Page 70 of Make Mine a Marquess

Landon held the door for Phoebe, and the shop’s bells chimed as they stepped inside.

An old shopkeeper with white hair and a full white beard stood behind a weathered counter. The shop was crowded with an odd array of merchandise. Mismatched pieces of furniture occupied one corner. Tables crowded the rest of the shop. On a table she noticed old books, toys, a flour sifter, and a mortar and pestle.

“What sort of establishment is this?”

“They sell a wide array of goods.”

Landon went straight to the window display and picked up a toy train. Running the train up and down his hand, he tested the little wheels.

“I saw this when I walked by the other day. I had one of these small trains as a child.”

“You think to give it to the babe.”

“Yes.”

“It will be a while before a newborn can play with that toy,” she pointed out.

He flashed a smile. “True. But they grow fast. Mr. Adian has six sisters. They all have children. In the five years I spent with him, I watched them grow. I’m a godfather to two of them.”

She gaped. “A godfather?”

“It’s an honor in the Middle East. I believe it’s important in England as well, although I never had one. My father never bothered, and my mother’s family was not in this country.”

“I didn’t know Mr. Adian had siblings. Let alone six sisters. He’s never spoken of them.”

“He is spoiled as the youngest and only son. His sisters fuss around him like mother hens. He acts like it’s a nuisance, but he loves them all.”

“Then he will leave soon?”

Landon shrugged. “He is his own man. He can conduct his business from here if he chooses to.”

She thought of Beatrice, then dismissed it. Her family would never approve of a foreigner like Mr. Adian. Their financial difficulties, along with their prejudice, would prohibit a match.

Phoebe waited as Landon purchased the toy. He laughed with the old shopkeeper. He had an easy manner, and she was struck with how he could converse with those far beneath his station. She couldn’t imagine Willard walking into this shop, let alone buying a toy for an impoverished child.

With the toy wrapped in brown paper and string under his arm, they stepped outside into the sunlight. It was a perfect day for a stroll in the village.

They could hear an infant’s cry before they reached the porch of Sarah Smith’s home. The door opened and Sarah greeted them. She pointed to the door. “It’s never opened this easily, my lord. You fixed it well.”

“Good to hear,” Landon said.

“We received the repaired coal grate as well, but we cannot repay you for the blacksmith’s services, my lord,” Sarah said.

“I don’t expect you to,” he replied.

Phoebe held up her basket. “We have necessities for the new mother and babe.”

Sarah held the door open for them to enter.

Mary, Becky, and Justine were grateful to receive the food. Justine held baby Archie and Phoebe smiled at both the baby and the mother. Her time holding Archie until he slept was still fresh in her mind.

“How is he?” Phoebe asked.

“Crying less and getting bigger each day, miss,” Justine said.

They went into a smaller room where Rachael sat on a rocking chair holding her baby. The tiny infant had a tuft of fair hair, and he opened his blue eyes.

Rachael rocked back and forth and pushed back the blanket so they could see the baby’s tiny fingers and toes. “This is Edward.” The baby cracked a smile at Landon.