Evening Star (Star Quartet 1)

She regarded him from beneath her lashes. “We will see,” she said.

* * *

“It appears,” the duke said, gazing down at the sleeping Nicholas in Aurora’s arms, “that your daughter can’t tell time.”

At Delaney’s questioning smile, he added, “I told my wife that babies were like clockwork, yet Giana must ignore nature and make poor Alex dash about like a headless chicken.”

“Rooster, sir, rooster.”

“Ah, indeed, my boy. Forgive me.”

“And I’m an uncle, as all you seem to forget,” Delaney said, touching his rough thumb to the baby’s chin. “A stubborn chin. I don’t know whether it’s Giana’s or yours, Alex.”

“Well, since I’m the one who wears the pants in the family,” Alex began, only to hear Delaney interrupt him with a laugh.

“Methinks I hear a swishing skirt, brother.”

“How right you are, Delaney,” Giana said from the doorway.

Alex looked up, his eyes alight with pleasure. Giana’s waist was nearly as small as it used to be, her breasts beautifully swollen with milk for Nicholas. To his bemused surprise, when her eyes met his, she blushed, actually turned red.

As if by magic, Nicholas opened his eyes and gazed up at his grandmother. His small fingers reached for her breast.

“Oh dear,” Aurora said “I fear it is Giana you need, little one.” She rose gracefully and handed Giana her son.

“Don’t worry, my love,” the duke said, “if it is that kind of attention you want, I will not deny you.”

“I’m a mere boy of twenty-eight,” Delaney said. “I wonder if I’ll have either the interest or the energy when I am a grown man.”

“It is the lady, son,” the duke said. “Therein lies the secret.”

“You are shameless, Damien, utterly shameless.”

Delaney gazed from the duke to his duchess, and sighed deeply. He rose and said, “I think I will go bury my sorrows in a glass of beer. Even Alex pays me no more attention.”

“True,” Alex said, pulling his eyes from his son, “but can you blame me?”

“I begin to perceive that my destiny lies in California.”

“Mayhap even your lady,” the duke said.

“I think,” Aurora said, “that the both of you should keep your tongues in your mouths and leave poor Delaney alone.”

“At last I have a champion,” Delaney said. “Would you care to join me in my solitude, ma’am?”

“I think that is a fine invitation,” Aurora said, smiling toward her husband.

“Take Leah, my love. I don’t trust brash Americans.”

Alex sat quietly watching Giana suckle Nicholas, a sight that always fascinated him. The smile fell off his face when he remembered their son was over a month old, and he stared down at his hands, clasped between his knees. It was Giana who had reminded him of the passage of time the night before, when she snuggled against him. He had pulled away from her, telling her that he wanted Elvan to examine her first, but he knew that was not why he had refused her. He was pulled from his thoughts when Giana said, “I saw Dr. Davidson today.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” she said. She looked him straight in the eye. “He said I am perfectly well again. Perfectly, Alex.”

He he was instantly hard. “That is interesting,” he said only, and turned to look out of the window.

Giana blinked in confusion. She knew he wanted her as much as she did him. Why was he being obtuse?