Page 64 of Only Pleasure Will Do

Chapter 27

“Kat? Maddy?” The door to the receiving room burst open and before Grayson could announce her, Juliet flew into the room. “Oh, my dears, it is so good to see you! Look who I’ve brought with me.” She jiggled a bundle of white knitted blanket and a gurgle emerged from it. “Honesty wanted to come see her cousin Tye, Kat.” The beautiful blond woman grinned at her sister-in-law. “And I wanted her with me just a little bit longer today.”

Katarina had risen immediately and was now cooing down into the bundle. “She has gotten so big since I last saw her. And more beautiful as well. May I?” The marchioness took the babe into her arms before the words had left her mouth. “Come to Auntie Kat, darling.”

Seating herself next to Maddy, Kat turned back the fluffy blanket, revealing an adorable round-faced child, cherubic from her golden hair to her wide blue eyes to her petite chin. Her little mouth opened but instead of a cry of anguish, the baby uttered a squawk of surprise, gazed up at Maddy, and cooed.

“She likes you, Maddy.” Juliet beamed at her as she seated herself opposite on the matching peach flowered sofa.

“Babies like everyone.” Kat continued to bounce the child gently in her arms, keeping up a running conversation of nonsense sounds to the little girl.

“Well, she didn’t seem to particularly like my sister-in-law when she and her family came to see Honesty just after she was born. When Serenity—she’s Amiable’s oldest sister, Maddy—picked her up, she cried and cried and then spat up all over Sere’s new blue silk morning gown.” Juliet couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “It took all my willpower not to laugh at the surprised look on both their faces.”

“Did you say her name is Honesty?” What an odd kind of name for a child.

“Yes. Honesty Katherine Dawson Morley.” Juliet gazed fondly down on the little girl. “Amiable’s mother was a Quaker lady who left her church to marry Amiable’s father. So she insisted on naming her children for virtues, to remind her of the faith she’d left behind. Serenity, Verity, Peaceable, and Amiable. We decided we’d continue the tradition. If the baby had been a boy, we were going to name him after Amiable’s brother, Pax, who died over a year ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Juliet.” Maddy shot her new friend a sympathetic look.

Shaking her head Juliet said, “I never knew him, although everyone who did apparently loved him. His death has been hard on Amiable’s father. This little one has made a difference to her grandpapa. Haven’t you, sweetheart?” She leaned over to stroke the soft blond hair. “Would you like to hold her, Maddy?”

“I think she’s just going to sleep.” The baby’s eyes had drifted shut, for which Maddy was grateful. She’d only had a little over a month with Pearl after she was born. Then she’d been forced to find a wet nurse to serve her child’s needs when Sir Peter had demanded Maddy return to London and assume her duties at the House of Pleasure. She loved babies, but her emotions were in such a turmoil at the moment holding Juliet’s child might stir up even more resentment at the dastard who’d robbed her of her child’s earliest years. Perhaps it would be different sometime in the future when it was her own child she held in her arms…

The sweet thought brought up the stark image of standing on the tail of the cart on Lord Edgemont’s estate, pleading for her life and that of her unborn child. Her own words echoed in her mind, and she closed her eyes and gripped her skirt.

She still didn’t know whether or not she was carrying Reginald’s child. Likely she wouldn’t know for certain for at least another month. One more reason to worry. Should she indeed be pregnant, they’d have no choice but to marry. Not only would Reginald’s honor demand it, but Dalbury would likely call him out if such a circumstance were to occur. Why the marquess was feeling so charitable and protective of her she wasn’t entirely clear. However, she knew him well enough to know that since he had taken on the role of her champion, he would be relentless in pursuing anyone who hurt or dishonored her. Oh, yes. Reginald would have no say in the matter at all.

Not that she wouldn’t love to marry him, but Kat was right. He needed a wife both in private and in public. She would gladly supply anything he needed in their private world, but the public sphere in which he lived and worked must be courted—nay, seduced—into accepting her as one of their own. And for that, she needed to be as circumspect as possible. It was going to be awkward enough to explain Pearl’s presence, despite Kat’s reassurances, but to have to also announce another indiscretion would bode extremely ill for her acceptance in Society. So, for now, she must hope against hope that she was not carrying Reginald’s child, despite her own feelings to the contrary.

“I’ll ring for Nurse. She can sleep upstairs with Tye while we plan Maddy’s ball.” Kat rose and handed the baby to Juliet before tugging on the bell pull.

Almost as she pulled it, Grayson opened the door. “Lady Trevor and Lady Manning.”

The ladies entered, both making straight for Juliet and the tiny bundle on her lap. Exclamations of congratulations and compliments on the adorable child rose so high they awakened little Honesty, who sent up a wail.

“Shall I call Nurse, my lady?”

“Yes, thank you, Grayson. I was just about to ring and ask for her.”

“Very good, my lady.”

Kat joined the others clustered around Juliet and her daughter until the middle-aged woman who served as Tye’s nursemaid entered. Plainly clothed in a sober brown gown, the woman had a cheerful but no-nonsense attitude that Maddy found rather soothing. After a moment, the nurse plucked the baby out of Juliet’s arms and whisked her away, crooning a steady stream of soft words, mostly silly sounds, that seemed to do the trick because the child had quietened before they even left the room.

“She is beautiful, Juliet.” Lady Trevor settled herself beside the new mother.

Lady Manning sat beside Kat and smiled at Maddy. “Good morning, Miss Forrester. How are you faring in the midst of all this hubbub? Are you getting any rest at all?”

“A little, Lady Manning, thank you. I just want it to be over with.” Breathing deeply, Maddy tried to calm her nerves. Why these ladies would make her so apprehensive when she’d run a thriving brothel with rough customers every day made no sense. She could quell a brawl with a hard glare and a well-placed word or two but couldn’t seem to make polite conversation in a retiring room to save her. “I do not relish dreading the ball for the next week.”

“Let us hope we can persuade you to look forward to it then, my dear.” Lady Manning laughed and grasped Maddy’s hand, startling her quite badly. “And the first thing I wish to do to put you at your ease is to ask you to call me Alethea.”

Although she’d suspected the ladies would ask her to do this sooner rather than later, Maddy was still shocked and a bit discomfited by the request. But she smiled dutifully and cast her gaze down. “Thank you, my lady. That is very kind of you. I would be honored if you would address me as Maddy.”

“With pleasure, Maddy.” Alethea smiled, squeezed her hand, and released it. “This celebration will be taxing enough without us having to stand on ceremony every time we address one another. Isn’t that right, Violet?”

Violet, Lady Trevor turned from her conversation with Juliet, her gaze darting to Maddy’s. Her delicate brows lifted ever so slightly, asking her permission when, by rights, it should’ve been Lady Trevor’s choice whether or not to ask for a closer relationship.

As if they had not already been on even more intimate terms at the House of Pleasure.