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“Yes, you have made yourself quite clear,” Galloway said as he picked up that codebook and dropped it into a rubbish bin underhisdesk.
“Congratulations on your marriage,” Peasemore said. “I wish you both the best of luck. And I do apologize for any anguish my actions may have caused Lady Sta—LadyHaversham.”
So perhaps Marc might be a bit altruistic. “If you don’t want to be me in a dozen years, Peasemore, you should get out of all this at your earliestconvenience.”
Then he made his way back to Mayfair and all the way to Astwick House, just in time to have dessert withhiswife.
Epilogue
Vauxhall Gardens, London –March1818
Caroline tippedher head back to watch the balloon overhead and cupped a hand over her brow to see them better in the waninglight.
“It is high, isn’t it?” Juliet asked as she lifted her small daughter Georgina up into her arms as Ben ran around them in acircle.
“Oh, I’m certain Emma is having the time of her life,” Caroline replied. In fact, if she strained her ears, she thought she could hear her daughter laughing even over all the din of the pleasure gardens. “And there—” she wiggled her fingers in the air “—Callie’s wavingatus.”
Juliet and Georgina waved too. “He’s so good with them all,” her sister-in-law said. “I never would have suspected he was capable of such athing.”
Marcwasa doting father to Callie and little Maxime and a devoted step-father to Rachel, Adam and Emma. “Rachel would like for him to be a bit less protective,” she confided. “She vows he’s run off at least two suitors and the Season’s barelybegun.”
Juliet laughed at that. “Luke will be the same way someday. All those poor fellows who are foolish enough to try and court daughters of once-notorious rakes. I almost feel sorryforthem.”
“Rachel may be less than thrilled, but I am quite relieved,” Caroline confessed. “Marc’s actually a very good judge of character, and I trust his judgment completely, especially in regard to men vying for my daughter’sattention.”
“Something I never thought to hear anyone say about him.” And then Juliet laughed as the balloon began its descent. “Does Luke look a bit greentoyou?”
Caroline’s brother did not look terribly happy as the balloon drifted lower and lower to the ground. Not everyone enjoyed heights. “Perhaps just a bit.” Marc, on the other hand, looked rather bored with the entireaffair.
Juliet reached for Ben’s arm and said to Caroline, “Let’s head over to the rotunda so he won’t know we saw him looking somiserable.”
“Are you certain you don’t mind bringing Emma and Callie home for us this evening? We can make them leave before the fireworks if it’s too much of aburden.”
“Not at all,” Juliet assured her. “I can’t even believe you were able to pull yourself away from little Max for evenpartof an evening. We feel quite honored to have youjoinus.”
Caroline was quite in love with her son. Just thinking about the tiny little bundle back at Haversham House made her grin like an idiot and miss him anew. He looked so much like Marc, and he was such a good-natured baby. “It is difficult to be away from him fortoolong.”
“Yes, I know exactly what you mean.” And Juliet pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “You’re just now getting big enough to come with us, aren’t you,sweetheart?”
Georgina replied by tugging on one of her mother’s darkcurls.
“Mama! Mama!” Emma’s voice rang out frombehindthem.
Caroline spun around in time to keep Emma from crashing into her. “Honestly, you are getting older, Emma. A little decorum would be nice at somepoint.”
“Sorry, Mama.” Emma nodded quickly. “But Uncle Luke almost got sick in theballoon.”
“Oh!” Caroline winced. “PoorUncleLuke.”
And then coming up the way, at a more reasonable pace, Luke, Callie, and Marc were almostuponthem.
“Do not listen to her, whatever she said,” Luke called out. “I was perfectly fine theentiretime.”
Emma giggled, and then she pointed to the sky, “Callie, this is where the fireworks will be. You willlovethem.”
Callie already loved so many of the new things she got to experience. The museums, the parks, the theatres. She was still much more shy than Emma, but Marc’s sweet little girl was coming into her own as well, and not quite as timid as she’doncebeen.
“I was about to head to our supper box,” Caroline said to the girls, “if anyone would like to gowithme.”
