Page 87 of Stolen By the Duke of Stone

Jessamine shook her head, stepping away from Kate and William to stand by the window. “It’s nothing,” she said.

“Nothing would not look like that on you,” Irene said. “I may be with child, but that doesn’t mean I stop having eyes, or stop wanting to be there for you. Has something happened? Something more, I mean.”

“I told you about the attack on William?”

Irene nodded, although she had probably heard the story from about five different sources by now, anyway. What Jessamine had intended as the event of the Season had been overshadowed by this tragedy. Now all anyone could discuss was Baron Lorthey and the fact that Andrew had seen his brother die.

And William.

Jessamine closed her eyes. “I spoke to Andrew that night, when William was safe and sleeping again. I mentioned how I would like a child of my own—our own—one day. A family. I always thought that was the plan. William is Andrew’s heir, but it’s always sensible to have more than one, just in case.” Even though the thought of something happening to William made her feel sick. “But he just… It was like the question pulled a lever inside him and changed everything. He told me that this was a marriage of convenience and nothing more, and that he didn’t want a family with me.”

“He said all that?” Irene asked, her brows pulling together.

“Well, not in so many words. He said a marriage of convenience and no more would have to be enough, which is almost the same thing.”

“I would beg to disagree,” Irene said. “It sounds as though he wants it to be enough, whether it is or isn’t.”

“Well, what difference does that make? Whether it is or not, he wants it to be. And that means I will never get a family.”

Irene wrapped her arms around Jessamine. “I’m sorry, dearest. He should have known better than to do something like that to you. I thought things were getting better.”

“So did I. He made me…”

He made me love him.

“Oh, Jessie,” Irene sighed.

“Jessie?” Kate raised her head from the other side of the room, her attention diverted from William for the barest of moments. “What’s happening?”

Jessamine pasted a smile on her face and hurried back to the young girl’s side. “Nothing important. I was just thinking about what might happen to William if we don’t watch over him.”

“He is very small,” Kate agreed seriously. “And babies can’t do anything for themselves. Not like other animals. Foals and calves stand up and can walk very shortly after birth, but babies need years before they can do that.”

“It’s not very sensible,” Irene agreed, coming to sit by Kate’s other side. “It’s why we must look out for our children so much. And also why we love them so much. We always love things we have to care for.”

Jessamine’s heart gave a little pang. How true. She loved William like her own son, and she loved Andrew more for all the ways they had looked out for one another over the past few months.

She loved him. And now there was nowhere for that love to go.

“And I will look after your baby,” Kate said seriously. “Which means I will love him or her, too.”

“That’s right,” Irene said, casting a worried glance at Jessamine.

Jessamine did her best to summon a smile, little as she was feeling it, but even as she did her best to pretend for the sake of her sister, all she could do was think about how lonely the empty years of the rest of her life spread.

William needed her now, but he would not always need her, and without him…

What did she have?

Andrew tossed the brandy back and settled in the chair. His head spun, and he closed his eyes. Not seeing was preferable, anyway. When he looked, all he looked for was Jessamine, and that was hardly helpful in his current predicament.

If he could, he would drink enough to forget, but he’d tried that while in the army, and stealing tomorrow’s joy always came back to bite him.

Better he just learn how to live like this. A half-life.

“There you are,” Nicholas said as he settled in the armchair beside him. “I should have known better than to seek you out at your own house.”

“You tried looking for me there?” Andrew’s eyelids fluttered, but he couldn’t seem to summon the energy to look at his friend.