He promptly popped the baby on her lap. “Talk to Arabel. She’s the onlysane one here.”
Beth had never held a baby before. The youngest girls at Miss Mallory’shad been seven. The baby at least was a professional and settled happilyagainst her chest mouthing one of her own knuckles.
Beth looked at Eleanor. “What a lovely child.”
For a moment Eleanor looked very serious. “Yes. We receive preciousgifts from strange places.” But then she smiled. “She’s due for a feedingand her nap. If you’d care to come upstairs we could all take tea incivilized peace while I feed her.”
Though the notion was startling, Beth agreed, as did Amy.
Eleanor took the baby and carried her over to her father who kissed hersoftly on the lips. “Sleep well, Plumkin.” Arabel gave him a smile butturned straight back to her mother with a serious look. Clearly thedemands of her stomach were beginning to wear down her manners.
Beth wondered if such a sweet nature was the cause of the devotioneveryone showed the child or the result. She had no experience of familylife, but she’d never imagined a father as warmly loving as NicholasDelaney.
Her eyes sought Lucien’s. He smiled. “Go and learn how it’s done. Iwant a child just as charming and well-behaved as Arabel.”
Beth raised her brows. “I thought you wanted an heir forBelcraven.”
“No,” he said, “that’s my father. I want a string of little Arabels.Then,” he added mischievously, “an heir for Belcraven.”
Considering her virginity, Beth was finding this discussion in front ofa roomful of strangers rather challenging. “What a shame,” she saidtartly, “men cannot carry and birth the children. We could share theload.” There was a burst of laughter, and Beth took the chance to escapeand catch up with Eleanor and Amy.
“Good for you,” said Eleanor. “Men sometimes talk as if producingbabies is as easy as making a loaf of bread. Ah, Hollygirt,” she said asthe butler appeared. “We’ll have tea in my boudoir and then perhaps youcould see what the gentlemen want.”
Beth spent an enjoyable hour drinking tea and chattering. Theconversation was mostly of pregnancy and babies, but she didn’t mind.Presumably she would come to that one day though at the moment she didn’tquite see how. She wished she had the nerve to ask these two friendly andclearly happily married ladies for advice on husband management mostspecifically how to make him want to seek her bed, but she didn’tdare.
When it was time to leave Eleanor Delaney drew Beth in for a warm hug.“I’m so glad you came. You must come again. It isn’t normally quite sochaotic. Everyone is gathering in Town hoping to hear first news of thebattle. Peter has a brother with the 42nd, and there’s four of the Companyover there. For some reason,” she said with a smile, “they all gatherhere.”
“It’s . . . it’s a very happy house.”
“Yes,” said Eleanor “it is. But it’s happiness that’s been workedfor.”
That was all she said and yet it was a message of sorts.
When the ladies left the room, Nicholas Delaney said, “Your attention,gentleman.” The six men turned to look at him.
“Eleanor doesn’t much care for talk of Deveril. Doesn’t much care forme to be dabbling my fingers in mischief again, but we can’t let such aman get away with anything.”
There was a chorus of quiet agreement.
“I’ve looked into the situation. It’s clear he has a lot more moneythis year than last. I have to assume that he somehow relieved ThereseBellaire of most of her swindled fortune, which warms my heart, but Ican’t say I care to see him prosper. For one thing, he’s the sort of manwho’ll use money for evil.”
“How are we going to get it off him?” asked the pianist, LordMiddlethorpe.
“I don’t know, Francis. As far as I can tell he’s not keeping it in anybank, nor has he made investments. My guess is he has it in gold in chestsin his house.”
Hal Beaumont grinned. “We’re going to crack the ken?”
Nicholas Delaney frowned. “We are not. We are all respectable men hereand besides, we have a member of parliament present.”
The fine-boned blond turned back to his papers. “I’m deaf as a post,”he said.
“So?” asked Hal.
“So,” said Nicholas, “the first thing Deveril did on returning toEngland was to hire a squad of bullyboys. They guard him and the housepretty well. It’s tempting to break in and steal the lot, but it wouldsuit him to catch me in the act and haul me before the courts. I’m lookingfor a more subtle way to rearrange his fortune.”
“I hear rumors,” said Lord Middlethorpe, “that he’s looking to use someof his money to buy a bride.”
“All the more reason,” said Nicholas Delaney, “to render him penniless.His tastes are too foul for even the street drabs of Saint Giles.”
