“I suppose you’re going to say something insulting, too?” Anne asked.
“Not at all. I think you’re just what LordManning needs.”
Anne blinked, still in shock from Charlotte’s surprising statement, when Mr. Beckham kissed her on the cheek and wished her joy.
“Go easy on the poor chap. As I can attest, it takes a bit of adjustment.” He shot a look toward Charlotte.
Anne cocked her head. “But Lord Manning has been married before.”
Mr. Beckham laughed. “I meant adjustment to you, dear lady.”
Why did everyone believe she would be the difficult one in the marriage? Odd that one of her few supporters would be Charlotte.
Cassie wrapped her arms around Anne’s waist, then peered up with her big brown eyes. “What shall we call you?”
With no wish to replace the girls’ mother, Anne pondered the question only a moment. “Why not what you have been calling me? Anne.”
“You don’t want us to call you mother?” Ellie’s little mouth drew into a pout.
Oh, dear. Anne turned to Colin, and he gave a shrug. The man was no help.
Crouching down, Anne took Ellie’s hands in hers. “You may call me anything you wish. I would be honored if someday you called me Mother or Mama. But you had a wonderful mother who loved you very much, and I would never want to take her place. I want to earn the right to that name.”
Her answer appeared to placate Ellie, and the child kissed Anne’s cheek.
When she rose and met Colin’s gaze, her heart stuttered. Kindness and affection shone in his eyes, and—although she couldn’t be certain—a wetness shimmered in their sea-foam-green depths.
He blinked the apparent moisture away. “You may call her Anne when we’re in private, but in the presence of company, out of respect for Anne’s title, why not a compromise with Mama Anne?”
The girls nodded with enthusiasm, especially Ellie.
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Anne said more to herself than anyone, but at least she realized she’d said it aloud.
“What you said was perfect, but if I’ve learned anything from my sister, it’s how to compromise.”
Anne suspected that particular skill would come in handy during their marriage.
Finished with receiving everyone’s congratulations, Colin offered his arm to escort her into the dining room. “Shall we, Lady Manning? Or should I call you Lady Grump?” His soft chuckle brushed against her skin like a caress.
“You will never let me forget that, will you?”
Although he stared straight ahead, a smile curled his lips. “Never.”
The wedding breakfast was a veritable feast with all sorts of delights. Until a footman placed a tray of gooseberry tarts before her.
Her gaze darted to Honoria. “I thought you said you didn’t have any gooseberries?”
“When I mentioned your love for them, Cook said she knew of a tenant who had an abundant supply. She’s been busy baking all morning.”
Anne wanted to gag. What was she to do?
Lord Stratford studied her while she stared at the plate of tarts the footman held before her. “All I ask is that you leave some for the rest of us, dear girl.”
Colin chortled. “You mean leave some for you, Father. I’m sure the rest of us will be happy to give up our share.”
She took one, hoping to be able to alternate bites of it with something she actually enjoyed.
“Oh, certainly you can have more than one,” her father-in-law said. “I merely didn’t want you to take the whole plate.”
