Page 85 of Black Widow

“Martin Wells,you come out from behind thereimmediately.”

Gideon paused to admire his wife’s rounded backside as she knelt on the floor in front of one of her office’s manycupboards.

A boyish giggle emerged from inside the cupboard, and Gideon smiled. He found his son’s new habit of hiding and jumping out to scare him priceless. It reminded him of Martin. His cousin had done the same thing as achild.

Gideon could never admit to being amused aloud of course. The game of hide and screech was driving Amelia daft. She was always worried baby Martin would be lost forever in the vast interior ofTarryhall.

He had learned a trick that helped, however. A few berry-flavored biscuits would lure his son out of wherever he had secreted himself. Gideon had taken up the habit of carrying them in his pocket and leaving them out in whichever room he suspected his son of hiding in. Inevitably, the treat would get Martin’s chubby little legs moving. He might take the cookies straight back to his hidey-hole, but a telltale trail of crumbs would usually point theway.

The housekeeper did not agree with his method, nor did Amelia, who chided him for itoutright.

“You may as well hang out a sign welcoming vermin, Gideon,” she would scold every time she caught him putting the biscuitsout.

Instead of arguing with her, he’d distract her with a kiss. If he remembered right, it would be a few years before they’d be able to break Martin of this newhabit.

Today, he was able to take advantage of his wife’s current position to kneel behind her, running his hands against her lushcurves.

“Do you need abiscuit?”

He laughed and ducked when Amelia turned to swathim.

“You only encourage him to hide so he can wheedle more sweets out ofyou.”

He acknowledged her words with a hum. “Perhaps, but we’ve already lost the war, love. It’s time for concessions.Or—”

Gideon reached into the cupboard suddenly and pried his son’s fingers away from the interior, pulling him out with gentle force. “Or it’s time for outright trickery. And possibly anap.”

Martin laughed in his face and yelled. “Nonap!”

“I understand your reluctance, my son, but I must insist. Naps are a necessary evil.” He walked to the door and called for the nurse. She took his son away before Gideon added “bath” in a whisper beforenap.

He waited for the resulting howls to die away before turning back to Amelia with a wickedgrin.

She rolled her eyes and went to herdesk.

“The invitation came today,” she said, waving a cream-colored envelope athim.

He groaned aloud. “We just came back fromtown.”

“The wedding won’t be in London. Mrs. Chisholm finally gave up the idea of having the ceremony in St.Georges.”

“Good for Crispin,” Gideon murmured. “I didn’t think he would prevail on thatscore.”

Lord Worthing’s future mother-in-law was a termagant. He worried for Crispin’s future wedded bliss, but also worried for Clarke, his closest friend. It couldn’t be easy to watch the man one loved marry another, even if it was destined to be a typical polite and bloodless tonunion.

“Cecily is a far more reasonablecreature.”

“But equally determined,” he pointed out. “It’s been at least two seasons since she started chasing Crispin. One must admire herpersistence.”

“Yes, well, I can’t really blame her for setting her cap at him,” Amelia said loyally. “He is a wonderful friend and will make a doting husband. Her finances aside, theirs will prove an advantageous match on both sides. She gets the security her family needs, and Crispin gets the understanding wife he alwayswanted.”

Gideon sniffed, aware Lord Worthing had once wanted Amelia to fulfill that role. But it had worked out as well as was possible given thecircumstances.

Cecily Chisholm was in fact, an imminently practical young woman. Her family had spent the last of their dwindling fortune on her two seasons. They needed her to marry well or the whole lot would be ruined. Cecily had taken stock of the ton’s eligible bachelors with a startlingly discerning eye. She had chosen Lord Worthing, apparently aware that his inclinations lay elsewhere—and not for Amelia as the ton hadassumed.

Yes, Cecily had been very perceptive.Her next move proved it. Giving up on gaining ground with Worthing himself, she had spoken to Amelia. After their private conversation, the details of which neither would disclose, his wife had agreed to champion Cecily’s cause. After all, Crispin still needed to marry and produce an heir. He also had sufficient wealth to be able to overlook a lack of dowry and some family debt in his prospectivebride.

The ploy had worked. Shortly after, Crispin had made it official with an announcement in the times. Now the day was nearly uponthem.

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