The marquess blinked, spluttering a laugh.
Of course, he had already become an uncle many times over, thanks to his sisters’ brood. However, Victoria could see that he knew there was something different about the way she referred to him as Melody’s uncle. It was like she was drawing a circle around the foundling and placing him inside of it, too.
A grin spread on his face. “Uncle Daniel,” he repeated, as if relishing the title. “I suppose it makes me responsible for her first pony, and perhaps even buckets full of sugar for her birthdays. I accept commission, dear sister.”
“You’re a Duchess now, Victoria,” Wilhelmina reminded her. “Should you be crawling on the floor like that?”
“I didn’t think you’d be Mother’s conscience here right now, Mina,” she retorted.
“No. It isn’t that at all. It just reminds me of your hoyden days,” her sister mused, smiling softly.
“Ah. Well, I am not past that stage, and I believe this little one might be even worse,” she explained, as she sat back on her heels and watched the little girl open her mouth to take a bite of the pocket watch. “Melody. That’s not food.”
Melody looked back at her, smiling and babbling while sitting prettily on the rug, with her drool falling on the pocket watch. Daniel looked on with horror. Victoria wanted to laugh, but she was on a mission. She needed to look stern so that the baby would give back the watch.
“Uh, Victoria,” Richard called.
She turned to him. He had a rattle in his hand, and he was handing it to her.
“Oh.”
She took the rattle and dangled it in front of Melody. Sure enough, upon seeing her toy, the baby dropped the pocket watch and grabbed the rattle instead. Soon enough, she started chewing on it.
“Isn’t it a little early for her?” Daniel asked.
“It is,” Daphne replied. “However, some babies do start teething at three months, and she is drooling a lot already.”
Victoria suddenly felt the passage of time. They had the baby for weeks, and no mother or father had come to claim her. Not yet. Perhaps, Melody would certainly stay with her, withthem, forever.
“She does seem precocious,” Richard noted. “Just like you, Victoria.”
The rest murmured their agreement.
Later, Richard, Victoria, and the rest of the family gathered for one final toast. The children were all ready to retire, yawning and fussing. Some had gone silently sullen, but still trying their utmost best to behave. Melody was already drifting to sleep in her cradle, the rattle still in her hand.
The atmosphere began to simmer down, becoming more serious. Richard took it as an opportunity to address everyone. He no longer had a family of his own. Victoria’s family was now his own, too. He had to remind himself of that.
“Before you go home, I want you all to know,” Richard began, after taking a deep breath, “that Melody can now officially be called Miss Melody Weston, as my ward. She is under my protection, carrying my name. I know her father or mother may still reveal themselves later, but she needs to have a proper name while the investigations are still ongoing.”
“Let me remind you both that Melody is a Brighton, too,” Daniel said. “My sister is the mother she recognizes now. I don’t know what will happen if her real mother comes to claim her. I know it won’t be easy. At the moment, I can only pledge my protection for the little one.”
“I might not be formally part of the family,” Jonathan added, “but I would like to welcome the youngest member to our fold, before the next few ones come along. The Brighton family is turning out to be particularly fertile.”
A few chuckles followed his remark, and Richard’s mind returned to a pressing thought: consummating his marriage with Victoria could quickly bring a child into the world.
His heir.
Longing came over him unexpectedly. He tried to shake it away, and he was able to do so for the rest of the evening.
When it was time to depart, he found Jonathan talking to Daniel by the foyer. It looked like he had some more thoughts to share before leaving.
“All your sisters are settled, Grisham,” his friend said playfully. “Your stepmother is no longer living with you. I believe it’s time for you to search for your wife. You’ve seen what Brightons are like when they are together. So, more likely, you’d want to continue that line.”
“What about you, then, Cotswell? I don’t see you in a rush to get married,” Daniel snapped back, his posture stiff and his expression cold. “At the moment, I do not have time to deal with the marriage market. I am content with my ledgers. They are enough responsibility for me. If you must know, I’ve had a tour of the Continent as a young man. I’ve seen enough of the world. It’s time to be serious about it.”
“Getting marriedisserious,” Jonathan murmured, looking more somber, probably remembering that he needed to marry, as well.
Victoria linked her arm with Richard, and the two approached the bachelors.
