'Me, too,' Robert said with a laugh. 'How about a biscuit, little man? I'm hungry after all that.' He set the child down, and James immediately ran, rather unsteadily, toward the table.
Emily, still in his arms, placed her little hands, fingers splayed, on each side of his face, and turned his head toward her in order to ensure his full attention. Robert couldn't help but smile at the sprite. He made the funny face he knew she loved, then blew noisy kisses into her soft, sweet-smelling neck. She squealed with delight, grabbing two little fistfuls of his hair.
'Oh, you're the biscuit,' he said, widening his eyes. 'I'll just eat
He lowered himself to his knees, and was immediately set upon by James, who, biscuit in hand, climbed on his back and commanded, 'Horsey!' Pirate loped toward the trio, tail wagging, following the trail of sugary crumbs James left in his wake. He greeted Robert with a canine grin and a friendly swipe of his tongue across Robert's hand.
Laughing, Robert looked up, then stilled. Allie and Caroline were climbing the stone steps to the terrace. Caroline was chattering away, Allie nodding, one of her rare smiles curving her lips. His heart seemed to stall, then race ahead of itself. She looked flushed and happy, young and carefree… the girl from the sketch.
Everything around him seemed to fade away. Except her. And then she turned and looked at him.
Allie's footsteps faltered as she found herself looking directly into Robert's intent gaze. A little girl who looked like a miniature version of Caroline sat in the crook of his arm, her small hands wreaking havoc with his hair. Indeed, the child had raised two tufts of dark hair on his head that resembled devil's horns. A small boy who she knew had to be Elizabeth 's son hung on his back, demanding his attention, while a huge dog nudged his hand with its snout.
But his attention was completely focused on her. A frisson of awareness sizzled between them, frightening in its intensity. She pulled her gaze away, looking at the children clinging to him. They clearly adored him, and he them, a fact which brought a hard lump to her throat. This was a man who would someday make a wonderful father.
Caroline's voice sifted through her stupor, breaking the spell. 'That little imp is my daughter Emily,' she said with a smile. 'And the other devil-the
'They're darling,' Allie said. The dog suddenly raised its head to look at her, and Allie drew in a sharp breath.
'Don't be frightened,' Caroline said as the huge beast trotted toward them, tongue lolling. 'Pirate may be huge, but he is very gentle.'
'I'm not afraid,' Allie assured her. She patted Pirate's soft white fur, then gently ran her fingers around the dark brown patch surrounding his left eye-the only spot of color on his otherwise snowy coat. This was clearly the dog Robert referred to as Barking Horse. 'Indeed, I feel as if I were greeting an old friend. He looks exactly like Patch, Elizabeth 's childhood pet. She left him with our family when she traveled to England. He was too old to make the journey.' She scratched behind the dog's ears, and his tail thumped with pleasure. 'We loved him dearly.'
' Austin knew how much Elizabeth missed her dog, so he searched practically all of England to find one that looked just like her beloved Patch.'
'He succeeded,' Allie murmured, smiling as Pirate looked up at her with an adoring expression that clearly begged for more behind-the-ear scratching. A feeling she could not describe pulled at her insides at the knowledge that the duke had gone to such lengths to please Elizabeth. Allie well knew how difficult it had been for Elizabeth to leave Patch behind.
'Well, I believe you've now met every member of the family,' Caroline said.
'Not quite,' came a deep voice from behind them.
They all turned. The duke stood by the French windows, his smile reflecting joy, relief, and weariness. 'I've just come from Elizabeth 's chamber. There is now one more member of the family that you all will need to meet.'
Chapter 14
After the dowager duchess, Caroline and her husband, and Robert had all visited Elizabeth and the newest member of the family, Allie stood in the doorway of the cozy, walnut-paneled bedchamber, fighting tears at the scene she beheld. Elizabeth sat in the bed, propped up by a mountain of fluffy, lace-edged pillows, the ivory coverlet tucked around her waist. She looked clean and fresh, all the outwardly visible signs of childbirth washed away. Her auburn hair was dressed in a simple braid, and while there was no denying she looked tired, there was a maternal glow about her that lent her an air of serene beauty. Dressed in an exquisite pale yellow bed gown, she smiled down at the tiny pink-blanketed bundle cradled in her arms. The duke sat on the edge of the bed, one strong arm wrapped around Elizabeth 's shoulders, their heads close together. The duke's gaze alternated between his wife and new daughter with naked adoration. He was clearly a man truly in love with both the women in his life.
The sun had long since set, the room's only light coming from the warming blaze in the hearth and the candelabra on the bedside table. The flickering glow lit the proud parents in a stunning, golden tableau of happiness that filled Allie with joy and envy at the same time, and made her feel like an intruder trespassing upon the intimate scene. Even though her friend had sent for her, Allie decided to leave and come back after the duke left. She started to back out of the room, but in that instant Elizabeth looked up.
The years melted away as their eyes met, and a kaleidoscope of images flitted through Allie's mind. She and Elizabeth as children, splashing at the lake. Laughing over a meal. Playing with Patch and Allie's unruly dogs. Taking their blankets and sleeping in the hayloft. Sharing secrets and dreams, laughter and tears. And the abrupt end of their friendship.
She watched Elizabeth hand her precious bundle to her husband. Then, turning back to her, Elizabeth smiled. And held out her arms.
She supposed her feet must have moved, because the next thing she knew, she was leaning over the bed, hugging Elizabeth, both of them crying, then laughing, then crying some more.
Finally Allie leaned back and looked into smiling, tear-drenched eyes whose color matched her own. She could barely speak around the egg-sized lump that seemed wedged in her throat. ' Elizabeth… it is so good to see you. I… I've missed you so.'
Elizabeth 's smile could have illuminated the room. 'I feel the same. I thought you would never arrive, and then when you finally did, I couldn't even receive you.'
A trembling smile pulled at her lips. 'Perfectly understandable. After all, babies tend to arrive when
'Indeed they do. And now, I'd like you to meet our daughter… Lily.'
'Named after your mother,' Allie said softly. She moved to the other side of the bed, intending to simply peek into the fluffy pink blanket, but the duke handed her the bundle. Looking down, Allie's breath caught. A tiny angel with a perfect, bow-shaped mouth slept, her eyelashes forming miniature half-moons on plump cheeks. One minuscule hand lay fisted next to her downy face.
Being the oldest child, she was well used to babies, but it had been a number of years since she'd held one in her arms. A rush of warmth and love and longing filled her, and she bent her head to breathe in the one-of-a-kind scent that belonged to infants.
'Well, hello, Lily,' she whispered. 'I believe you are the most beautiful little lady I've ever seen.' Allie touched her index finger to Lily's buttery soft hand. The tiny fingers flexed, then grabbed Allie's finger. Her heart turned over, melting. 'Oh, and so strong you are. And so lucky. You have a wonderful Mama and Papa who love you very much.' She raised her gaze to Elizabeth and the duke. 'She's wonderful. I'm so happy for you both.'
The duke stood. 'Thank you. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll give you ladies some privacy to chat. I believe I have a billiards game to win. But first, I'll escort my daughter to the nursery.' He looked at his wife, and Allie could easily see he would have preferred not to leave her side. He squeezed Elizabeth 's hand, promising, 'I'll be back soon.' Allie handed Lily over to him, unable to suppress a tender smile at the contrasting, loving picture they
