Page 21 of Dubious about the Duke (Second Sons of London 5)

Chapter Eight

Kingwood—July

Sera awoke andimmediately felt the warmth next to her. She smiled and looked down to see Lady Analise Haddock nestled against her. The little girl, almost two-and-a-half, had made her way to Sera’s bed again. She slept peacefully, her thumb in her mouth.

She stroked the girl’s hair, golden and curly like her mother’s, and Analise yawned. Her eyes slowly opened and she grinned.

Removing her thumb, she said, “Sera.”

“Good morning, Analise. We should return you to the nursery. Your nanny will be frantic, wondering where you are.”

Analise giggled.

Sera slipped from the bed and reached for her dressing gown. Once she had it on, she lifted Analise from the bed.

“We go see Mama?”

“Nanny first. Then your mama,” she promised.

As they left the chamber, she thought how much she would miss Analise. Adam, too. He was just beginning to crawl and was a delight to watch. They were the children of Lord and Lady Middlefield, now Spencer and Tessa to Sera. The earl and his countess had spent the past week at Kingwood and, already, they seemed as family. She suspected her twin had written to each of the Three Cousins, sharing Sera’s trepidation about the upcoming house party and her crippling shyness, because each of the women had written to Minta, asking if they might come and meet her sister before the party in late August.

It hadn’t taken long for Sera to warm up to the earl and countess. Tessa was kind and compassionate, while Spencer was a little solemn. He opened up more as the visit went on and she now counted the married pair as new friends. Playing with their children had been a true, unexpected treat.

Just as they reached the Middlefield bedchamber, the door opened and Tessa stepped out.

“Mama!” cried Analise, reaching out her arms toward her mother.

Tessa took her. “She crawled into your bed again?”

“Yes. I was just returning her to the nursery.”

Tessa kissed her daughter’s head. “She’s a slippery one. Nanny has her hands full with this one. And Adam crawling everywhere.” She glanced down at her daughter. “We shouldn’t worry Nanny, Analise. You are supposed to stay in the nursery with her and Adam.”

The girl’s bottom lip thrust out in a pout. “But I wanted Sera. I love Sera.”

Sera laughed. “I love you, too, Analise.”

The two women went to the nursery, depositing Analise with her nanny, who apologized to the countess.

“I am sorry she got by me again, Lady Middlefield.”

“Don’t worry, Nanny,” Tessa said. “These things happen. I had told Analise that we were leaving for home this morning.”

“That’s why I wanted Sera,” the little girl piped up. She reached out and Sera took her, kissing her cheek.

“You need to stay with Nanny and Adam now. You can get dressed and have your breakfast, just like I am going to do with your mama and papa and Uncle Percy and Aunt Minta.”

Analise nodded and Sera set her down. She ran to her doll, which sat on a chair in the corner of the room, and picked it up, hugging it.

“Let’s slip out,” Tessa said quietly.

They returned downstairs and each went to her bedchamber. Sera rang for a maid to help dress her and then she made her way to the breakfast room, where she found Percy and Spencer chatting.

“Good morning,” she told the pair and then went through the buffet, selecting a few items to eat as a footman poured her a cup of tea and left it at her seat.

It was certainly nice to be waited upon. Percy had an army of servants, both here and in London. She had help in dressing and never had to think about lighting a fire or cooking a meal. It hadn’t taken long for her to get used to having things done for her and she felt quite spoiled.

Sera also felt freer than she had before. The country air in Essex did her good. Meeting Tessa and Spencer and getting to know them over the past week had seemed almost liberating—and she had never made friends or warmed up to others easily. If Adalyn and Louisa were half as nice as Tessa, Sera could see how she would have an entire circle of friends by the time the house party began.

---