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“Oh, that’s wonderful,”Carolinesaid.
“We thought we might paint after lunch,” Emmaadded.
“And your French lesson?” Marc asked which made his daughter blush justslightly.
“Puis-je s'il te plait, Papa?” Callie askedsoftly.
Such a softly spoken little girl, almost the exact opposite of Emma in that way. Caroline glanced back at Marc over her shoulder. “Certainly she could do both.” After all, it would be good for Emma and Callie to get to know each other. “If we’re all going to be together, having the girls get along would be in all of our bestinterests.”
The edge of Marc’s mouth tipped upward as he replied only loud enough for her to hear. “Are you going to side with her allthetime?”
“Probably notallthe time,” she whispered back, grinning at him. “Only if you’re beingunreasonable.”
“I’m never unreasonable.” Marc ‘s gaze dropped to her lips. “I do have an overwhelming desire to kiss yourightnow.”
She blinked at him. “In front of ourdaughters?”
He nodded. “They should get used to seeing me kiss you, andoften.”
Ridiculous man. He was lucky the girls couldn’thearhim.
Before Caroline could respond however, Emma called out, “Lord Haversham, are you going to marrymymama?”
Marc’s hold on Caroline’s back tightened just a bit. “I beg your pardon?” he asked, turning his gaze on the two girls at thetable.
“Emma!” Caroline chastised. “Why would you ask such athing?”
Her daughter shrugged. “Rachel said that’s why we came here. So you could marry Lord Haversham without anyone in Towninterfering.”
“Well, Rachel is not in the know.” For heaven’s sake! What a thing to say! Of course, Caroline assumed she and Marc would marry. Theydidlove each other, and he had vowed that he’d never leave her, but…they hadn’t discussed marriage or their future in any real terms, notreally.
“I love your mother very much, Emma.” Marc slid his hand from Caroline’s back and took her hand, towing her the rest of the way to their daughters. “With all my heart, in fact; but we have not come to Saddleworth to bemarried.”
Emma stared most intently at Caroline, her dark eyes wide in surprise. “Do you love LordHaversham,Mama?”
Heavens! Caroline never imagined that Emma would ever ask her something like that. She’d been so close to her father. She’d adored David. And while Caroline thought Emma liked Marc quite a lot, there was a big difference between liking him as Caroline’s friend and accepting him as a potential step-father. Still, Emma had asked her a question, and she wouldn’t lie to her daughter. “I do love him, Emma.” Caroline tightened her hold onMarc’shand.
“Well, then you should be married right away,” her daughter declared without any hint that Caroline’s revelation had caused any sort of angst oranxiety.
All the while, however, Callie blinked at her father in surprise. The poor girl had barely met Caroline before being hit with that news. She’d have to talk to her, separately, just the two of them, and assure Callie that she had no interest in taking her father from her. Honestly, until they’d arrived at Saddleworth, Caroline hadn’t realized Marc cared for his daughter at all, but the speaking glances between the two definitely saidotherwise.
“Yes, well, when the time for that comes, Emma,” Marc began, “you girls will be the firsttoknow.”
A pair of footmen, with trays in their hands, appeared on the opposite side of the verandah. Lunch would be blessedly served. Marc navigated the table and held a chair out for Caroline, opposite their daughters. “My dear.” And once she was settled, he took the spot beside her. “Callie, you may thank Lady Staveley for your reprieve from French lessons this afternoon,” he said. “But you and Emma should ask Rachel to join you for yourpaintingday.”
“Thank you, Lady Staveley,” Calliereplied.
“Oh, I hope you girls have a delightful dayofit.”
* * *
Ah!There she was. His quarry. Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted the young maid who worked under Lady Staveley’s employ. He gulped the rest of his coffee and quickly started from the coffee house toward the girl whose arms were quite full with a number ofbaskets.
“Oh, my dear, let me help you with your burden,” he offered, flashing her a grin that always seemed to disarm thefairersex.
“Oh, I’m…” She blinked up at him. “LordPeasemore?”
“Guilty.” He grinned again. “Please, might I help you? It would be my greatestpleasure.”
