The American Heir(11)

Heidi stood back. "Very pretty, madam."

I nodded, still studying myself. "We'll have to get the duke's opinion."   I pursed my mouth, wondering if the dress was right for the occasion.   "He has a good eye for fashion."

I turned to the other side to view myself from another angle. "Someone   mentioned to me recently that Bird spent some time in China. Many years   ago, I think?"

Linda nodded. "Yes, madam. Almost twenty, if I remember right. He spent a   year, at least. The late duke sent him there to learn some Chinese   techniques for keeping game and to look into get some rare Chinese birds   for the estate. The late duke was rather fond of the rare and exotic."

"Bird's wife was alive then?" I asked. "She went with him?"   





 

"She was." Linda nodded. "She joined him later, after he'd been there   several months at least. She was a hard woman. Many thought the marriage   wasn't particularly happy. It was certainly childless for many years.   But she came back from China with a baby boy and seemingly happy about   it. Though the marriage seemed strained for a long time after they came   home. And there were never more children."

She smoothed the shoulders of my dress. "She was proud of her boy,   though. Right up to the end. She passed away five years ago now.   Cancer."

"Very sad." I faced the mirror head-on. It may have been subtle to   everyone else, but I was sure I was already losing the definition of my   waist. The dress I was trying on was belted and fitted at the waist. I   wouldn't be able to wear it long at all. I bit my lip, not wanting to   give away the news too soon, although the gossip was already all over   the village. "I'm not sure about this one. Maybe something with an   empire waist?"

Heidi smiled knowingly. "Certainly, madam. An empire waist would be smashing on you."

I turned my back to her to have her unzip the dress.

"You don't want to show this one to the duke before you take it off?" Heidi said.

"No. I can pass on this one on my own." I held in my breath as she unzipped me. "Bird has never remarried?"

Linda chimed in. "No, and there's many village women who'd be eager   enough to catch him. I have a few friends myself who'd be up for the   task of being Mrs. Bird. He comes from a respected family, has a good   job and a nice cottage on your estate. For life, as the old duke   stipulated." She winked at me. "There's more than one woman my age who   wouldn't mind settling down on the estate."

I laughed. "Do you know-I haven't even been to the cottage. What do you   think Mr. Bird would do if I paid him a surprise visit?" I wasn't   joking. Not really. I had to talk to him.

"He'd jump right out of his skin. You'd give him the start of his life, I   imagine." Heidi laughed. "I don't think he's used to entertaining,   especially not duchesses."

"So why hasn't Bird remarried? Was the last Mrs. Bird the love of his life?" I slipped into another dress.

"I shouldn't say so," Linda said. "He was henpecked right to the end, which is sort of sad, given his name."

I nodded. My lips twitched. I liked these two women with their good humor.

Linda sighed. "He came back from China a changed man, though, he did.   More serious. More melancholy than I remember him being when we were in   school together years ago." Linda zipped me and tugged the dress until   it hung perfectly. "You look lovely! You have to show the duke this   one."

Riggins looked up from his phone when I walked in with Heidi beside me. I   held my arms out and did a little spin in front of the mirrors for  him.

Riggins raised an eyebrow. "Empire? A little obvious, isn't it?" He   didn't seem concerned by Heidi and Linda's presence, or worried they'd   catch his meaning. "You have a beautiful figure. Try something fitted at   the waist and bodice. A full skirt will be fine if it has the right   flare. But I'd prefer something that hugs the hips."

I turned to Heidi. "I told you he'd have an opinion."

We both burst out laughing. I ended up buying the first dress I'd tried   on. And a hat. Because British ladies wore hats on important occasions.   It was a perfectly dainty and totally outrageous hat, too. Riggins  gave  me no end of grief over it. And yet he'd joined in with Linda and  Heidi  when they insisted on it.

"But it will ruin my hair!" I protested lamely before caving to Heidi,   Linda, and Riggins, and buying it. "I'm American. We don't wear hats   unless it's winter, and then only knit beanies or something."

Riggins arched a brow and zinged one at me, clearly enjoying putting me   in my place: "You're a British lady now, duchess. Don't forget it.   British women love hats."

Yes, but give me a good old American baseball cap any day of the week. But only for casual days.

Riggins and I walked back to the castle companionably, but I longed for passion. I'd missed him so much.

I stopped at the castle wall in front of the entrance to the estate and   took Riggins' hands. "Aren't you just a little bit happy about the  baby?  Neither of us planned it. I swear to you, I was as surprised  about it  as you. But since it's coming and there's nothing we can do  about it … "   





 

I wanted him to reassure me, even if he had to lie.

His gaze swept over me and rested at a point somewhere in the distance   over my shoulder. "I've never been a kid person. They're not my thing."

"They don't have to be your thing, Riggins, for you to love your own child. Your own baby will be different."

He kept staring into the distance. "My old man bailed on me. The men   that came and went in my mom's life were no example of fatherhood." His   gaze met mine briefly. "I have no confidence I'll be a good dad. And if   you can't do something right, why do it at all?"

He looked at the castle wall. "This is a hell of a legacy and   responsibility to saddle a kid with. How will the baby grow up normal?"

"He or she will grow up with what's normal to them. And anyway, bad parenting isn't genetic."

The breeze ruffled his hair. I clenched my fist to keep from reaching up   to brush it out of his eyes and caress his cheek. "Cheer up! With any   luck, the Dead Duke has done something to ensure you'll be a great  daddy  and his heir will grow up completely competent and fit for this  life."

"Now there's a comforting thought," Riggins said dryly.

"You're going to have to fake some enthusiasm this afternoon. People   expect dukes to be absolutely thrilled about a possible heir. It's   tradition."

When his eyes met mine again, the corners of his lips curled very   slightly into the faintest of smiles. "Fake it till we make it. You   think that's the Dead Duke's plan for us?"

I gave in to my urge and ran my fingers lightly through his hair to comb   it. The intimate touch brought up a memory of our romp in the poison   garden, and with it all the promise between us. He remembered, too. I   saw it in his face.

I dropped my hand. "Maybe. But I give him more credit for deviousness than that."





Chapter 6





Haley

Lights flashed in our faces as Riggins and I stood arm in arm on the   lawn outside the castle beneath a large white marquee, as the Brits   called a tent used for social occasions.

I admit to having been confused when Gibson suggested renting a marquee.   My study of British English hadn't included it. I wondered why we   should rent a huge theater-type sign with flashing lights. Was this   pregnancy really headliner material for a theater marquee? And wasn't a   huge, gaudy sign just a little bit tacky?

Fortunately, he saw my confusion and described what he had in mind. And   as it turned out, the tent was beautiful, especially decorated with   flowers and baby-themed items. And warmed by outdoor propane heaters   strategically placed.

Riggins wore a custom-made suit he'd picked up in London on one of his   previous trips. And a tie in the colors of the family crest that cost   several hundred dollars at least. I wore my new dress and hat with its   spiraling protuberances of feathers and lace, as I gazed adoringly at   the father-to-be, with no faking needed. I did adore him. In the way   Helen had adored the Dead Duke even during the stage when she believed   he only wanted her for her money. Life repeating itself. Right now, I   knew Riggins needed me to protect his finances. But in a different way   from the way Rans needed Helen. I hoped I got my happy ending, too. That   Riggins would someday confess his undying, dedicated love. Standing so   close to me, he should have worried that my hat would poke his eye  out.