“Oh, did you? What might that be?” she asked gently.
Hector handed her the small box as if presenting a sacred treasure. Around him, the children waited expectantly, eyes bright with pride and anticipation.
Victoria carefully unwrapped it, her fingers lifting the paper to reveal a hand-whittled rattle. It was imperfect in symmetry but crafted with evident care; the smoothness of the wood suggested careful sanding, and inside the hollow, pebbles clacked softly when shaken.
“Well, I did the carving,” Hector said proudly, cheeks tinged with pink. “The rest of the cousins helped with the sanding and the pebbles. We made sure it’s safe for baby Melody.”
“She does not have her own things,” Henry added quietly, earnest and protective.
“She does, silly,” Diana reassured him softly. “Clothes, blankets, a crib … she has all the things she needs!”
“That’s alright, Di,” Victoria said kindly, her gaze soft on Henry. “Miss Melody will need many things, and this rattle is just the beginning. You all have made something very special for her.”
“That’s true,” Jamie said with vigor, nodding emphatically.
“You’ve given her the best rattle in London,” Victoria praised, her voice full of warmth. “She will treasure it now, and one day, when she’s older, she will know how much love went into making it.”
Richard’s hand found Hector’s shoulder, giving it a firm, approving squeeze. “Excellent craftsmanship, Hector. Not many could accomplish this at your age. Remember, a man should always know how to provide for the ladies in his family.”
Hector’s chest puffed with pride, his stance rigid as he soaked in the praise.
Family. That simple word wrapped around Victoria’s heart, tugging at it in ways she had only begun to understand. As she looked from the children to Richard to Melody, she hoped that whatever love she felt for this small, burgeoning family would not be dashed or taken from her.
Here, in the bustling warmth of Wolfcrest, surrounded by laughter and affection, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, it could endure.
Chapter Seventeen
Richard somehow knew that dinner with the Brightons would be a chaotic affair.
It reminded him once more that his wife had many family members who truly cared about her. It was a satisfying thought. However, it also reminded him that he was now mostly alone in the world on his end. He was simply slipping into Victoria’s family.
It was easy to see that her sisters’ husbands had been welcomed into the brood; the Dukes of Oakmere, Talleystone, Redmoor, and Wolfcrest might be all formidable men in their own rights, but were putty in the hands of their Brighton wives. He sat at the same table with them, expecting to be ignored. The two ladies in his life had already decided to ignore him.
While Victoria was conversing with her siblings, Melody had fallen back into a deep slumber after stirring for a few minutes. So, he would not be able to connect with the little one, either.
“I must say, Hawksford,” Gerard, Duke of Talleystone, remarked while raising his glass. “You have handled your household quite admirably as of late. Other men would have already hidden in the clubs for most of the month, or more.”
“I know what you mean, Talleystone,” he replied. He felt more relaxed conversing with his brothers-in-law than he had before. It must be the recent development with Victoria that has made him more open to everyone else. “It does help that my duchess has enough energy for three people. I am merely one of the reinforcements.”
“Do you believe so?” Wilhelmina asked, passing by their table. “Victoria needs someone who can tame her. Her boldness is legendary. As a young girl, she was always in trouble.”
“In trouble. Are you talking about me, Mina? Right behind my back?” Victoria asked, walking toward the table, as well. Her tone was teasing, though, as she sashayed even closer.
“Well, ’not anymore, since you are here now, Vicky,” Wilhelmina said. “I have some interesting stories to tell about you, and you should hear them.”
“Oh, no, Mina,” Victoria groaned, covering her face with both hands. “Not tonight. Please.”
“Tell everyone, Willa!” Daphne urged, ambling toward them, too. Richard chuckled. It looked like Victoria’s sisters were eager to tell him and the others what a hellion she used to be. He didn’tdoubt it and would love some stories. “Hawksford must know who he has married.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too late for that now?” Adrian asked, laughingly.
Wilhelmina sat at the table next to her husband, Gerard, and proceeded with her story.
“Victoria always got into trouble. Marianne might try to get our father to look the other way, but Victoria always made herself conspicuous no matter what. When she was only ten, Father had punished her by having her locked in her room. He was in a foul mood. So, it was actually the better option in terms of punishments. She would not wait inside to find out what he felt about her behavior later on in the day. No, she was not like that. She made a rope made of bedsheets to climb out of her room and managed to swing it into the library below.”
Richard laughed. Then, when he saw Victoria’s red face, he stopped, arching his eyebrow at her. When he pondered the situation, though, he could not help but notice the detail about locking Victoria in her room. That was abuse, and yet there was no chance she would admit to it. She would not want to be seen as a victim.
“A bedsheet? Escaping your room? It looks like you had a more adventurous childhood than I did.”
