Page 66 of A Baby to Seal the Duke’s Fate

Leopold sat on the floor beside her with one leg bent and the other stretched out, looking unbothered by the entire arrangement.

He was listening to her.

Not to words, because Cecily had not yet mastered enough of those to make a coherent argument, but to her babbling, which she delivered with the seriousness of a government address. Leopold’s attention stayed on her face as though she had said something worth hearing.

Honora remained still for a moment in the doorway.

Cecily gave a triumphant little squeal and banged her free hand against Leopold’s sleeve.

Leopold answered as if she had made a point.

“Yes,” he said quietly, “that seems reasonable.”

Honora blinked once.

He looked up then and saw her.

“Good morning,” he said.

She stepped into the room. “Good morning, my lord.”

Cecily immediately shifted toward the sound of her voice, lost her balance, and began to topple sideways.

Leopold caught her at once with one hand under her back and the other at her side, the movement quick and easy. He did not interrupt the conversation he was having with Honora to do it, because apparently he was capable of holding a child upright and continuing a discussion about the garden in the same breath.

Honora could not help staring.

Leopold noticed. “She is becoming more adventurous.”

Honora crossed the room slowly. “That is one way to put it.”

He lifted his brows. “You prefer another?”

“I prefer one in which she remains upright.”

Cecily, having recovered from her near-collapse, patted Leopold’s sleeve and resumed babbling as though the incident had been the fault of no one worth blaming.

Leopold glanced at her, then at Honora. “I was asking her about the garden.”

Honora frowned faintly. “The garden?”

“Yes.”

She looked from him to the child and back again. “Why?”

Leopold’s expression remained calm. “She was standing.”

That, apparently, was explanation enough for him.

Honora stared at him for a second and then turned the corner of her mouth down to keep from smiling.

He seemed to notice the near-smile anyway.

“Do you disagree?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I am only surprised you are discussing the garden with a baby on the floor.”

“Why?”