“I confess our Prince Regent is not known for restraint at his dinner table, either,” he said. “The grand banquet he held at the Royal Pavilion last year featured one hundred and twenty different dishes.”
“None of which were halfpenny pies?” she guessed.
“Not a one.” Graham shook his head sadly. “The mark of an amateur.”
“I suppose you got hold of the menu and have the list of dishes served written in a journal somewhere?”
“Menu?” he repeated, aghast. “I got hold of thechefand had him write down each recipe. If you’re hungry, I can ring for the maid and have the kitchen duplicate the royal feast. Just think…” His expression turned dreamy. “I could serve you one hundred and twenty-oneunique dishes.”
“Maybe next time,” she said with a laugh. “Pies are perfectly fine for a romantic snack.”
His voice softened. “Would you like there to be more romantic moments in our future?”
Kuni popped an indelicately large final bite of pie into her mouth to avoid having to answer.
Graham did not appear fooled by her quick thinking, though he graciously finished his own pie rather than press the question.
While his mouth was full, she quickly changed the subject. “What is this empty wing supposed to be used for?”
“All the future Wynchester children,” he answered promptly. “And whatever their hobbies might be.”
Future children.
This was not the safe subject she’d been looking for.
He misread her expression. “Do you think it cruel to place offspring in a separate wing? It might surprise you to learn many families of means send their children off to be cared for outside the home until they turn three or four.”
This did not surprise Kuni at all. Seeing her father had always been a special treat, too.
“But that is not what you intend to do?” she guessed.
“The separate nursery is to keep babies’ cries from waking my siblings. But if any future Wynchester offspring belong to me, I shall relocate my bedchamber to this wing as well, in order to spend as much time with them as possible. I suppose that makesmestrange.”
Kuni didn’t think him strange at all. What he was describing sounded splendid.
But Graham fathering children was also definitely not a direction she wished to steer the conversation.
“If Tommy doesn’t wish to bear children, she should still be allowed a room or two to do whatever she wants,” Kuni said instead. “Philippa’s books are arguablyherchildren, and she has a library in this wing in which to store them.”
“You’re right. That is a very good point.” But his gaze was hot on Kuni. “Do you want children?”
“Uh…” Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed.
“It’s all right if you don’t plan to have any,” Graham said quickly, seeing her discomfort. “Most English people would think a woman unnatural to hold such a disinclination. But my siblings and I will not judge. We were all orphaned or left behind. The world has plenty of children already, with not enough mothers and fathers to care for them.”
Shewouldlike children. Had occasionally caught herself daydreaming about it, particularly when she glimpsed a mother with a child. But she always shoved the thought away, because motherhood was not in her future.
“I cannot have any,” she said stiffly.
His golden skin paled. “Oh—I’m so sorry. I should not have asked. It was an intrusive question.”
“Yes. No. That is…” She took a sip of wine while she formulated a safe response. “As far as I know, everything works as expected. I cannot have children because I am going to be a Royal Guard.”
He frowned. “Royal Guards can’t have children? Didn’t you say you came from a long line of Royal Guards?”
“A long line of Royal Guardsmen,” she clarified. “If there has never been a female Royal Guard, the king certainly shall not employ a pregnant one.”
“Oh,” Graham said. “I see.”
