Page 53 of Stolen By the Duke of Stone

Lucy smiled warmly. “What a lovely idea. Would you like to bring William? The sunshine and fresh air would be good for him.”

“Oh.” Yet another thing in Jessamine’s heart felt as though it expanded. Doing the things she loved, but with William. Adding him made things all the better. “Yes, let’s do that! How wonderful.”

Already, a little of the sting from Andrew’s absence faded.

She did not need a man. All she needed was her precious boy. She hugged him closer, feeling her racing heart settle.

Yes, this was all she needed. All she would ever need.

If only she could truly believe it.

Chapter Eighteen

“Oh,” Temperance said, her eyes lighting up. “You brought William!”

Hyde Park looked beautiful in the afternoon sun. Jessamine led the way, a parasol twirling in one hand. Servants trailed her, carrying picnic boxes and more parasols and blankets.

Lady Marwich and Temperance were already in position, looking across at the Serpentine River, and Jessamine joined them.

Lucy sat carefully down with them, William strapped against her chest, fast asleep.

Jessamine smiled at the nursemaid, then at her friends. “If the fresh air will be good for him, why not? When he wakes, you can hold him.”

Irene hurried over, her own maid behind, and she took a seat. “My goodness,” she said, stretching out. “I had not known there would be so much nausea. Barbara, tell me it eases.”

Lady Marwich laughed. “It eases, my dear. I imagine you must be in the thick of it. But soon enough, it should pass. And then you will be plagued with swollen ankles, crushed lungs, and hunger pangs.”

“What a splendid insight into pregnancy,” Irene said dryly.

“It’s always best to be prepared, or so I say.” Lady Marwich turned to Irene. “And how is motherhood treating you, my dear?”

“Well, he’s sleeping better than he was,” Jessamine said. “I suspect a touch of colic. But he seems to have gotten over that.”

“Ah.” Lady Marwich nodded knowingly. “That can happen.”

Lucy, with William, seated herself politely to one side, invisible as only good servants could be. But Jessamine couldn’t stop herself from glancing over every few minutes to check that William was still asleep. One of the times she checked, he was just blinking his sleepy eyes open, staring at the world as though he had never seen it before.

“Here,” Lady Marwich said, thrusting a strawberry into Jessamine’s hands. “Stop fussing, dear. You know that won’t make him grow any faster or slower, and it certainly won’t make him stop crying if he’s about to.”

Jessamine looked back over, accepting the strawberry. “I know that.”

Irene patted her hand. “You seem distracted. Are you all right?”

“Of course I’m all right,” Jessamine said.

There was no way she could confide in Irene with Temperance and Lady Marwich present. Even saying the words out loud made her shiver a little inside.

She had… Well, this time they had more than kissed.

“You are doing perfectly fine,” Temperance said. “About William, I mean. I think everyone thought he was a charming boy, and all those nasty rumors have almost stopped.”

“You’ll never quell them completely,” Lady Marwich said, and her chest swelled indignantly. “There are always some who are determined to mine misery wherever they think they can find it, and if they think you are miserable in a marriage with a husband who disrespects you, trapped caring for a son whom your husband had out of the marriage, then they will do their best to spread it.”

“Misery loves company.” Irene spread her hands. “Chances are, it means they are unhappy with their lives.”

“But I am not entirely without influence.” Lady Marwich speared each one of them with a glare. “And I assure you that no one will spread rumors about our boy within my hearing.”

“Nor mine,” Irene said.