Hamish came to attention, putting on his ‘master-of-the-house’ frown and taking the request seriously, as every good father of an almost three-year-old would.
“Leopold!”
“Yes, Papa?” a small voice said from the hall.
“You may come in now.”
The little boy appeared in the doorway, the very image of his mother with light hair and a stubborn chin... and concealing a familiar Y-shaped weapon in his back pocket if Percy’s childhood memories of slinging rocks at the local drunks were accurate.
Judging by the nicks Percy glimpsed in the bit of wood revealed in the gap between his godson’s shirt and knickers, the boy wasn’t a half bad shot.
“Am I to assume you have a request?” Hamish asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s hear it, then.”
The boy squared his shoulders. “It’s sunny, Papa.”
Hamish’s master-frown twitched with suppressed amusement. “It is.”
“And Mama says sun is good for adventure.” The word ‘adventure’ came out ‘atentor.’
Percy felt his own mouth curl upwards. The boy had inherited his mother’s fine wordsandtaste for trouble as well if the slingshot sticking out of the boy’s back pocket was any indication.
“Mama is never wrong,” Leopold said.
Hamish didn’t hesitate. “That’s right.”
Leopold looked his father in the eye. “We should have a picnic.”
Hamish made a good show of covering his smile under the guise of scratching his nose in thought. “Would you say the lake would be a good destination for a group setting?”
Leopold nodded enthusiastically.
“I see.” Hamish set out his hand for his son to shake. “The preparations are your responsibility. A gentleman must take his guests into consideration.”
The boy’s grin was all teeth. He glanced at Renard. “You come too, Uncle Renard?”
“An adventure, you say?” The Duke of Lux glanced at Charlotte, and the two siblings shared a conspiratorial look. “I believe I can free my schedule.”
“Capital!” he said, the word sounding more like ‘captal.’ Leopold’s gaze flicked around the room. “Where is Aunt Milly?”
Renard sighed again. “The doctor has ordered her to stay abed until her condition is over.”
Hamish clapped his brother-in-law on the shoulder. “Better double the servants’ pay now, or you’ll lose half by week’s end.”
Leopold’s face fell. “She not coming?”
Percy couldn’t blame him. Despite a general dragon nature of treating every man within spitting range with contemptand projectile footwear, the Duchess of Lux doted an offensive amount of time and attention on her nephew.
“But cook made lemon tarts special.” The little boy shook himself, regaining his good mood. “We send some to Lux later, so she no feel bad for missing our picnic.”
Renard, his appetite having returned along with his new bride, came alive at the mention of food. “Lemon tarts, did you say?”
He came off the window seat like a hound on the scent. “Now wouldn’t you think it prudent, young Leopold, to sample the cuisine before making the long trek to the lake? We wouldn’t want to get there, only to realize the sustenance wouldn’t sufficiently restore our energies.”
Leopold gazed at his uncle. “Oh.” He glanced at the Duchess of Camine and pointed to her stomach. “Mama, will baby be okay?”
