Page 91 of An Accidental Romance

Rebecca hugged the baby close to her and turned and smiled at Ben. “I believe Lady Rose and I are going to become fast friends,” she said. “May we introduce her to Susan now?”

“Indeed, we may,” Ben said, his heart in his throat.

“You are going to meet Auntie Susan,” Rebecca whispered to Rose as they made their way back to the parlor, the nurse following quietly behind them. “She is a wonderful auntie, fun and clever, and she is going to adore you, I just know it.”

The footman stepped forward and opened the parlor door. And for the first time in months, Ben truly began to feel at peace, a peace that was beyond anything he’d ever experienced.

“Well, who is this?” the duchess said. He watched Susan set the book she was reading aside and stand.

“Susan, may I present Lady Rose Fortescue, the daughter of the Earl of Winton,” Rebecca said, glancing over at Ben and smiling at him. “And there is a great likelihood she is going to become your niece. Lady Rose, this is your Auntie Susan.” She gave the baby a squeeze.

“Ba,” Rose said, her little fingers sneaking back into her mouth.

“Well, aren’t you a little charmer, Lady Rose,” the duchess said. “I imagine those fingers taste jolly good, don’t they? And aren’t you the brave one, Rebecca, my dear, who announces her intended motherhood before she’s officially betrothed? One might think you were behaving more like your sister than yourself.” She smiled.

“I have made my intentions regarding your sister clear,” Ben said. “My plan is to speak with your father and make our betrothal official. Today would be my preference, if it is at all possible. If Rose’s papa can bear to be away from her, that is.”

“Well, this is all wonderful news,” the duchess replied. She turned her attention back to Rebecca and Rose. “Congratulations to you both! You are absolutely precious, Lady Rose! I believe you will adore your cousins, and they shall adore you too.”

“As will her new mama,” Rebecca said.

“And her papa,” Ben added. Rebecca gazed at him and . . . he had no words to express the depths of his feelings.

“Ba!” Rose said.

They all laughed.

And then Rebecca handed Rose to Ben.

He hardly knew what to do and held her rather gingerly out away from himself with both hands at first. And then he and Rose locked eyes. Hers were not blue but gray, like Gemma’s had been. That was fitting, he supposed. A small memorial for the child she’d borne.

“Da,” she said.

He pulled her in close against him, realizing it was much easier to do than he’d thought it would be at first, and then he touched Rose lightly on the end of her nose with his finger. “Yes. I’m your papa,” he whispered, trying not to choke up. “And I’m sorry that I haven’t spent much time with you. Will you allow me to remedy that?” He knew the baby would have no idea what he was actually saying, but he felt the words needed to be spoken.

Little Rose looked up at him, and Isaac Jennings’s sermon flooded into Ben’s heart.“‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot inherit the kingdom ofheaven.’”

“I am in your power, Miss Jennings, my Rebecca, for you hold my happiness in your hands,” he said, holding tightly to the precious little baby in his arms, the one he’d avoided for the past year, the one who was innocent of the poor choices her parents—allof them—had made during her young life.

“You are proposing?” Rebecca asked.

“In a way, I suppose I am,” Ben said. “Not very elegant of me, is it? I hope you’ll forgive me for that. What I am trying to do is unburden myself of the past and lay my hopes before you. The choice beyond that is entirely yours to make.”

“Say yes, Rebecca,” the duchess said. “I believe you’ve been longing to say it practically since you met the man.”

The nurse clasped her hands to her breast.

He had witnesses to his pathetic proposal. He wasn’t sorry about it.

“Not when I first met him,” Rebecca said indignantly. “He made me break my ankle at the first meeting, you’ll recall.” And then she smiled. His beautiful Rebecca smiled at him. “But I will confess it wasn’t long after that.”

“I’d take that as a yes, Lord Winton,” the duchess said to Ben in a stage whisper. She stood. “But I believe I’m going to leave you, taking this delightful book I discovered on your shelf, and give you two—I mean youthree—a few moments to celebrate your betrothal. However,” she quickly added, “I will still be watching the clock, as any good chaperone would.” Then she swished rather magnificently from the room, with the nurse trailing quietly behind.

Ben gazed at Rebecca. “Are you truly willing to raise a child who is not my flesh and blood but must always believe she is?” he asked.

“Oh yes,” Rebecca said. “And I love you more than I even thought I could for asking me that question.”

“My heart is full,” Ben said. He wrapped his mostly free arm around her and brought her close. And then, oh, he kissed her and held her next to him and savored her sweetness and—

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