The Seduction of Lady X (42 page)

“Then why did you not come to see me? Why did you leave me for an entire week to wonder?”

A frown darkened his face. “I wanted to send a messenger to you,
mi amor,
but everything happened so quickly.”

“What?” she asked skeptically.

He took her hands in his. “My mother, she suddenly took ill, and was gone within a day. My family, they came from all of Spain to mourn her.” He frowned at her. “But
you
left me!”

“Of course I left you!” Alexa said. “You had left
me
! I don’t know if I believe you.”

Carlos let loose another string of Spanish. “Then I will carry you back to Spain and you will meet my cousin and she will tell you. I love you,
mi amor.
Don’t you know you are my heart? I searched all of Spain for you and could not find you. You carry my child. If I did not love you, if I were married, when I received your letter, would I come as fast as I could to find you?”

A small ray of hope began to shine in Alexa. “No,” she said, and smiled. “So will you help me?”

“
Help
you? I did not come this far to help you! I came to marry you!” he bellowed.

“Oh, Carlos—”

“No, no argument. You argue too easily.” He grabbed her up and kissed her.

When he lifted his head, Alexa took Carlos’s hand and laid it on her belly. “You are my heart, too.”

“Of course I am,” he said. “How could you forget it, even for a moment?” he demanded, and wrapped her once more in a tight embrace.

It was agreed by all that Alexa and Carlos should marry straightaway, and return to Spain before Alexa was too far along to travel. In the space of a few days, they were ready to leave, along with Rue.

“I’ve never been on a boat, sir,” Rue said to Harrison.

“My lord. You refer to him as my lord when addressing an earl,” Alexa corrected her.

“But we’re not to call him my lord,” Rue said.

“It’s all right,” Harrison said, and gave Rue a squeeze of the shoulders. “Mind you don’t lose your mistress, Rue. I shudder to think what would become of you if you did.”

Rue laughed. “I can’t lose a person, milord. She’s too big to lose.”

Alexa winked at him over Rue’s head. “I’ll keep a close eye on her.”

Alexa and Carlos said their good-byes, then loaded into the Ashwood carriage. Harrison and Olivia stood on the drive and waved as they watched them pull away.

Surprisingly, it was Harrison who felt the most dejected after her departure. “I confess to a soft spot for her. After all, she is the reason you are my wife.”

“And she was the reason I very nearly was
not
your wife,” Olivia pointed out. “But she is wildly happy, Harrison. I would rather her be happy and gone from us, than forever sad and with us.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Harrison said, and put his arms around Olivia’s shoulders. “I have another confession, Lady X. I was looking forward to the birth of her child.”

“Were you?”

“I was. I fancied myself a fine father figure.”

“Well then.” Olivia slipped her arm around his waist. “I suppose I shall have to give you one of your own.” She peeked up at him and grinned.

Harrison’s heart began to beat wildly. “Olivia, do you mean—?”

“Come next spring, you will be a father.”

Later, Lady Eberlin would swear she heard Harrison’s shout of joy all the way to Tiber Park.

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