A Lord’s Desperate Love

A Historical Romance Story

© Copyright Jane Lark

~

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Part Thirteen

~

Part Fourteen

~

Four months later 

“Geoffrey! Robert and Ja… Geoffrey.” Violet’s expression slipped from hasty annoyance to what he knew was devoted pleasure as she stopped just within the nursery door, the door-handle still in her fingers. “Oh Geoffrey, put him down, Jane and Robert have arrived.”

“Peter, do you here that, you mother is banishing you to a lonely crib.”

She swept forward and took their son from where he was snugly cradled in the crook of Geoff’s arm.

He watched her gently lift Peter to her shoulder as the child gurgled into wakefulness.

“And now you have woken him up. You spoil him Geoffrey Sparks, he will be insufferable when he is grown.”

“Can he not come down with us? They will love to see him.”

There was a long-suffering sigh and then a smile. “Oh very well.”

He smiled too.

She loved any excuse to show off their son. He’d known she would not deny him. They were very few hours they did not spend in the nursery.

He stood.

The child had come early. Only two months after their wedding. They’d barely had time to adjust to being husband and wife before they had become parents too. But he was blissfully happy with his new role in life.

His old friends made a joke of it during the odd occasions he ventured out to his gentleman’s club, White’s. He cut them all, disregarding their mocking comments without reply. While men who thought it humorous to mention they had lain with Geoff’s wife, had learned to do so earned them a split lip or a broken rib at Jackson’s, the pugilist’s studio for men like him who liked to spar to maintain their figure.

Not that Violet knew these facts, bless her, he did not wish her to know he was slowly but determinedly fighting to win back her honour and establish respect for their child.

His hand settled on her shoulder as they left the room.

“You are taking Master Peter downstairs, my Lady?”

Geoff was sure their odd behaviour was a constant trial to the staff. He smiled. “Just for a while, Ms Leverage, we will ring when we wish him brought back up.”

The woman’s mouth set in a disapproving line.

Violet smiled. “Thank you, Ms Leverage, I know we fuss far too much, but I am sure you would rather see his parents dote on him than not.”

The woman blushed. She had come with very good references. She was probably just unused to a woman of Violet’s sharp honesty and openness.

By the time they reached the drawing-room Peter had been passed from Violet to Geoff, and he rested against Geoff’s shoulder sucking on his fist. He was tired. They should not keep him up long.

When they walked into the room Robert laughed. “The doting father.”

Geoff smiled, he could take these quips from Robert, he knew they were not ill-meant.

“May I hold him?” Jane swept forwards. “Oh I have never seen anything so tiny and so perfect.”

Violet was beaming, glowing in a way she had never done until they’d had the child.

 ~

Violet caught Geoff watching her as Jane took Peter, and Barrington began cooing at the child across Jane’s shoulder, thoroughly absorbed in entertaining the baby. Violet moved, closing the distance between her and her husband, drawn to him still, as she had been for so many months in the summer.

When she reached him, Violet lifted to her toes and pressed a quick kiss on Geoff’s lips, then whispered. “I love you. I do not mind that you fuss over him.”

“I know, Vi, and I love you, and I shall fuss over you both. This is it, darling, this is us. It is just as it should be.” He smiled.

She nodded and laughed as they held hands, watching the other couple exclaim over their son.

~

THE END

~

A Lord’s Desperate Love is the  story of two of the secondary characters from the 2nd book in the Marlow Intrigues Series

~

‘The Passionate Love of a Rake’

~

On Monday, as an Easter gift, I am going to begin another short story of secondary characters.

This time, Lord Rupert and his sister Rowena, from;

The Illicit Love of a Courtesan

This second short story is now also available to preorder for free on Amazon.

Capturing The Earl’s Love

~

Also for the story of the real courtesan who inspired  The Illicit Love of a Courtesan, and the prequel excerpts leading up to John’s story in the

 The Scandalous Love of a Duke

Go to the index

Jane Lark is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult Romance stories, and the author of a No.1 bestselling Historical Romance novel in America, ‘The Illicit Love of a Courtesan’.

Click here to find out more about Jane’s books, and see Jane’s website www.janelark.co.uk to learn more about Jane. Or click  ‘like’ on Jane’s Facebook  page to see photo’s and learn historical facts from the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, which Jane publishes there. You can also follow Jane on twitter at @janelark