He closed his eyes and then realized something. Henry wasn’t beside him. He looked around, left and right, for he knew that the children were supposed to eat with the adults this evening.
In fact, Evelyn and Nathaniel were sitting across from him with their little one between them. And James was on Charlotte’s lap. It was the most unusual arrangement, he knew this, but it was something that the Langley family had done ever since the first child joined the family.
Rhys had told him all about it, and he had thought it so wonderful to include the children in family dinners and not cut them away to eat on their own with their governesses just because they were of noble birth. Naturally, he’d expected Henry beside him.
Then he spotted him.
Henry was seated beside Marianne, and he saw the slightly panicked expression on her face.
“Shall we switch?” he whispered.
“I can manage,” she said, sounding as though she wasn’t at all sure.
“Wexford,” Gideon said, drawing his attention. “Will we be seeing you and your lovely bride at Lady Hazelton’s ball next week?”
“You will,” he said.
“They will?” Marianne asked.
“Yes,” he replied, adding “dearest” for effect. “We spoke of it just the other day.”
She nodded. “Oh yes. I forgot.”
“Yes, the mind of a newlywed is always adrift,” Gideon said and chuckled. Rhys likewise grinned at this, even though he knew the truth.
“Well, it has been quite some time since I saw you dancing. I do not believe that you danced much with the previous Lady Wexford.”
The comment stung. The truth was that he had attempted to dance with Arabella when they were first wed, but she had been opposed to it. “Well, at most formal balls, it is frowned upon to see husbands and wives dancing together,” he said.
“Oh yes, but not at Hazelton’s. And I shall most certainly look out for the both of you. I am sure Marianne is a wonderful dancer,” he said, bending forward. “Aren’t you, Lady Marianne?”
“Lady Wexford,” she corrected him, and Lucien had to suppress a chuckle.
That served Gideon right.
He should know better than to use the wrong title for a lady. However, the moment of levity did not last because just then Henry let out a yelp. He turned, but Marianne was alreadytending to him. By the looks of it, he had managed to spill a spoonful of gravy all the way down his attire.
Marianne quickly set to cleaning him up while Lucien sat by and admired how much she had grown over the last few weeks. During the spillage, some had also dribbled on her clothes, but she did not complain. At least not out loud. After she had finished cleaning Henry up, the conversation around the room continued, and she turned to Lucien. In a low voice, she whispered, “Your son is in fine form.”
“What?” he replied, the sheepish tone creeping in. “He is on his best behavior. He takes after his father, after all.”
She shook her head, but there was no annoyance in her posture.
“Well, we will have to see about that.” She turned, but his eyes remained on her, and they continued to return to her time and again throughout dinner as she tended to Henry.
She did it with tenderness, as though she was beginning to care for him truly.
It warmed his heart while at the same time, he understood that the time might come when he would have to step in to ensure they did not grow too close.
Though truthfully, there was a part of him that wanted just that. But, he knew, it was a part he’d have to silence for he could not allow such foolish fantasies to fill his head again.
CHAPTER 18
MARIANNE
“He truly is in love with you,” Evelyn said after the group had settled in the drawing room, and the men had gone into the parlor to have an after-dinner sherry.
“Do not be silly,” Marianne said. “You know it is all pretend.”
