Page 88 of Pregnant With Their Babes

His grandmother scoffed, lifting her fan to her face. “Liar.”

He glanced down at her, narrowing his eyes.

“Two decades at his side… and the both of you cannot stop looking at one another. The gossips are already twisting the tales of your adventures into a debauched sexcapade.”

“A debauched sexcapadeis not an expression I ever expected to hear from my grandmother’s lips, nor ever wish to hear again.” Chuckling to himself… and perhaps with the desire to shut her up… he added, “And what if it was debauched? There are many long, lonely nights onboard a ship.”

“You act as if you can shock me, young man. You cannot. I’ve had debauched exploits of my own. I might be old, but I was once young.”

Dagr lifted a hand. “No. Just stop. I don’t want to hear them.”

“If you promise not to threaten me with tales of yours I will promise not to tell you tales of mine.”

“Deal,” Dagr said with a grin.

“There it is. A real smile. Itispossible.”

Dagr sighed, searching through the crowd again. Once more, his gaze landed on Oz… this time with a new dancing partner. Oz appeared no happier.

That alone kept Dagr sane.

“He is quite dashing, isn’t he? Your Prince Oswald,” she whispered behind her fan.

“He isn’tmyanything. Not anymore.” After whispering those words, he glanced down at his grandmother. “I’m stunned. You sound almost accepting of my exploits.”

“Remember, I had a man searching for you. I heard the stories long ago. You could do worse than a future king. Too bad you aren’t marriageable to him. You’d be a handsome couple.”

Dagr’s eyes widened. “Since my return, you never cease to amaze me.”

The duchess lifted her fan a little higher to cover her lips. “I love your grandfather. Very much. He was a good friend to me. And kind. It was the best I could expect considering he wished to wed his Franco… and me my Rebecca.”

Dagr’s head spun to look at her.

“Wipe that expression off your face, Baron von Burgstaller. You’re in public.”

“Perhaps stop dropping bombshells and I will.”

She chuckled behind her fan. “You started this little war of shock and awe. I simply sought to show you that you had a skilled opponent.”

“And I concede. Youarethe victor.”

The duchess grinned before glancing up at him. “I am so very happy to have you home, grandson.”

Dagr lowered to place a kiss to her rosy cheek. It was burning hot. “Would you like to take a stroll outside? Itisstifling in here.” The ballroom was enormous, yet packed to the rafters. All the bodies had made it insufferable.

On more than one account.

She closed her fan and offered her hand to him. “I thought you would never ask.”

Before they could leave, the doors to the ballroom burst open and he heard strangled cries. Members of the nobility rushed in their direction, bodies crushing. Dagr urged his grandmother toward the outer doors leading to the garden, but she smacked him with her fan.

“I amnotmissing whatever this is,” she spat, quickly reclaiming her seat. “Go find out what’s going on and report back like a good lad.”

Dagr sighed before fighting the oncoming throng. As he broke through the crowd, he saw a bevy of half-naked men…

Holding tridents.

They’ve come back to kill us all.He searched for Oz, who moved to stand at his father’s side. Their gazes locked across the open space.

---