Authors: Nichole Matthews
“Well placed worry, my dear,” Adele added. “It’s delicious to see him so eagerly bound to our Poppy.” She smiled brightly.
“Indeed,” Persephone agreed.
Outside
,
Hawksley
gestured
towards the carriage. “They’re as bad as Poppy.” His head bowed, hiding his smile. “I swear she pokes her head out of the ca
rriage window wherever we go
.”
“N
ever say
,” Rockwell cried mockingly. “I cannot believe that to be true. The Duchess of
Hawksley
poking her head out of carriage windows.” He lifted his hand and threw it across his forehead. “Why, it’s unheard of.”
“Very
amusing
.
”
Hawksley
snorted.
Persephone’s
joyful laugh went through Parker’s
skin and squeezed his chest.
“And here I thought those days were over.” Parker choked back a laugh of his own. “And now I’ve somehow managed to
be saddled with
not one, but
two more girls.” He groaned humorously.
Rockwell and
Hawksley
looked
towards
each other and grinned.
Hawksley
added, “It is well worth it, my friend.”
“Delightful creatures,” Rockwell agreed.
“I didn’t have any doubts.”
The
large three story structure
composed of side wings which were built of brick and stone
came into full view
. A
semi-circular Tuscan portico
situated at the main entrance
greeted them
.
Piper described the house as having six suites and fifteen chambers. There was also a large formal
garden that included over seventy-five
varieties of roses
.
Persephone’s
gaze
fixed as they drove down the long tree-lined drive
, her palms damp
.
She took a deep breath of the col
d air and glanced toward the me
n to find Parker watching her with a smile
.
She stared
at h
im
.
Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor, as she was unable
to contain her burgeoning enthusi
asm any longer.
The estate was swarming
with a multitude of visitors
when they arrived.
Hawksley
jumped from his horse tossing his reins to the waiting stable boy and met Archibald half-way up the steps.
“Ha
ve all
arrived, Archie?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Archibald replied.
Th
ey have
all gathered in the Green Parlor,
along with the duchess and Lord
Foxworth
.”
Hawksley
smiled at the mention of his son.
“Ah, delightful.”
He turned back to the others and watched as they exited the carriages. “Would you care to wash off our travel dirt or go directly to the parlor?”
Adele spoke up first. “I am determined to meet Lord
Foxworth
before I make my way upstairs.”
“Me, as well,” Piper chimed in, already beginning to make her way up the steps.
“I cannot wait another second.”
“Piper, darling,” Rockwell called after her, his hand outstretched.
“Perhaps we should al
low
Hawksley
to enter before you
barge through the front door
s of his house
.”
His brows lifted.
Persephone chuckled as she watched P
iper’s shoulder’s slump and
trudged
back to Rockwell’s side. Adele followed as they made their way into the house a c
acophony of joyful sounds
assaulting their ears as they entered.
Parker took that brief moment to pull Persephone behind the carriage and crush his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft, and they parted when he ran his tongue over their crease.
Their tongues tangled briefly before he released his hold and stepped back.
“Ashford. Are you coming?” Parker could hear the humor in Rockwell’s voice.
He stepped from behind the carriage tugging Persephone by th
e hand. They walked up the steps
and directly into the melee.
Parker
stopped as soon as they entered and leaned down to whisper, “How are you feeling, Persephone?”
She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him.
“Good girl.” He grinned back.
Just then a golden angel stuck his head out of one of the doors on the left and
bellowed,
“Hawks back and it looks as if he
’s
brought the entire Peregrine household with him.” He glanced back into the hall. “And a few stragglers have been added to the mix.”
Persephone closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She could do this. She was no longer a prisoner.
She was a lady born and bred.
These were Parker’s friends and family, they didn’t want to harm her
, or ju
dge
her
in any way.
Parker whispered down to her, “They are a little hard to take all at once, but
rest assured,
they will love you just as I do.”
She smiled up at him and nodded.
Just then, a
vibrant redhead dashed into the hall
stopp
ing
short
when she spied
Persephone.
“Persephone?” Her mouth dropped open, then she ran towards her and pulled her close in a hug.
“
Chlo
é
?” Persephone’s brow furrowed as she glanced up at Parker. “What are you doing here?”
Her nervousness lessened a
s she was greeted by her old friend.
Chloé
pulled back.
“
Poppy is one of my dearest
friends.”
She leaned down and kissed Persephone’s
cheek. “Several of us have visited
Allingham
Park
for Christmas
and to behold the new babe
.”
