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“Perhaps I should walk a bit,” Amelia said, rocking the baby in her arms as she rose. She shot her brother a significant look that he clearly did not accurately interpret as she stepped into the corridor. She held her breath until noticing that Andrew had stepped further into the bedchamber. Sighing, Amelia moved away to grant them privacy. She could do nothing but hope Lydia or Andrew would share how they felt.
“Do you think your mama will pluck up the courage to share her heart again?” Amelia asked the sleeping babe. “I do hope she will. I should like for you to call me Auntie.”
Georgina’s body scrunched, her small back arching as her arms lifted in a stretch. She yawned, her eyes blinking open and resting on Amelia’s face.
“Shall we keep quiet for a few minutes longer?”
Georgina had other plans. She opened her mouth, her eyes squinting closed, and delivered a wail that was certain to alert every member of the household of her hunger. Amelia obediently trekked back to Lydia’s chamber and opened the door, Georgina making their return known immediately.
“I shall leave you,” Andrew said, stepping away from the foot of Lydia’s bed and passing his sister, fighting a grin on his lips.
Doing her best to be mindful of Georgina’s hunger and Lydia’s privacy, Amelia bit her tongue and refrained from launching into an investigation the moment her brother closed the door behind himself. She returned Georgina to her mother’s arms and stepped back. “I shall leave you as well.”
Lydia nodded. “Though I do hope you will wish us glad before you go.”
“Oh, in what way?” Amelia asked, her heart hammering in her chest with hope.
Georgina immediately quieted as her mother situated her to eat. “In truth, there is no announcement at present, but I believe there could be someday.”
This was growing all the more confusing. Lowering herself onto the chair at Lydia’s bedside, Amelia forced herself to remain patient.
“Your brother admitted that he cares for me,” she said simply, a sweet smile on her face. “I cannot help but admit that I feel similarly. I’ve agreed to allow him to court me once I’m through with this confinement.”
“And what of George?” Amelia asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.
Lydia’s smile was tender. “I will always love him.”
Amelia nodded. The women shared a look, understanding passing between them. Lydia was not ready for marriage yet, but she knew she would be, and Andrew was a kind, patient man. Yes, Georgina would become her niece eventually. Amelia was most certain of it.
* * *
Andrew was speaking quietly to someone in his study when Amelia knocked on the door a short quarter-hour later. She opened the door to find Charles seated in the chair opposite Andrew and her heart flipped over in her chest.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, breathless.
Charles rose, bowing softly before he crossed the room and took her hand. “I came to ask Andrew if he was interested in playing chess.”
“I already informed him that the board is currently upstairs and unavailable for a time,” Andrew said.
“That is all? Chess?” Amelia asked. “You could not convince your valet to play?”
Charles’s lips tipped into a smile and he squeezed her fingers. “I suppose I could have, but then I would have lacked a good excuse to visit your house.”
A laugh bubbled from her chest and Amelia stepped closer, inhaling his familiar musky scent.
“Have you decided where you are to live?” Andrew asked from behind his desk, garnering the couple’s attention.
Amelia glanced over sharply. They hadn’t discussed this yet.
Charles led her toward the chairs and helped her sit, taking the seat beside her. “I would be happy anywhere.”
“But surely your grandmother does not want Sheffield House empty,” Amelia said. Charles would not inherit the estate until his grandmother died, but she had moved to Camden Cove with Mabel last summer and the whole family considered the house Charles’s already.
“I can speak to her about it. I’m not certain she cares.”
Amelia held his soft, blue eyes. She had imagined their life at Falbrooke Court with its high ceilings, well-lit rooms, and plenty of space. She was not attached to the house itself except that she appreciated the aesthetic and had worked to turn it into a lovely home, redecorating it to her tastes. But if Andrew was to offer for Lydia, they would need a home. And Charles and Amelia certainly did not need two.
“What do you think about taking up residence at Sheffield House?” Amelia asked.
