“What?” Malcolm sat up.
Nodding, Camilla stood. “Yes, James, if you think your father is ready for it.”
“Papa,” Lizzy said, tugging on Malcolm’s waistcoat. “You ready?”
Malcolm laughed. “Of course.”
Camilla went to the bookshelf and lifted the wrapped package on top. She brought it to him, her eyes never leaving his.
She knelt beside him and smiled. “I have waited for the right moment to give this to you, and I suppose now is a perfect time.”
He took the package, not believing any of this. His daughter talking, his son laughing with his stepmother, and Kat… Kat wasn’t herself and hadn’t been for a while. In fact, the nameKatdidn’t fit her. Camilla did.
“Open it, Papa,” James encouraged him.
Malcolm ripped at the package while his children giggled and helped him remove the wrapping. A long, dark brown steel case sat in his hands, and when he opened the lid, he couldn’t believehis eyes. He had been eyeing the jeweled dagger for a few weeks, wondering if he should purchase it.
He brought his gaze up to Camilla. How did she know? “I don’t understand,” he said. “Why are you giving this to me?”
She touched his hand tenderly. “Because I wanted to thank you for everything you have done lately. You are an extremely kind and forgiving man. You have made me very happy here,” she ended in a whisper.
His heart burst for the second time today. He dropped the cased dagger in his lap and pulled Camilla in his arms. She met his kiss halfway, and he didn’t hold back on showing her how he felt. A deep sigh escaped her throat as she clung to him. But before he could enjoy the moment, heavy footsteps sounded in the corridor and Broderick called Malcolm’s name.
He cursed and withdrew. His wife’s cheeks flamed an adorable pink. Couldn’t he kiss his own wife for longer than two minutes?
“Malcolm, wonderful news,” Broderick yelled. He entered the nursery then came to a dead stop.
“What is it?” Malcolm stood and joined his friend, keeping the cased dagger in his hand.
“Umm… well,” Broderick stammered as his gaze shifted from Malcolm to Camilla and the children. “I’m sorry to disrupt your, er… pleasant moment, but I have wonderful news.” He showed Malcolm the highly decorated card.
Malcolm snatched it away, reading over every word. “When did this arrive?”
“Just a few moments ago by messenger,” Broderick replied.
“But why?”
“What is it, Malcolm?” Camilla lifted herself off the floor and moved to his side.
“An invitation to Colonel Burwell’s weekend estate party. I have waited for two weeks for this.” He shook his head. “I justdon’t understand why it arrived two days before the big event. One usually doesn’t send invitations out so late.”
His wife’s hand touched his arm, and he met her amazing eyes, still glistening with warmth. “Lady Burwell apologized and explained there must have been some kind of mix-up. She promised she would send the invitation over right away.”
Doubt crept into his mind, and happiness drained from him slowly like a leaky bucket. “When did you talk to Lady Burwell?”
“This afternoon. It was Colonial Burwell’s dog that attacked us, and she came to see if we were all right. We talked, and I mentioned—”
“You told her I had not been invited?” He raised his voice. “Do you know how that makes me appear?”
She frowned. “No, Malcolm, it wasn’t like that at all. In fact, she assumed youwereinvited. When I explained you were not, she apologized and promised to send over an invitation.”
“What exactly did you tell her?” He folded his arms across his chest.
“I told her we would love to come.”
“We?”
“Yes, of course.” Her perfectly shaped eyebrows rose in challenge. “She wanted both of us to come.”
