Page 93 of The Moonstone Governess
Matthew was smiling from ear to ear now that he was walking between them, holding each of their hands. “Do I get an extra reward for this, Brenna?” Daire muttered.
Goodness, he was so gorgeous with that wicked smile of his. “Yes, my love. You have been a very good boy.”
Matthew looked up at her. “Do I get a reward, too?”
Daire snorted. “You shall have an extra serving of pie at Mrs. Halsey’s tea shop. I shall make certain Thaddius is aware and notifies your grandmother when she wakes up.”
The boy cheered and took off at a run across the poppy field.
Daire wrapped his arm around Brenna’s waist as they strolled into town. “What sort of reward do you have planned for me, love?”
“Oh, you are the expert. I shall let you choose. I only know what you taught me last night. I sense there is much to be learned from you. I’ll have you know, I am an able student.”
“Good, because I am a very thorough teacher.”
Which he indeed proved to be later that night.
They fell asleep entwined in each other’s arms after a wanton, slightly shocking, and utterly delicious coupling.
Daire nudged her awake in the middle of the night. He wrapped his robe around her and led her to the window. “Look, little dove. The moonstones are shining again.”
“Oh, how lovely. They must be shining for someone else.”
“No, love. For us. Can’t you see? They are pointed toward us.”
He seemed so proud, and she realized it had nothing to do with their activities in bed, during which they had been quite active.
He was proud because moonstones represented his ability to love. He had opened his heart to her, a heart he’d believed to be damaged beyond repair.
Brenna knew those moonstones had to be shining for someone else, but she was not going to tell him otherwise. This was his pride. This was his joy.
And perhaps he held so much love in his heart that those moonstones needed to shine for them two days in a row.
“I love you, Brenna.”
“I love you,” she whispered back, looking forward to everything wonderful that marriage to Daire was bound to bring.
Epilogue
St. Austell Grange
Moonstone Landing, Cornwall
July 1824
“The blasted meetingof the Ladies’ Hospital Auxiliary,” Daire muttered, spurring Scipio to a gallop, his heart in his throat as he rode with all speed to St. Austell Grange, home of the Duke and Duchess of Malvern. “I’m fine,she says.I’m weeks away,she insists.Trust me to know my own body, Daire. Ha! Nobody knows Brenna’s body better than I do. Scipio, why on earth did I listen to her?”
Jax was right behind him, probably muttering the same thing to his horse about Felicity, since their wives—both of them—seemed to have disrupted the auxiliary tea by going into labor at the same time.
But these cousins were as close as sisters. They had almost died together, got married together, and were now bringing new life into the world together. No doubt one of them had gone into labor and set the other one off.
As soon as he reached the elegant manor, Daire leaped off Scipio and tore past the Malvern butler, who barely had time to dive out of the way after opening the door. “Where is she?”
“Both ladies are comfortably settled upstairs, Your Grace. The midwife and Dr. Hewitt have been sent for.”
Cain met him and Jax at the foot of the staircase. “Your wives are fine. Hen and her sisters have everything under control. You need to calm down.”
“Calm down?” Daire and Jax blurted at the same time.
