Page 109 of Miss Ashbury and the Anatomy of Mending a Heart

“Something larger this time,” the dowager baroness said lightly.

“We haven’t yet divested ourselves of all Seamus’s offspring,” the Duke of Canterbury said. “Would a puppy be welcome?”

Jacqueline wrinkled her nose. “I’d prefer something already house-trained.”

Hamish’s expression now contained stark hope.

“Children are out, then,” Percy grumbled from down the table. “Do you know that a newborn needs a fresh nappy upwards of twelve times a day?”

Adelaide shook her head, one hand on her belly. “No one wants to hear about it, my love. Especially not at the dining table.”

“It’s not as if you’ll do the job yourself,” Candace said.

Percy frowned. “I could. If I so chose. If I wanted.”

“But no one does want to.”

“I bet Canterbury did it.”

“He’d never be so crude to speak of it, if he had,” Candace said.

“And certainly not at the dining table, Percy,” Adelaide added, more firmly this time.

“Very well. It was a shocking number, is all. I don’t even think dogs need to relieve themselves that often⁠—”

“Percy!” Adelaide snapped.

Percy clamped his mouth closed and mulishly stabbed at his slice of cake.

Candace smiled. “I think it hilarious that my brother repeatedly attempts to keep us away for fear we’ll upset his wife, when it seems that he does the job better than any of us could.”

Percy glowered at her.

“It’s our husbandly duty, my dear,” James said. “To vex and provoke our wives.”

“I hardly think that should be a goal.”

“It lends a lovely fire to your eyes.”

Candace turned to him, scowling. “Are you saying I’m prettier when I’m angry?”

“You see? You’ve proven my point, dearest.”

Candace pursed her lips and returned to her dessert.

Vera gave a small smile as Stephen finished his first piece and motioned for another. How the man stayed trim with a sweet tooth like his, she’d never know. If she ate as Stephen did, she’d look…well, she’d look like Bertrand in a wig.

“Do you regret that your family isn’t here today?” Stephen murmured as the table struck up a debate about betting on the Salisburys’ new arrival.

“I swear you read my mind sometimes.” Vera smiled. “But no. I wouldn’t change anything. My brothers and father met you while we were in London, and that’s more than I thought to have. I’m perfectly happy.”

“I’m sure they’ll visit soon.”

She nodded. “Father says he plans on coming in the spring.”

“I love you very much, Vera. I’m thrilled you didn’t kill me with that fire poker when we first met.”

Vera nearly choked on her bite of cake; she coughed. “I thought we’d moved past that nicely.”