What an incredibly long day. A couple of incredibly long days, actually. And it wasn’t over yet. Marc knocked on Callie’s door, and when she called for him to enter, he pushed the door open.

His daughter was already in bed and tucked under her counterpane, with the lamp beside her bed casting the room in a warm glow. She closed a book in her lap and smiled at him.

Marc’s gut twisted a bit. He really should have dealt with this earlier. “How was your day with Emma and Rachel?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

“They seem very nice,” she said softly.

He crossed the floor and sat on the very edge of her bed. “I should have told you about Lady Staveley.” Well, more than he had told her anyway. “About my feelings for her.”

“Are you really going to marry her?” Callie’s light eyes blinked up at him.

Marc would love nothing more than that, but it wasn’t really an option. “If things were different, I would do so in the blink of an eye.”

She frowned slightly at that. “You always said it’s too dangerous.”

She was right about that. He took her small hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “Aye, it is, love.” He’d been successful at making the world think he didn’t care a thing about Callie; but if he married Caroline, he could never convince the world he didn’t care about her. And that would make her a target, it would put her in even more danger than she was in now. “But what do you think of her?”

At that, his daughter’s face brightened a bit. “I like her very much, Papa. She was very kind about my painting and…”

“And?” he prodded.

“And she talked to me a little.”

Had she? “About what?”

“You. Me.” Callie shrugged. “She wanted to make sure I didn’t feel strange about all of this. She wanted me to know that she loves you and that she’ll be here for me, just like she is for her children.”

Yes, that did sound like Caroline, always making sure everyone she cared about was taken care of. “How do you feel?” Marc asked.

“You really do love her?”

“For a very long time.”

“Then I wish you could marry her, Papa.” Callie smiled. “It would be so nice to have a family and not be so alone all the time.”

That familiar guilt whenever he left Saddlworth for London tugged at his heart once more. “Oh, love, I wish it wasn’t this way. I wish I had done things differently when I was younger and that there was no need to hide you away.”

“But wishing for something doesn’t change anything,” Callie breathed out those same words he’d said to her over and over throughout the years.

“No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. Marc tipped her chin up just a bit. “I do have enemies, and they might very well try to hurt me by harming you.” He shook his head. “And you are the most important thing in all the world to me, Callie. Keeping you safe—”

“Emma and Rachel are staying for a while, though?”

Marc nodded. “Until it’s safe for them to leave.”

“Then I shall enjoy their friendship while they’re here,” she sighed.

Even though Marc knew better than anyone that wishing for something wouldn’t change anything, he couldn’t help but wish anyway. He wished things were different, that he could give Callie the family she longed for, that he could give Caroline his name, and that he never had to worry even a moment that any of them would ever be in danger.

* * *

“I miss Fluff!” Emma declared as Caroline stepped over the threshold into Rachel’s chamber.

“Will you make her leave?” Rachel begged, from the middle of her bed, frowning at her little sister a few feet away.

“Emma, Mrs. Dawson told me there was a litter of kittens born last week out in the stables.”

Her youngest daughter’s face lit up. “Are they still there?”

“They’re too tiny to be moved,” Caroline said. “Perhaps if Rachel wants to ride tomorrow, you can both go down there together.”

Emma leapt onto Rachel’s bed. “Do you want to ride tomorrow?”

“Please, Mama,” Rachel begged. “Won’t you please make her go to her own chambers?”

“R-a-chel,” Emma whined. “It would be so fun. I could play with the kittens and you could ride until you’re not grumpy anymore.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “If I promise to take you to the stables tomorrow, will you leave me alone now?”

Emma nodded vigorously.

“Very well,” Rachel breathed out. “After breakfast. But only if you go now.”

“Hooray!” Emma slid off the side of the bed. Then she quickly hugged Caroline. “Night, Mama.”

“Good night, sweetheart.” Caroline smoothed the hair out of Emma’s eyes. “Make sure to brush your hair so it’s not a wild mess in the morning.”

After Emma bolted from Rachel’s chambers, Caroline turned her full attention on her oldest daughter who had forgone dinner to climb into bed early.

“Feeling any better?” Caroline asked.

Rachel shrugged. “How long are we staying here?”

“I’m not certain,” Caroline replied, after all she had no idea when it would be safe to leave. “Are you in such a hurry to return?”

“Not now.” Rachel sighed dramatically. “I don’t care if I stay in this bed and never go anywhere for the rest of my life.”

Heavens. Had Caroline been so melodramatic when she was Rachel’s age? No, when she was Rachel’s age, she was already caring for Rachel. Caroline sat on the edge of the bed beside her daughter, who she truly did love with all her heart. “You’ve got your entire life ahead of you, sweetheart. Don’t be so quick to throw the rest of it away.”

“Are Lord Haversham’s stables fully stocked?”

Horses usually were the quickest way to Rachel’s heart. “I doubt he can boast anything close to your Uncle Robert’s stables, but I understand Lady Callista is an excellent rider. So I’m certain there’ll be something appropriate for you, especially if you ask his lordship nicely.”

A soft snort escaped Rachel. “Fine, I’ll be nice to him.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

And then, very quickly, a frown marred her daughter’s face. “Lady Callista rides?”

Caroline nodded. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Rachel shook her head. “She just seems so timid, like she’s afraid of her own shadow.”

She did, actually. Rachel was right about that. And Caroline’s heart had gone out to the little girl almost at once. “Well, her mother has been gone many years and she doesn’t see her father terribly often. She may just be rather shy.”

At that Rachel laughed. “Then living with Emma will be a giant adventure for her.”

“I daresay, it’s a giant adventure for us all.” Caroline leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s brow. “Sleep well, darling.”

“Thank you, Mama.”

Caroline started from the room, and just as she stepped into the corridor, Marc exited his daughter’s room. She grinned at him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I could certainly get used to it.” He tugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. “Are you ready to retire for the evening, my love?”

Caroline tipped her head back to better see him. “Retiring so soon, my lord? If all of London could see us now, they’d be quite certain that I’ve tamed the wicked Marquess of Haversham.”

His light blue eyes bore into hers, making a set of delicious shivers tiptoe down her spine. “Do you want to tame me?”

Not even a little. Caroline shook her head. “But it’s nice knowing I could if I wanted to.”

“Oh?” His brow lifted in surprise. “Throwing down the gauntlet?” And then that familiar rakish grin of his tipped the edge of Marc’s lips. “We’ll just see about that.” Then he bent at the knee and tossed Caroline over his shoulder.

Oh! “Marc!” A surprised laugh escaped her, and Caroline quickly covered her mouth to muffle her giggles as he carried her down the corridor since their children had all just gone to bed.

Heavens! How she adored her wicked and very untamed Marquess of Haversham.