Samantha (Barrett 2)

"How do you feel about your aunt Samantha?" Rem asked.

Gray's eyes lit up. "Aunt Sammy!"

"She's very special, wouldn't you say?"

An emphatic nod.

"And she adores your papa, doesn't she? Follows him around, looks up to him ... that sort of thing?"

"Aunt Sammy says Papa is a ... a ..." Gray screwed up his face intently, thinking. "A hero!" he exclaimed suddenly.

Warmth seeped through Rem at the characteristically Samanthalike term. "Yes, Aunt Samantha definitely thinks your papa is a hero. Do you know why?"

Shaking his head, Gray waited.

"Because he's her big brother, that's why. And nothing's more special to a girl than her big brother."

Gray's eyes widened.

"Trust me, Gray," Rem advised confidentially. "If you get a brother, it'll be nice, but there's nothing as wonderful as having a little sister who thinks you're the most wonderful person in the whole world. If I were you, I'd wish real hard that your mama gives you just that—a sister who loves you as much as Aunt Samantha loves your papa."

Squeezing his eyes closed, Gray's fist tightened on his flowers. "I'm wishing."

"Good. Now hurry home and see if your wish came true." Quick as a wink, Gray sprinted off toward the manor.

Alexandria Barrett turned her head at the sound of her bedchamber door opening. A soft smile touched her lips as her eyes met her husband's. "Finally."

Gingerly sitting on the edge of the bed, Drake leaned over and reverently kissed Alex's face; her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. "After the unceremonious way you tossed me out, I wasn't sure I was welcome."

"Have you seen her?"

"No. I wanted to see you first." He cupped his wife's face between his palms. "Are you all right?"

"Would you have it any other way?" Alex lay her hand on his jaw.

"No."

"I'm fine. And so is our daughter."

"Thank you, princess." Drake gathered Alex tenderly in his arms. "Thank you for our daughter."

"Another princess," she murmured, a catch in her voice. "Will you withstand it?"

"Gladly."

"I love you, Drake."

"You're my life," he said simply.

"Pardon me, Your Grace." Molly, Alex's lady's maid, poked her head in the room. "Evidently the new babe is hungry. Would you like me to—"

"Bring her to me." Disengaging herself from Drake's embrace, Alex pushed herself to a sitting position.

"But Your Grace—"

"We've discussed this, Molly. Time and time again. The duke and I feel as strongly as we did two years ago when Gray was born. I will feed my daughter. Now would you please bring her in so she can meet her father?"

With a resigned sigh, Molly nodded.