“You can ask her yourself.” Not even the sun could compete with the purity and brilliance of Madeline’s smile as she delivered this welcome news.
Jacob hastened into the room, leaving Adam and Madeline alone in the hall. They both stood in silence, staring at each other, recovering from the anxiety they had both been harnessing for the past three hours.
Adam gestured toward the chair. “Why don’t you sit down? You look to be in need of a rest.”
“Thank you.”
An immense upwelling of fondness and gratitude moved through Adam. Madeline had been a great champion today. She had kept Mary safe and brought a beautiful new life into the world. She had made Jacob a happy, lucky man, and that made Adam a happy, lucky man, too.
“No, I must thankyou.What would we have done if you had not been with us today?”
She made light of his compliment. “Everything went smoothly. Mary’s built for childbearing. You’ll have a whole house full of grandchildren before you know it.”
Adam gazed at the young woman sitting across the hall from him, her hair tousled and toppling from its bun, her cheeks now flushing from the stress of the morning. How was it she could be a mere four years older than his stepson, Jacob, yet seem a whole lifetime older in maturity and experience?
“Blimey,” he stammered, trying to sound full of humor, when he was not at all accustomed to trying so hard to sound anything at all. “The years have caught up with me. I’m an aging grandfather.”
Her eyes shone with self-assurance again. “That is not how I see you, Adam. I see what lies ahead, not what has already gone by.”
He could not resist probing further. “And what doyouthink lies ahead?”
She thought carefully before she spoke. “New beginnings, great happiness and love.”
“Do you mean Diana?” he asked quickly. Too quickly.
An uneasy sensation prickled through him.What kind of question was that? Of course she meant Diana.
After a long pause, she simply smiled and stood. “I should go and see if Mary needs anything.”
Adam cleared his throat. He felt unexpectedly flustered and unsure what to say next. “Of course, you must go.” There was that gruff voice again. “I’ll go and spread the good news.”
He made a move to leave, but Madeline caught his arm. “Please, Adam, come first and see your granddaughter.”
A warm, familial pride moved through him. Madeline was right of course. He should be among the first to see the babe. This was all so new to him. Thank God sensible Madeline was here to guide him through this.
He followed her into the room, where Jacob was standing in front of the large window, holding his firstborn child in his arms. Dazzling sunshine lit up Jacob’s fair features—so much like his mother’s—and reflected off the tears of joy on his cheeks.
Adam felt his own eyes cloud with tears. It was an extraordinary moment he would never forget.
Jacob turned to show off the babe in his arms. Adam moved softly toward them. Only the infant’s tiny face was visible from beneath the white swaddling blanket—her beautiful, tiny red face. She made quiet little fussing sounds and pursed her puffy lips. Adam touched his knuckle to her fat little cheek and felt love move through him in a powerful, potent rush.
“Look, Father, isn’t she beautiful?”
“She’s a treasure, Jacob.” His voice shook.
Mary watched from the bed, smiling. Madeline moved toward her and wiped a cool, damp cloth over her forehead and face.
“Congratulations, Mary,” Adam said, bending to kiss his daughter-in-law on the cheek. “You did well.”
A single tear spilled from her eyes. “I couldn’t have done anything without Madeline. She was so encouraging and knew exactly what to do. I would have been terrified if she had not been here to tell me that everything was going to be all right.”
Adam glanced over his shoulder at Madeline, who had moved to the other side of the room. She lowered her eyes at Mary’s compliment, turned her back to him and wrung the cloth out in the basin.
Adam’s heart trembled with gratefulness. He could not let the moment pass without letting Madeline know how much he appreciated what she had done for them today. He crossed the room and took her by the arm, gently urging her to face him. “I’ll never forget this, Madeline. Thank you.” Then he laid a warm, light kiss on her cheek.
As he caught the scent of her hair in his nostrils, felt the warm, silky softness of her cheek beneath his lips, his body responded with a subtle buzzing sensation. He had the most intense urge to hold her a little closer and embrace her more fully. To run his hands over her back and let his lips linger longer upon her skin, and to kiss her again in other places: her hair and her forehead, down her cheeks to her neck.
Surprised and bewildered, Adam pulled back. He searched around inside himself for explanations. He had dismissed the spark he’d felt when he’d helped her onto her horse that day on the marsh. He had attributed it to his frustration over Diana. Could he dismiss this, too? Could he blame this on the intensity of the moment?
