“She won’t be at the estate, is my point. It would be just you and I and Henry, our funny little family. Well, and the Churches, whose discretion I will pay for if need be. But I don’t think we need worry much. Despite her name, Mrs. Church does not seem especially religious.”
“This plan of ours is mad.”
Anthony grinned. “My schemes generally are. But one day at a time, my love. One day at a time. We shall spend a summer in the country and if we survive it, then we will work something out for the next season. There’s a rumor Lord Dwindle next door is interested in selling his house and decamping for the coast.”
“Oh?”
“Lord Dwindle is approximately seven hundred and three years old and brings up the restorative sea air at least three times whenever I speak with him. I know moving three whole blocks from your residence to his would be an undertaking, but we could build a secret passage between the houses, and think of how fun that would be.”
“You’re right. All your schemes are mad. A secret passage? Are you eight?”
Anthony laughed, and Lark was delighted to hear it. Then Anthony seemed to remember the sleeping baby, and he immediately stopped laughing. He retreated to the corner of the room, further from the cradle. “It can be a normal door between the houses, but that is so boring. Imagine a bookcase with a hinge that—”
“I get the idea,” Lark said, following him to the corner.
“Something to consider.”
Living in the adjacent house would make keeping their affair discreet easier, that was for certain. “Is it a nice house next door? Have you been inside?”
Anthony nodded. “It’s the mirror image of this one. Built by the same architect. I can’t speak to all the rooms, but the first-floor footprint is nearly identical, just reversed.”
“I’ll consider it, then. This house is a little larger than mine. I’ll just say I wanted more space for…my frolicking bachelor ways, and since we are friends and you are friendly with your neighbor because you’re friendly with everyone, it made a certain amount of sense.”
“That’s the spirit!” Anthony kissed Lark’s cheek. “And if it’s awful, we can adjourn back to the country whenever we like.”
“Well, as you said, one day at a time.”
“I love you, Lark.”
Lark smiled. “Despite everything, I love you, too.”
Anthony put his hands on Lark’s shoulders. “Despite everything? My more irritating qualities are the parts of me you love the most.”
Lark sighed because it was true. Anthony had a big personality, when he wasn’t in mourning, and he liked toantagonize people by joking around. Anthony had once been an even bigger gossip than Lark. And, yes, those were the parts of Anthony that Lark missed the most.
He glanced at the baby, who was still asleep, and then leaned over and kissed Anthony. He put his arms around Anthony’s shoulders and sank into Anthony, who held him by the waist. They kissed like the world was ending.
“Oh.” Anthony said suddenly.
“What is it?”
“I hope this won’t affect how you see me and my, er, masculine virility, but for the last month or so it has been difficult for me to…” He gestured below his waist. “To arouse myself. I attributed it to grief, but apparently I just had to kiss you for longer than three seconds.”
Lark looked down. “Congratulations.”
“Not that I can do anything about it now. I don’t want to traumatize the poor boy, but we should stay within earshot in case he needs something. Here, come with me next door.”
They walked out of the nursery and into an adjacent sitting room.
“Mrs. Church’s chamber is on the other side. This is I think meant to be a space for children to play once they’ve gotten a little older than Henry is now.”
“You think?”
Anthony shrugged and sat on the sofa. He patted the seat beside him as if he were summoning a pet, so Lark rolled his eyes and sat next to Anthony.
“I did not design this house,” said Anthony. “I spent time here as a child, but my father mostly left me in the countrysidewith my mother, which perhaps is why I was long so reluctant to leave London. And Father would not allow me to do anything so disruptive as playing or being loud, so for my whole life this room has always been kind of a stale sitting room. But I believe the architect’s intent was for this entire floor to be devoted to the children of the house.” He looked around. “Perhaps I should festoon this with toys. What do boys play with these days? Rocking horses? Little soldiers?”
“I’ve no idea.”
