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“Very carefully.”
He huffed out a chuckle and reached down to slide his hands under the blankets.
As soon as he touched the wee lass, her eyes popped open. Her gaze wide, the baby stared up at him. Royal felt a jolt in the center of his chest. Her eyes were a deep velvety-blue, and the color of violets.
Exactly like her mother’s.
He had to swallow hard before he could speak. “Well, there you are, little lady. Would you like to see your mamma?”
When she flapped her tiny arms, as if answering him, his heart thudded again. “You’re a bonny lass, aren’t you? All right, here we go.” He gently picked her up.
“Make sure you support her head,” Ainsley said.
“Yes, my lady,” he replied with an amused snort. He was damn sure he’d held a lot more babies in his life than she had.
“You needn’t be so smug, Royal Kendrick,” she said as he carried the baby to her. “I know you have miles more experience than I. But Iamtrying.”
“You’re doing splendidly.” He gently deposited the baby in her arms.
He couldn’t help staring at the beautiful picture they made. Her face soft and vulnerable, Ainsley smiled down at her daughter, oblivious to everything but her. The wee mite peered back, her focus locked on her mamma’s face. They were an absolutely perfect pair, and never had Royal wanted to be a part of something more in his life.
But never had he felt more shut out, as if an unbreakable wall was between him and the only thing that mattered.
Suddenly feeling like a voyeur, he wandered over to the window, fiercely concentrating on the untrimmed rhododendrons in the garden below. The grounds were quite beautiful and would make a magnificent frame for the dignified old manor house if someone paid more attention to them.
He spent a few minutes mentally trimming bushes and reordering paths to his satisfaction before glancing back over his shoulder. Ainsley was watching him with an expression he couldn’t decipher.
“Do you want me to go so you can feed her?” he asked.
She smiled. “No, I want you to come sit with us.”
Oh, he recognized that smile. His lovely lady was scheming. “What are you up to now, lass?”
She patted the bed. “Come sit. I’m sure your leg needs a rest.”
He scoffed. “You’re the one who just had a baby. You should have the rest, not me.”
“As you would say, I’m fine.” She patted the bed again, this time more firmly. “Please, sit.”
He eased down on the side of the bed, being careful not to jostle her. “Don’t blame me if your aunt comes in and kicks up a fuss because we’re in bed together.”
“Because no doubt we’d be engaging in frolics,” she said with heavy sarcasm.
“What else would we be doing in bed?”
“Idiot. Here, take the baby. You can’t do anything outrageous as long as you’re holding on to her.”
Surprised that she would relinquish her, Royal arranged the baby in the crook of his arm.
“You really are good with infants, aren’t you?” Ainsley said.
“All right, that’s at least two compliments from you in the last ten minutes. What’s afoot, lass?”
“Really? I can be nice too, you know.”
“No, you can’t, so you might as well just spit it out. What is it you want?”
“You are so awful,” she said.
