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Aired out, drapes drawn, it was quite cheery She had paid it little heed over the years--for the obvious reasons--but now she felt a sht of the newly polished crib
Her babes should have occupied its confines by now Most wo of babes for which to account Bending, she picked up a s on a e Her fingers curled tightly around its sleigh bottom
In that moment, she admitted that the need for security was not her only consideration She desired a child, and that very desire largely reehtened her Itdeep to recover some of her earlier deter back now" With a firave it a gentle push, s wistfully as it rolled to and fro
"I say, this roo," sohtened, her cheeks fla as she turned to see Mr Grimley framed in the doorway Shealoud The habit could becoerous now that she possessed secrets
The Brookshire fareat relief that he would be the one to infored fortune instead of her
"I thought it best to ready things" She gestured to the room with a sweep of her hand
"Yes, my Mary nested before the arrival of every one of our children They call it maternal instinct" Mr Grimley leaned back on his heels and rocked his paunchy fra air
"Really," Meredithbetter to say
"I cannot tell you how pleased the old earl would have been to see this nursery occupied again It was his greatest wish"
She suffered a twinge of guilt Brookshires were probably rolling over in their graves at the prospect of her passing off an orphaned waif as the next earl She reminded herself that Edhts as a husband Instead, he chose not to She had to do this
And not just for her Others depended upon her
"I say, I alot why I ca his head "Your brother-in-law just arrived The butler showed hi room, and I volunteered to fetch you"
Her heart skipped a beat So soon? Now the farce would truly begin
"Now, my lady, do not fret so" Mr Grimley took her arm and led her from the nursery "He is an a sharply at the solicitor, she sed past her suddenly dry throat as they descended the stairs Fierce? Vikings were fierce Pirates were fierce What did he mean?
"I am sure your news entleer to accept the title I would not be surprised if he viewed this as deliverance of sorts"
Grimley was correct She did find that hard to believe Why would Nicholas Caulfield not want the property, wealth, and prestige that ith beco the Earl of Brookshire?
Aunt Eleanor was already in the drawing roowood
Nervous, Meredith delayed looking at theGrimley to seat her on the settee beside her aunt She took an inordinate aaze, then exhaled a great lungful of air
Thelike an oak over the uns, could not be Ed eyes was no pasty-faced Englishh cheekbones and a square jaw, reothic novel she had secretly read and reread as a girl
He bowed as Grimley made the introductions
"Lady Brookshire," he s to her already churning stoht across broad shoulders She was acutely conscious of his maleness, of his attractiveness, and--as Gri horror This dazzling display ofthe faint scent of clean woods and saddle leather as he took her fingers in greeting She stared at the dark hair of his bent head and wondered if it felt as silky as it looked He gave her a cursory glance before releasing her hand and sub to Grimley’s inane conversation
She choked back her dis all the reasons why this man could not be Nicholas Caulfield For one, his eyes were not the Brookshire blue Edmund’s small, vapid blue eyes were nowhere in evidence How had thisfroleaany He was, she realized in shock, the most delicious man she’d ever clapped eyes upon A hot flush wararity of her thoughts
Collect yourself, she silently co to pay attention to the conversation at hand His attention trained on Griard
Aunt Eleanor, however, holly aware of her ill- and raised a brow in silent inquiry Sternly, Meredith forced herself to focus on Grimley’s words
"You came directly from London, Lord Brookshire?" Grimley inquired "Hope the wet roads did not spoil your trip"
Stifling her flinch at Grimley’s application of the Brookshire title, she calmed herself with the reminder that it was only teood time"