“Adele is in good spirits,” Hugh said, “despite spending part of every morning, er, tossing up her accounts.”
“Are you still afraid?” Lark asked.
“It just seems so unpleasant for her. I didn’t want to have another child because I didn’t want to put her through all this, but she insists it’ll be all right, that it will pass and be worth it. I hope she’s right.”
“If the account tossing were not happening, would you still want another child?” asked Lark.
Hugh smiled faintly. “I will admit, I am a little excited. Although I was serious. If it’s a girl, I will be locking her inside the house and running all the men off the island.”
Lark laughed at that.
“Grace and I may return to Wales early,” said Owen. “We have two more weddings to attend, but then we may slip away after the second one. Grace is anxious to get out of the city.”
“Is one of the weddings Louisa’s?” asked Fletcher.
“Yes,” said Owen, a little sheepish. “But even if it doesn’t happen, we’re attending the wedding of Grace’s friend Penelope Thistledown at the end of this month, so we must stay at least for that.”
“And how do you feel about returning early?” Hugh asked.
“Honestly? I will miss my evenings with you all, but I prefer the company of my wife at night, and she loathes London, so if going to Wales makes her happy, that’s what we’re going to do.”
“You really prefer her to us?” asked Fletcher.
“He prefers looking at her to looking at you,” said Lark. “Plus she warms his bed at night.”
“I won’t apologize for having married the most beautiful woman in England,” Owen said with a shrug.
Finally, Lark said, “Let me ask everyone’s advice on something.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“Go ahead,” said Hugh.
“Speaking of leaving London, I’ve had a notion to help Anthony raise his son.”
Fletcher could make little sense of that. “Does he not have staff for that?”
“He does, but he asked me to be the boy’s godfather, which is a responsibility I take seriously. I must give him spiritual guidance, right?”
“Sure, but have you seen your own godfather recently?” Hugh asked.
“He died when I was seven, so no, but I think Anthony asked me because he wants me to play a role in the boy’s life, and given how unorthodox our relationship is, I had thought to… I hesitate to say the role is as a spouse, as I could be no replacement for a mother to the boy, but… I don’t know. Perhaps this does not and cannot make sense.”
Hugh nodded, though. “You seek a marriage of sorts to the person you love, and that person has a child, and therefore, you want to be…a stepfather, perhaps.”
“Yes. That is the sum of it.”
“I almost miss having Beresford around,” Fletcher said, still drunk. “He’s entertaining.”
“Less so these days,” said Lark, “but I think his current malaise will pass eventually. He’s been very sad, but I keep getting glimpses of his old self. This loss was difficult for him, despite what you all might think, and it will take time to recover, but he will get there.”
“And you’re not worried about all the things that made you end the relationship to begin with?” asked Hugh.
“Oh, I’m still worried about all of it. I find I care less now, though. I’d rather have a short time with him than a long life without.”
“Love,” Fletcher said, “is stupid.”
“I am going to have to hide the rest of the whiskey in this place, aren’t I?” asked Owen.
