Page 111 of The Viscount in her Bedroom
Meriel laughed. “You are so blind, Lou.” She winced and glanced at Simon. “She’s with child. And I’m terribly jealous.”
Louisa gasped and hugged Victoria, rocking her back and forth. When she released her, Victoria looked even paler than before and put a hand to her stomach.
“I cannot believe how even the simplest thing affects me,” Victoria said ruefully.
David put his arm around her. “She’s been dreadfully ill with it.”
“I’m afraid I quite put a damper on our romantic escape,” Victoria said, blushing as she leaned into her husband.
Louisa took one of Victoria’s arms, and after shouldering David aside, Meriel took the other. “We’ll need to pamper you,” Louisa said.
“Aunt Louisa!” Little Stephen rushed up to tug on her skirts.
Louisa was touched that he would use such an endearment when they’d only met at his uncle’s wedding. She put a hand on his unruly hair. “Yes, Stephen?”
“We rode on two trains, Aunt Louisa!”
“You are so lucky!”
His uncle, Richard, said, “And maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. I never saw a woman need her privacy as much as Victoria did on the brief train ride from London.”
Victoria shuddered.
Meriel grinned. “Makes one almost want to avoid a similar fate. And there’s only one way…”
Richard gave a snort.
Louisa blushed, hoping her sisters thought her reaction due to ignorance.
Leo, Georgie, and Paul Reyburn came to see what the commotion was all about.
After the introductions were made, Leo eyed Richard O’Neill. “It is uncanny how much you look like your brother. My condolences on his passing.”
“Thank you,” Richard said.
“He always enjoyed a good game of billiards,” Leo continued. “Can I interest you gentlemen?”
Simon laughed. “Leo, I’m certain Lord Thurlow would be uninterested. After all, I could still defeat him even blinded.”
“I think that’s a challenge,” David said.
The three sisters glanced at each other, shaking their heads.
“I could guide your hand, Simon,” Leo said. “For a cut of the winnings.”
“Definitely a challenge,” Richard said. “Do you ladies mind?”
“By all means,” Meriel said. “You men go find something to do. Stephen, you too! We ladies have lives to catch up on. Louisa, surely you have somewhere private we can talk, like our Willow Pond.”
Louisa could not help but blush at the thought of willow trees and water. Simon was surely close enough to have heard, but he said nothing, only led the men away.
Leo’s voice trailed down the corridor. “I’m the one who taught Simon to walk by himself.”
As the laughter faded away, Georgie shook her head and said to Louisa, “I need to get back to Mother and Grandmama. I think there will be open war over the plans for dinner seating. It’s so nice to meet you both,” she said to Victoria and Meriel.
Victoria watched Georgie walk away. “She seems very nice. I can see why you enjoyed working with her.”
Louisa slid her arm through her sisters’. “It’s been fun and fulfilling.”
