A Devil Named DeVere (The Devil DeVere)(109)

Ludovic flipped open the box and his wife gasped at her first vision of the fifty-carat heart-shaped Burmese ruby pendant, encircled by as many carats in diamonds. "I thought of you the moment I saw it, Diana."

"My God!" she exclaimed. "This must be worth a king's ransom!"

"Closer to a royal duke's ransom." He grinned.

"Whatever the cost, it's priceless to me," she said, her eyes gleaming. She then glanced down at her sleeping son. "It appears he has already exhausted himself."

"Let us hope, for his future wife, that his stamina for that activity improves with age."

"You are incorrigible!"

"Is that a complaint?"

"Never." She paused with a frown. "Although I wouldn't mind if we waited a few weeks… at the least."

Ludovic sighed. "Ford warned me. He said you might never let me touch you again after this ordeal."

"And have you seek your comfort elsewhere? I think not!"

Noticing her gaze drifting back to half mast, he quietly rose quietly, but then they snapped open again. "Darling, what will we call him?"

"Whatever you like, Diana. Just not Ludovic. I despise the name."

Her face fell. "But he is your heir."

"And may have his pick of any other name."

"Valentine."

"Gad, no!" He groaned. "You can't mean it!"

"You said any other name." Her gaze narrowed. "I take you at your word."

"But, Diana, consider the taunting—"

"Very well then. Ludovic Valentine Montford DeVere. That's my final decision."

He heaved a sigh and raised his hands in surrender. "Pray let us shorten it to Val then. Val DeVere isn't quite so horrific."

His heart squeezed in his chest when Diana smiled a besotted smile at her babe in arms, murmuring, "Val DeVere… the devil's heir."





Epilogue


Medford Abbey, Kent, 1794



"Bloody hell!" Ludovic's shaking hands sloshed a puddle of amber liquid onto his new boots as he topped off his tumbler of brandy.

"Damme, with as much practice as you've had, one would think you'd become accustomed to this by now, Vic," Ned said.

"Hang me if it ever gets any easier." DeVere raised his glass but suspended the motion in midair. "It's quiet," he remarked. "Too quiet."

"All of our children are outside with the nursemaids," Hew said. "Vesta thought it best to keep them occupied."

"No. Something's gone wrong." Ludovic felt the blood leaching from his face. He slammed down his glass and raced upstairs, taking the steps by two.

"My lord, you mustn't!" cried Polly.

"The hell you say!" He pushed past the maid without apology and burst into Diana's chamber. Her face was drawn and deathly pale, her russet hair damp and clinging to her face and pillow. She looked up at him with glazed eyes and a wan smile.

"Diana!" he cried, bile rising into his throat. His gaze darted to the midwife with rising panic.

"She will be fine, my lord," the midwife reassured. "She only needs rest. It's never easy delivering twins." As if on command, a chorus of shrill shrieks filled the air. Vesta and Phoebe stepped forward, each with a babe in arms.

"Twin sons," they chimed.

"Twins?" he replied aghast. "Another set of DeVere twins?"

"I fear we'll have need of another nursemaid, my love," Diana said.

"Dear God, Diana, we'll need a bigger house!"

"But are you not pleased?" she asked, a pained look clouding her eyes.

"Pleased? The words escape me." He threw himself to the floor beside her bed, taking her hand in his and plying kisses to every knuckle before gazing at her with a twitch of his lips. "If children are truly a blessing from heaven, I should count myself the most fortunate of men, but then again, I wonder if this number may also be a penance for my past sins."

Diana gave a soft chuckle. "Eight children! Whoever would have thought The Devil DeVere would become father to such a brood?"

Ludovic looked on with adoration as Phoebe and Vesta placed an infant in each of Diana's arms. She offered a milky white breast to each eager mouth, instantly muffling their cries. "A devilishly hungry duo." Diana gazed down at the infants with a tender smile. "I thought to call them Deverel and Dante."

DeVere nodded his approval and smiled down at the suckling infants. "We certainly have kept up our end in procreating the line." Ludovic chuckled. "Mayhap even of repopulating Kent!"

"You both have, indeed, my love." Diana flashed him a wry grin. "You do realize that between Hew and Vesta's litter and our brood, this greedy pair now makes an even dozen DeVeres? God forbid they follow in your footsteps!"

Ludovic smirked. "My darling Diana, there is no doubt in my mind they shall soon come to terrorize the countryside as the "Devil's Dozen."



This is definitely NOT the end!





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