Page 69 of His Duchess to Remember

Malcolm exited first, and turned, his eyes gleaming, to put out his hand for his wife.

Swallowing nervously, though she could not explain why, Octavia took his hand and held onto it tightly as he helped her down. It was the first time he had touched her in weeks, and when he suddenly let go, she felt the lack keenly.

It is like our wedding day… Only, this time, she did not want him to let go of her hand.

She shook off the thought and fixed her attention on Evelyn. “What are we having for dinner?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“This is all delicious,” Malcolm said politely, as he dabbed his lips with a napkin.

When Octavia had informed him that it was to be a small, family dinner, he had anticipated a small, family meal to go with it. He had certainly not expected seven courses, each more wonderful than the last, until his stomach felt like it might explode the buttons off the waistcoat he had deigned to wear.

“You have not had dessert yet,” Evelyn replied with a grin, as Malcolm’s heart sank.

“That was not dessert?” He eyed the sparse remains of a lemon posset.

Evelyn shook her head and raised her hand to instruct the servants to take the plates and bring the next course. “That was just the prelude to the real treat.”

“Are you trying to feed us up, make us plump as yuletide geese?” Octavia groaned, laughing, a hand resting on her stomach in a manner that gripped Malcolm’s heart in a vise.

I missed all of that.

All those years ago, when the doctor had sent word to him that Octavia was indeed with-child, the news itself had been enough for him. A task struck off a list of duties completed. Or, rather, half struck off the list, for he had needed to wait nine months to hear if it was a boy or a girl before he was able to truly remove it from his obligations as a duke.

But now, jarringly, he felt a sudden sweep of regret: that he had not been there to see his wife bloom, that he had not been there to feel Simon kick for the first time, that he had not watched in awe as her belly grew with that new life. Most of all, that he had not been there when Simon was born, or held him as a baby.

To meet his son for the first time at almost five years old now seemed appalling to him.

“With all the worrying you must have been doing because of Simon, I thought you might have been neglecting to eat properly,” Evelyn said proudly. “So, yes, it is my objective to stuff you both full of as much good food and wine as possible.”

Hugo chuckled. “Then, what is your excuse for me on an ordinary evening when I must be rolled out of this room after at least five luxurious courses?”

“Because I have no one else to take care of, my love,” Evelyn said, a slight catch in her throat. “Well… I did not, but…”

She trailed off and fanned her face furiously, her throat bobbing.

With a fond smile, Hugo took over. “We were going to tell you the news later, in the drawing room, but now seems as good a time as any.” He reached for Evelyn’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it tenderly. “We are with-child again and, this time, the doctor is confident of our success.”

At Malcolm’s side, Octavia unleashed an almighty scream. “You are? Oh, why did you not write to me? Why did you not tell me as soon as you heard?”

She leaped up and ran to Evelyn, putting her arms around her friend and sister-in-law. Weeping quietly, Evelyn turned and embraced Octavia in return, until the pair of them were sobbing and hugging one another fiercely, mumbling incoherent words to one another in a feminine language that Malcolm had no hope of understanding.

“Congratulations,” he said, more restrained, to Hugo.

Hugo nodded in response. “Thank you, Malcolm. We are still cautious, of course, but… we are hopeful.”

“Cautious?” Malcolm frowned, a prickle of guilt catching him under the ribs.

He knew so little about Octavia’s friends and family, and it had nothing to do with a loss of memories.

Leaning in, Hugo lowered his voice. “We have… struggled, Evelyn and me. She has been with-child a few times, but it has never lasted beyond a few months.”

“I’m so sorry,” Malcolm blurted out, meaning it. “I had no idea.”

Hugo smiled tightly. “That is quite alright. But this time, Evelyn is almost five months along. So, as I said, we are hopeful that this might be our lucky one.”

“You should have said!” Octavia chirped, holding Evelyn’s face. “You could have told me!”