Eugenie had reached them and now she took his arm. The curve of her growing belly beneath her gown was only visible to him, and he felt a swell of pride. Their child. An heir to the dukedom, or perhaps a girl with wild curls? Whatever it was they would love it.
Sinclair was happy, and gazing into Eugenie’s emerald eyes he saw his happiness reflected. Even his mother had come around, now she knew there was a child on the way. Eugenie said the dowager duchess was lonely, without Annabelle to fuss over. His sister was happily married and reigning queenlike in London society.
Even having the Belmonts for in-laws was not quite as bad as he’d feared. The house he’d bought them was far enough away that he did not have to see them too often, although he was happy to have Jack stay at Somerton whenever he wished. Jack had always been his favorite Belmont.
Apart from Eugenie.
At night, when he closed the bedchamber door, he had her all to himself. Then they were simply Eugenie and Sinclair, wife and husband, together. No one to judge them with cynical eyes, no one to care about who they were or had been. They were perfectly matched.
“Sinclair,” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin, “I can read your mind.”
He smiled and lifting her hand, kissed her fingers, heavy with rings. “Can you now? What am I thinking then, Duchess?”
“You are wishing you were a wicked baron and could ride off with me into the night.”
She’d made him laugh. “You know me very well.”
Her green eyes glowed. “What if I dared you to abduct me?”
His eyebrows rose. “Here? Now?”
She thought he wouldn’t do it. She didn’t believe him capable of it. Sinclair grinned and reached for her. They were about to create another scandal and he was looking forward to every moment of it.