Beautiful Barringtons 4 - The Wager of a Lady by Ayers Kathleen

Author:Ayers, Kathleen [Ayers, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B099NVGTG4
Published: 2022-02-03T05:00:00+00:00

13

Georgina smiled up into the late afternoon sunshine as she trailed after the tiny boy crawling along the grass at the edge of the blanket. He pushed himself up, struggling to stand, then fell back on his bottom. With a grunt, he flung out his arms, pulling the lower half of his body behind him.

“Oh, my little wiggly worm, come here.”

He scooted away from her, chubby legs and thighs pumping furiously as he set out across the lawn. Pausing, his little hand dug in the dirt. He sat up again, a stone clutched in one hand. Waving his treasure about, he gave her a half-grin. Blue eyes, with a distinct ring of indigo, sparkled back at her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Sunlight streamed through the trees above their heads, dappling the deep brown curls adorning her son’s head. There was very little of Georgina in Daniel. Certainly not in his coloring or the shape of his mouth. He’d been born with a full head of dark hair, and while many children’s eyes were blue at birth, Daniel’s had changed only to become a darker, more vibrant shade of sapphire. He would look very much like Leo one day.

She tried to coax him over to her, but Daniel shrugged away from her, grabbing at her sister, Lilian’s skirts. Bracing himself, he pulled himself up using her knee for balance.

“Ma ma ma.” Tiny fingers held on tightly to her skirts as he shoved the rock he held beneath her nose.

“Glorious, Daniel.” Lilian took the rock from him, pretending to admire it. “A very fine specimen. But let us put this aside lest you try to chew on it.” She handed him a small, stuffed horse. “Perhaps this would be best.”

Daniel immediately began to gnaw on the fabric of the horse.

Georgina reached for him again and he pulled away, laying his head in Lilian’s lap.

“Ma ma ma.”

She sat back, deflated, her heart aching. Looking up into the nearly bare branches of the maple tree above them, she blinked back tears at her son’s rejection. Ridiculous to feel this way. Lilian was all he’d known for most of his short life. Still, his preference for her sister cut Georgina to the quick.

“Georgina,” Lilian whispered, fingers stroking Daniel’s curls. “It will take some time for him to grow accustomed to you. He was barely five months old when I brought him home.”

Lilian, in the company of their cousin, Benjamin Cooke, had come to England just before Georgina delivered Daniel. Their trip had been fairly easy to arrange. Ben told Lilian’s husband, William, he was taking her to visit Georgina, who was in mourning for her husband. They’d stayed in Cumberland at the duke’s remote estate until Daniel was deemed able to travel. It had broken Georgina’s already frayed heart to let her child go. But she had.

“You’re right, of course.” Georgina nodded, wiping away a tear falling down her cheek. “How could he possibly remember me? I was nothing more than a pair of bosoms when I handed him to you.

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