Page 81 of To Tempt a Scandalous Lord

“I promised that you would write to them,” Alicia said, her mouth twitching in suppressed mirth.

“Youwouldvolunteer me for such a task.”

“Writing to two young girls who adore you should not be a chore.”

He scoffed. “Well, then it’s a good thing I’ve already provided them the direction to Loch Kilmorow.”

Her laugh still had the power to make his stomach clench in want. After a moment, her expression relaxed although she studied him with love in her eyes. “You would have made an excellent Prime Minister.”

Niall arched a dubious brow. “You must forgive me if I do not believe you.”

“I’m in earnest. But I understand why you’re doubtful. Consider this, though.” She cupped his cheek. “How many times did I cast aspersions on your character in my essays?”

Niall pondered this for a moment, and then smiled. “None.”

“Exactly.” She carded her fingers through his hair, tugging gently on the strands. “But I promise that if I have concerns, I will address them only in the privacy of our chamber. Whatever the future holds for you and me, we will face it together. With no secrets to divide us.”

Tucking his face in the crook of her neck, Niall breathed her in. Breathed in the possibilities that lay before them, each so much more than he could have dreamed just a year before.

“And speaking of our future and not keeping secrets, I suspect we will be welcoming a new addition within the year,” she whispered at his ear.

It took Niall a moment to understand her words, and he pulled back, grasping her shoulders as he blinked in surprise. “A-are you sure?”

Alicia nodded, her dear, dark eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “As sure as I can be.”

Niall wrenched his eyes closed, swamped with a magnitude of emotions he was only just becoming accustomed with. And now he had the joys and small heartaches of fatherhood to look forward to. He finally understood what it meant when someone said their heart was full because his felt like it might burst.

A new thought occurred to him, and he clutched Alicia tighter in his arms. “We should cancel the trip. Surely a long, uncomfortable ride wouldn’t be healthy for a woman expecting.”

She rubbed his chest in soothing circles. “We will do no such thing. It is still early and I will be just fine. Trust me, my love.”

Exhaling, he kissed her temple.

Niall would trust her, with this and everything.