Page 26 of Silence of Deceit
She shrugged a shoulder. “You’ve been worried about any scandal at all lately. If you were concerned this blackmailer might follow through with his threat, my disappearing for a few months and returning with an infant would surely replace one scandal with another.”
“Your mind in entirely too convoluted, my darling. I blame Bow Street and Officer Marsden.” Just the mention of Hugh’s name sent a storm twisting and turning through her.
“No. Nothing like that,” Philip went on. “It’s… I don’t know, maybe it’s Genie, about to have her child at any moment. And Michael, he seems so luminous—”
Audrey nearly spluttered on her second brandy. “Luminous!”
“Yes, luminous,” he replied firmly.
It was true, she had to admit. Her brother-in-law, Lord Herrick, was already bursting with pride for his soon-to-be-born child. She could not even imagine how enamored he would be when the babe finally came along, which should be any day now. They were waiting on tenterhooks for a messenger to arrive with the news.
Philip’s tone hushed. “Have you never questioned if perhaps we were too hasty in deciding there would be no children?”
What felt like the prick of a knife’s point dug into the underside of her chin. Her eyes sharpened on the duke. Her pulse stammered. Philip, however, was utterly oblivious to these physical reactions wreaking havoc through her and only smiled warmly. “You would make a magnificent mother.”
Swallowing her shock, she returned the compliment, however inelegant and spluttering. Still, it was true. Philipwouldbe a wonderful father.
He set down his glass on the sideboard and took Audrey’s hand in his. “Perhaps Cassie’s child will not do, but my idea for an adoption might just work.”
Audrey jerked her hand from his. His bashful grin broke apart, and she cringed at her imprudent reaction.
“I’m sorry, you surprised me,” she said breathlessly. Though she had not moved, she felt like she had just quit running at full speed. “Adopt? The title can’t be passed to an adopted child—”
“It can if no one knows he was adopted. Say you make a happy announcement and then a few months later, before you begin to increase, you’re feeling unwell…”
She pursed her lips. “So I remove myself to the country?”
“Gracious, no. It would have to be much farther than that. France, perhaps. Or somewhere vague in the Alps.”
“Philip…” She shook her head, at a loss for words.
“Why not? We could find a perfectly suitable baby, and this option would not demand that you must carry it yourself. We wouldn’t need to change the terms of our marriage arrangement. Audrey, I just want you to consider it.”
His enthusiasm perplexed her nearly as much as the topic itself. He wanted to be a father? And her, a mother. She hadn’t allowed herself to even believe it possible, considering their agreement not to conduct themselves as traditional husbands and wives do. A baby had been simply out of the question.
However, seeing Genie and Michael so exuberant in the anticipation of their child had affected her. Once or twice, she had, admittedly, envisioned a young boy or girl running around Violet House as Audrey playfully chased them, laughter filling the landings and rooms.
“I…I will have to think about it.”
Philip raised her hand to his lips, and he kissed her knuckles. “That is all I can ask of you, my darling.”
* * *
Audrey was seatedbehind her desk in her study, mulling over Philip’s proposal, when a knock landed upon the half-closed door.
“Officer Marsden to see you, Your Grace,” her butler announced.
She leaped from her chair as Hugh entered and doffed his hat. It had been a few hours since they’d parted ways at the Simpson household, and Audrey had not yet let go of her annoyance and disappointment with the Bow Street officer. But the lurch of her stomach was not totally out of irritation, and for that she was especially troubled. She wished she could just despise him. To never again clap eyes on him. And yet at the same time, those few hours had seemed unbearably lengthy.
He stopped short just after clearing the threshold. His attention fastened to the gown she wore—deep sapphire silk, embroidered with chenille thread of a lighter blue. She and Philip were attending a performance at the opera in an hour, even though it was the last thing she felt like doing. Still, she had capitulated, if only to soften the blow of her poor reaction to his suggestion to adopt an heir. She had promised to think about it, and she would…but a child was so serious and permanent. Too many questions cluttered her mind about her ability to be a good mother, despite his assertions that she would. Perhaps if she spent more time with Philip, he would at least accept that she was not rejectinghimin the end, if and when she said no.
Hugh cleared his throat. “You look…” He blinked. “Are you going out?”
The cut-off compliment should have pleased her, but her irritation with him wouldn’t allow it—and that only irritated her further.
“Not for a while yet.” She folded her hands before her. “Why have you come?”
She was being terse, and he certainly heard the ice on her tone, but he pushed onward. “Lord Rumsford was a patient at Shadewell.”
