An Unexpected Pleasure (The Mad Morelands #4)(30)

“Fear?” Theo’s scowl deepened. “You mean you felt that Miss Henderson was afraid?”

“No. I don’t think so. There was just a…a sense of turmoil, of…oh, I’m not sure what,” she finished disgustedly. “It was very vague. I think it was more a general sense of fear—maybe something frightening looming in the future. Really, it was nothing to base anything on.”

“You think that perhaps she is in danger? Or will be in danger?”

“Perhaps,” Anna said somewhat reluctantly. “Please, don’t speak of it to her. I am quite unsure about it, and I wouldn’t want to frighten her. I quite liked her. And lately, well, the things I feel have been different. Ever since…” She cast a glance at her husband, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I—I feel things more easily now, more quickly, and I’m not entirely sure how much to trust my ‘feelings.’”

“Ever since what?” Theo asked.

Anna glanced at him, a blush starting in her cheeks, and Theo’s eyes narrowed speculatively.

“Are you saying—Reed?” He turned his gaze to his brother inquiringly, a pleased smile starting on his face.

Reed grinned. “Yes. Anna is—we are going to have a baby.”

“Congratulations!” Theo reached out to shake his brother’s hand, then turned to Anna. “My very best to you. I know how happy this must make you.”

Anna smiled a little shyly. “Yes, I am very happy.”

Theo knew from what Reed had told him that for several years Anna had believed that she could never marry and have children, and he felt sure that her pleasure at expecting a baby was even more than most women felt.

“Have you told the others?”

“No. We’ve seen no one but Alex and Con yet,” Reed replied. “They were the only ones up and about when we arrived—well, except for Thisbe and Desmond, and they were already ensconced in their laboratory. We are going down to tell the duchess now. It is why we decided to come for the season. We would have stayed at Winterset, otherwise. There is still a great deal to be done there, getting the house in order, but Anna has never had a season, and once the baby is here, it will be much more difficult to come to London, so we thought that we must make it this year.” He smiled lovingly down at his wife. “She has promised me that she will not overexert herself.”

“I feel wonderful,” Anna assured him, her gray eyes shining. “You needn’t worry about me at all. Truthfully, I think that I will feel nothing but happiness the whole time. It is so much more than I ever hoped for.”

“We are hoping to tell the whole family,” Reed went on. “Are Olivia and Stephen in town? I am sure that Kyria and Rafe must be here.”

“Oh, yes. Olivia and Stephen arrived a day or two ago, and Kyria and Rafe have been here for two weeks. Kyria isn’t likely to miss a season.” He turned to Anna with a smile. “I can assure you that you will have your fill of parties. If Kyria does not host it or go to it, then a party is generally not considered worth going to.”

“Yes. I shall have to warn her not to wear you out,” Reed agreed with some concern.

Anna chuckled. “My dear, I am quite capable of knowing whether I am about to be ‘worn out.’ I think it will be delightful.”

Anna had lived a quiet life in the country, forced by circumstances to forego a London coming out when she was young, and clearly she was determined to attend as many of the glittering parties as she could.

“Come, let’s go downstairs. I am sure that Mother and Father must be at breakfast by now,” Theo said as they started down the stairs. “They will be so pleased by your news.” He cast a grin at his brother. “And it will take some of the family pressure off me.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Reed responded. “I am certain that neither of our parents has ever urged you to marry and produce heirs.”

“No, of course not. I suspect that Father completely forgets about being a duke for months at a time. And Mother is somewhat embarrassed about it. But it seems that every other outlying relative reminds me of my ‘duty’ to my name every time I see them. Especially Great-aunt Hermione.” Theo grimaced. Society generally regarded it as the eldest son’s duty to ensure the succession of the family title and estate. It would at least reduce some of the expectation if he could point out that his brother had produced a son.

“No doubt.” His brother chuckled. “Our great-aunt, Lady Rochester,” he explained in an aside to his wife, “is the terror of the family. I can only hope that you will not have to meet her.”

“Ha! No one could get that lucky twice in a lifetime,” Theo stuck in. “You used up your share of luck when she was snowed in in Yorkshire and couldn’t attend your wedding.”

“One of the primary reasons for getting married in the winter,” Reed replied.

Theo just smiled, well aware that it had not been concern for marrying without relatives that had prompted their wedding in December, but simply the couple’s eagerness to be together after the years that they had been separated.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the smaller, more intimate dining room where the family generally took their breakfasts.

“Theo…” Anna began, and there was something about the tone of her voice that made both Theo and Reed turn to look at her. “There was one other thing that I felt about Miss Henderson…”