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“Caroline…” he warned.
“It's quite obvious that you adore children, and yet you're determined not to have any of your own. That particular line of reasoning shows even less logic than usually demonstrated by the males of our species.”
“Now you're beginning to sound like my sister.”
“I shall take that as a compliment. I quite like your sister.”
“So do I, but that doesn't mean I always do what she says.”
“I'm back!” Penelope sailed into the room. “What are you talking about?”
“Babies,” Caroline bluntly replied.
Penelope started, then her eyes filled with unconcealed glee. “Really? How intriguing!”
“Penelope,” Blake drawled, “what was it you wanted to show Caroline?”
“Oh, that,” she said distractedly. “Couldn't find it. I shall have to look later and invite Caroline to return tomorrow.”
Blake wanted to protest, but he knew that tea with Caroline was the only way he was going to get a decent meal.
Caroline smiled and turned to Penelope. “Have your brother and his wife named their new daughter?”
“Oh, you were talking about their baby,” Penelope said, sounding more than vaguely disappointed. “Yes, they did. Daphne Georgiana Elizabeth.”
“All those names?”
“Oh, that is nothing. The older girls have even more names—the oldest is called Sophie Charlotte Sybilla Aurelia Nathanaele—but David and Sarah are quite running out.”
“If they have another daughter,” Caroline said with a smile, “they will have to simply call her Mary and leave it at that.”
Penelope laughed. “Oh no, that would be quite impossible. They've already used Mary. Their second daughter is Katharine Mary Claire Evelina.”
“I don't dare guess what their third child is called.”
“Alexandra Lucy Caroline Vivette.”
“A Caroline! How lovely.”
“I'm amazed,” Blake said, “that you can remember all those names. It's all I can do to recall Sophie, Katharine, Alexandra, and now Daphne.”
“If you had children of your own—”
“I know, I know, dear sister. You needn't repeat yourself.”
“I was merely going to say that if you had children of your own you shouldn't have any trouble remembering names.”
“I know what you were going to say.”
“Do you have children, Lady Fairwich?” Caroline asked.
A look of pain crossed Penelope's features before she replied softly, “No. No, I don't.”
“I'm so sorry,” Caroline stammered. “I shouldn't have asked.”
“It is nothing,” Penelope said with a shaky smile. “The earl and I have not yet been blessed with children. Perhaps that is why I so dote on my nieces.”
Caroline swallowed uncomfortably, well aware that she'd inadvertently brought up a painful topic. “Mr. Ravenscroft says that he, too, dotes on your nieces.”
