The Bride's Secret by Cheryl Bolen Page A

mother, then back to James. “Now that the weather's turned nice, I have.”
    James set a hand across the lad's thigh. “Good lad.” Then he met Carlotta's gaze. “The weather was bad here as well after I left?”
    He and Carlotta fell into step behind Stevie and the pony as they trotted around the park.
    Carlotta laughed. “I declare, my lord, I was convinced you had taken the sun with you.”
    Patting her hand, he tucked her arm into his. “Yarmouth was wretched.” Anywhere without Carlotta was wretched . Even after he had discovered she was an imperfect being, he still hungered for her. He'd grown to realize he needed her as the flowers need sunshine.
    “May I hope you successfully concluded your business there?” she asked.
    He nodded. “I see you and Stevie have prospered without me. My plan has worked.”
    She whirled to face him. “What plan?”
    “My plan to force you to take responsibility for your son.” He watched as the color drained from her face. He should not have been so mercilessly blunt.
    Her lashes dropped. “Your plan worked,” she said softly. “A pity you know me so dreadfully well. A woman should like for a man not to know all her glaring faults.”
    She had used the words man and woman in the same sentence. Could he hope that she was beginning to think of him as a man—not just as her benefactor, not just as Stevie's mentor, but as a flesh and blood man? If that were the case, then these past eleven days of misery without her had been worth it.
    “I'm only joyful that in some small way I've been instrumental in bringing the two of you closer,” he said. “It's what's right, Carlotta.”
    Her eyes flashed.
    Good lord! He had called her Carlotta! How could he have dared take such a liberty?
    “It's me that is most joyful, my lord,” she said humbly. “Now I realize how empty my life has been these past six years, how very much I have missed.” She stopped and gazed into his eyes. “I am immeasurably indebted to you for restoring my child to me.” Her voice cracked. “I deeply regret the years of his precious life I have not been a part of—years I can never recapture.”
    “Life's too short to dwell on the past. Think only of the future, Carlotta.”
    She sniffed and laughed alternately. “ The best is yet to be .”
    * * *
    It was good to have his lordship back, Carlotta mused as she finished her last morsel of sweetmeat after the dinner. She watched him as he explained to Stevie how soldiers in the Peninsula had their meals served.
    She had grown to enjoy having Stevie at the dinner table, despite that his table manners were considerably lacking. A pity he would one day have to return to taking his meals in the nursery. One simply did not foist messy children on one's dinner companions. Not that a woman as ruined as she would ever have any companion other than Lord Rutledge.
    She had hoped Lord Rutledge would again address her by her Christian name tonight, but he did not. This afternoon's familiarity had oddly pleased her. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized he would never address her so in front of Stevie. Lord Rutledge was, after all, a gentleman. A true gentleman would never set an inappropriate example in front of a child.
    As she watched them, she noticed Stevie yawning and saw that he kept rubbing his reddened eyes. Today had been exhausting for him. Too much sun. Too much excitement. Too much activity. Thanks to Lord Rutledge.
    “Darling,” she said to Stevie, “you've worn yourself out today. I think you'll have to be early to bed. Peggy can tell you a story until you fall asleep.”
    He shook his head. “I don't want to go to bed! I want to play soldiers with Uncle James.”
    “Oh, we'll play soldiers,” the earl assured, “but only until eight of the clock. Then you need to go to bed. Your mother's right. You've had a long, tiring day, and you need to get some rest.”
    After dinner they played soldiers on the carpeted floor of the