Chloé
arched a brow, then her gazed flickered to Parker. “I should ask the same of
you.
How have you managed to find yourself entrenched with this hodgepodge of people, Persephone
?”
Parker stepped forward with a grin and put his arm around Persephone’s shoulder. “You are speaking to my betrothed.”
“No,”
Chloé
exclaimed. “How delightful!” She clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Two celebrations! Well, three if you count Christmas.”
She sent Parker a sly glance. “You must tell me all about it.” She reached for Persephone’s hand and p
ractically dragged
her towards the parlor. “You must meet Poppy and her
darling
baby.
Lord
Foxworth
.
”
Chloé
giggled. “Such
a
lof
ty title, for such a small creature
.”
Persephone glanced over her shoulder in time to see Parke
r remove Tillie from Mrs. Collin’
s arms and make his way toward
the room.
Persephone pulled to a stop and
Chloé
tugged. She looked back to see what
had captured
Persephone
’s attention
. “He will do just as he pleases.” She shook her head. “You cannot stop any of them. Is she yours?”
Persephone nodded, her face pale
,
afraid of the reaction she would receive.
The tension in her body fade
d as she watched one corner of Parker’s
mouth twitch slightly at her concern.
“Poppy,”
Chloé
called. “We have a second baby with us for Christmas.”
“Delightful. Gabriel will have a playmate.”
Persephone could see Poppy’s face light up
, her blue eyes sparkling
where she sat on the apple green chaise
with
Hawksley
propped on the arm beside her with a tiny bundle in his arms.
“I believe Gabriel is much too little to worry about playmates, Poppy.” He flashed her
an indulgent smile.
Miss Harris stepped forward, her arm twined with Piper’s. “Persephone, may I present one of my dearest friends, Miss Harris.”
“Delighted to make your acquaintance.” Persephone smiled. “How lucky you’ve been to be at
Allingham
Park since
Foxworth’s
birth.”
“I wouldn’t have traded the time for the world.”
Chloé
motioned for Persephone to sit in the chair closest to the chaise. “Poppy this is Persephone
Anderton
. We grew up together.”
“Please, excuse me, Miss Harris.”
“Small world.” Poppy grinned. “I understand from my husband that you are marrying my brother?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Persephone smiled, then dropped her gaze.
“It is Poppy.”
She smiled. “I’m sure you have learned by now that we stand on no ceremony in this family.”
“Of course, Poppy.” Persephone smiled.
“And I may call you…”
Poppy’s head titled slightly with a raised brow as she waited for Miss
Anderton
to respond.
“Persephone.”
Poppy perked up when she spotted Parker in the doorway.
“I’m so happy to see you.”
Her grin
,
big
,
and
her dimple even bigger. “Bring that darling baby to me, immediately.”
“Lea
ve my betrothed alone, Poppy,”
Parker called from where he stood next to Seymour, the golden angel who had greeted them when they first arrived.
Parker sauntered
into the room
, the corner of his mouth lifted
. “I see motherhood hasn’t improved your disposition any.
Still as bossy as ever.
”
“Oh, pooh.” Poppy waved
her hand at him as if he was a
nuisance
.
He leaned down and kissed h
er cheek bef
ore laying
Tillie
in her arms. Then he turned to
Seymour. “I could use a drink.”
He trailed the back of his hand down Persephone’s cheek when he walked by.
She looked up at him and smiled
,
her heart squeezed
at his gentle touch
.
Seymour paused in front of her chair and bowed. “Lady
Anderton
, Lord Seymour
.
” He raised her hand and pressed a kiss to the back, then winked.
“Seymour,”
Parker drawled.
“I’m only being polite.”
“Be polite, w
ithout slobbering all over my fiancée
.”
Seymour
rose and
slapped Parker
on the
back, moving
with him to the
sideboard to
pour some brandy. After they both took a sip, Seymour said, “Betrothed?”
“Yes, Seymour.”
Parker rolled his eyes.
Saluting
him with his glass, Seymour added
,
“You’ve always been one lucky devil.”
“That he has,”
Hawksley
added from behind. Lord
Foxworth
draped happily over his shoulder.
“Would you care to hold my son, Ash?” he asked in amusement.
Seymour stepped back, a look of horror on his face. “I would rather swim naked in the Thames.”
With his
brow raised,
Hawksley
snorted.
“Then it is a good thing I was speaking to Ash and not you
, Seymour
.”
Parker placed
his tumbler of brandy down
atop the side table
and lifted the baby from
Hawksley’s
shoulder, cradling him in his arms and tickling the baby’s belly.