives.’
‘I am perfectly well, you know,’ Roxanne said. ‘I shall rest, but only for a little time. Come and see me soon, my love.’
‘Of course. I have no intention of going anywhere else,’ he said, blew her a kiss and went out.
Roxanne lay back against her pillows, a smile on her lips as she closed her eyes and slept.
Anne Herries
Captain Richard Hernshaw paused, glanced back into the menacing darkness of the narrow alley behind him and frowned. He was being followed. The instinct he had acquired over several years working for the British government as a secret agent was on full alert. He knew that he had taken a risk by agreeing to meet his contact here in the rookery of these terrible slum streets, but the man would not dare to show his face elsewhere, for he was a rogue and perhaps worse. The meeting had gone well and Richard had what he’d come for, but, since leaving his contact, he had picked up a shadow. The question was—who was following him and why?
He needed to know the answer to that question, because of the papers he was carrying, which were important and could hold the answer to a mystery that he and other colleagues had been investigating in recent times. It was feared that an attempt on the lives of several prominent men in the government, even that of the Regent himself, was being prepared, and Richard believed that the names of the ringleaders were in the documents he carried inside his coat pocket. If the person following him knew that he had them, he might be in danger—of losing both the papers and his life.
Better to attack than be attacked! Richard turned the corner, and pressed his back against the wall, waiting for whoever it was to catch up with him. His suspicions were proved correct, for an instant later a small, dark shadow came hurtling round the corner. He stepped out, and grabbed the rascal’s arm, gripping it tightly.
‘Let me go!’ a voice cried in a tone halfway between anger and fear. ‘Watcha think yer doin’?’
‘That is exactly what I was about to ask you,’ Richard said, his gaze narrowing as he looked down at the rather grubby face of a street urchin. He smiled as he saw the indignant look in the youth’s eyes. ‘You have
