The Bookseller and the Earl (The Merry Misfits of Bath 1)

“Wait!” She put her hand up. “Do you mean that?” She smirked. “Or are you just saying that so you can lock the front door you’ve been eyeing for the past few minutes?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m serious, Addie. It was quite obnoxious of me to assume that you would want to give up what you built because you married me. If you wish to continue running the bookstore, then I will have the only countess in Bath who earns her own money.”

Addie stepped into his arms. “Truthfully, I found when I entered the store today that the same thrill was not there.”

Grayson kissed her on her nose. “I will leave that decision entirely up to you.” He eyed the door once more. “May I lock the door now?”

She sighed and rested her head on his chest. “Yes, please.”

The bookstore, Once Upon a Book, on the corner of George Street and Broad Street, in Bath, England, remained closed for the rest of that day.

Epilogue

Four months later

Addie sat back on her heels after having emptied her stomach into the chamber pot she kept handy since she didn’t always make it to the water closet in time.

“Feel better, sweetheart?” Grayson sat alongside her, rubbing her back. He handed her a glass of water that she used to rinse her mouth out.

“Yes. And in a few minutes, I will be hungry again.” She moved to stand up, but Grayson rose before her and reached out to help her up.

He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. “Dr. Hatfield told me this stomach problem will diminish as your pregnancy progresses.”

Addie shook her head. “You’re not supposed to say that word.”

He leaned back to look at her. “Nonsense. All this silliness about not saying ‘leg’ or ‘pregnant’ or ‘menstruation’ is ridiculous.”

“Well, at least not in public, if you please.”

Grayson bent and scooped her into his arms. He carried her to the large bed in the center of the room and laid her on the colorful counterpane and sat alongside her. “You should rest.”

Addie raised herself up on her elbows. “All I’ve been doing is resting. I do three things: rest, eat, throw up, and sleep. Sorry, that’s four things.” She dropped back on the pillow.

“Makes for a busy day.” He smoothed the hair back that had fallen onto her forehead while she was hanging over the chamber pot.

“My lady, Miss Danvers has called. Are you receiving?” Sybil stood at the entrance to Addie’s bedchamber.

How odd. She, Lottie, and Pamela would be meeting for tea in a few hours. Since Addie was no longer running the store, they had moved their daily meeting from Once Upon a Book to the Berkshire townhouse since it was the roomiest residence of the three women.

“Yes. Of course. Tell her I will be right down.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and gripped the coverlet with both hands as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

“I don’t think you should be receiving anyone today, my love.” Grayson eyed her with concern. “Why not ask her to join you up here? Lottie is certainly a close enough friend.”

Addie nodded. “Yes. That is a good idea. Will you please go downstairs and have her come up?”

Her husband leaned over and kiss her on the lips. “I will also send up some tea and toast.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Grayson had been quite solicitous since she’d announced being in a family way. Based on the counting she’d done, she was about three months along, which made the baby due in October. Precisely a year from when the impatient Lord Berkshire had first walked into her store.

She had worked in her bookstore through the Christmas season, but with trying to do things for her family, keeping up with Michael’s sign language, and hiring additional staff to keep the townhouse in Bath running smoothly she was only too happy to see the beginning of the new year.

Things went smoothly until mid-February when the fatigue returned and Grayson insisted she visit

with Dr. Hatfield, who confirmed she was expecting.

With her morning sickness and her need for at least one nap each day, she had to hire someone to look after the store. However, the more she thought about it, the more she considered perhaps selling the store was the best thing for her to do.