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“What about Atilla? Or the tamer Alexander. Augustus—though I’m not sure we need another Gussie in the family.”

In this way they beguiled the darkening, dangerous streets until they spilled out of the deepening darkness of Seven Dials toward the comparative light of Covent Garden and hurtled toward the waiting carriage in front of the piazza-style square.

Stewart—what a welcome sight the man was—already had the door open. “Welcome back, sir,” he murmured in his cool, understated way, and all but bundled Piers inside.

That was when, by the light of the streetlamps and the carriage lantern, he saw the wooden box on the bench. Inside was a tiny baby.

Afterwards, he didn’t remember consciously sitting down or picking the child up, but suddenly he was holding him in front of him like precious glass and the baby’s eyes fluttered open and stared at him. So small, so perfect, so terrifyingly fragile.

He couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe.

Until the coach jolted forward and April’s hands steadied him.

“You brought him,” he said unsteadily, holding the baby very carefully to his shoulder.

“I made Stewart bring him. I was afraid he would be screaming by now.”

Piers blinked at the empty bench opposite. “Where is Stewart?”

“Up with the jarvey. I expect he was terrified I would feed our little prune.”

“Prune?” Unexpected laughter shook him, choked him, and then vanished. “I didn’t mean you to be alone...”

“You missed so very little. Dr. Laine was wonderful. Even Hortensia was a comfort. And look, Piers, he knows you.”

The warm, tiny face lay against his neck. Like nothing else he had ever experienced. He could feel the little mouth moving on his skin.

He swallowed. “I think he’s confused. And I’m too dirty to be near him.”

“One moment.” April began to wriggle out of the breeches, letting her skirts fall loose about her legs instead. The shawl turned out to be a cloak, which was shrugged off, too. She pushed down the neck of her gown and chemise and reached for their son.

In wonder, Piers watched the mother and child. Very slowly, he put his arm around April, encompassing them both, his family. He was so very, very fortunate.

***

NOW THAT SHE HAD HIM back, everything was wonderful again. It would have been so easy—and God knew she yearned for it—to simply relax into that blur of happy contentment that she had so longed for since she first held the child in her arms. He was home. And it was easy to forget the matter of the crime was not yet finished.

But Piers did not forget.

April walked proudly through their front door, while Piers carried their slightly smelly offspring. Park was speechless with astonishment and joy.

Ruby came pelting through from the back of the house, ready to take the child and change him. Piers gave him up without a word of protest, although it did seem to take just a little too long to manage the transfer. After which, Piers marched into the reception room, where notepaper was always kept for messages.

No one mentioned his somewhat bizarre dress.

He didn’t even sit down to scrawl his note to Haggs. He even issued orders to the footman while he wrote, a talent which had once impressed April beyond all others.

“Joshua, this has to go at once to Sir Peter Haggard. You are to wait for an answer and return it to me immediately.”

“Yes, my lord.” Joshua could not help smiling, because the viscount was back. But there could be no doubt he intended to obey to the letter.

April took advantage of the chair in order to sit while she wrote her own note to Aunt Hortensia and Gussie, informing them she and Piers would be glad to see them for luncheon tomorrow. That should be enough to set Gussie’s mind at rest. In truth she had been rather touched by the depth of Gussie’s concern for her cousin.

Joshua and Francis set off at once with their separate notes, and Piers called for Stewart on his way upstairs.

“A bath,” April began as they entered their own private rooms.

“There is no time,” he replied at once. “I’ll order it for later, but right now, I’ll have to make do with a wash and a shave and a change of clothes, just enough to take Cauldwell by surprise.”