Caroline tipped her head back to watch the balloon overhead and cupped a hand over her brow to see them better in the waning light.

“It is high, isn’t it?” Juliet asked as she lifted her small daughter Georgina up into her arms as Ben ran around them in a circle.

“Oh, I’m certain Emma is having the time of her life,” Caroline replied. In fact, if she strained her ears, she thought she could hear her daughter laughing even over all the din of the pleasure gardens. “And there—” she wiggled her fingers in the air “—Callie’s waving at us.”

Juliet and Georgina waved too. “He’s so good with them all,” her sister-in-law said. “I never would have suspected he was capable of such a thing.”

Marc was a doting father to Callie and little Maxime and a devoted step-father to Rachel, Adam and Emma. “Rachel would like for him to be a bit less protective,” she confided. “She vows he’s run off at least two suitors and the Season’s barely begun.”

Juliet laughed at that. “Luke will be the same way someday. All those poor fellows who are foolish enough to try and court daughters of once-notorious rakes. I almost feel sorry for them.”

“Rachel may be less than thrilled, but I am quite relieved,” Caroline confessed. “Marc’s actually a very good judge of character, and I trust his judgment completely, especially in regard to men vying for my daughter’s attention.”

“Something I never thought to hear anyone say about him.” And then Juliet laughed as the balloon began its descent. “Does Luke look a bit green to you?”

Caroline’s brother did not look terribly happy as the balloon drifted lower and lower to the ground. Not everyone enjoyed heights. “Perhaps just a bit.” Marc, on the other hand, looked rather bored with the entire affair.

Juliet reached for Ben’s arm and said to Caroline, “Let’s head over to the rotunda so he won’t know we saw him looking so miserable.”

“Are you certain you don’t mind bringing Emma and Callie home for us this evening? We can make them leave before the fireworks if it’s too much of a burden.”

“Not at all,” Juliet assured her. “I can’t even believe you were able to pull yourself away from little Max for even part of an evening. We feel quite honored to have you join us.”

Caroline was quite in love with her son. Just thinking about the tiny little bundle back at Haversham House made her grin like an idiot and miss him anew. He looked so much like Marc, and he was such a good-natured baby. “It is difficult to be away from him for too long.”

“Yes, I know exactly what you mean.” And Juliet pressed a kiss to her daughter’s cheek. “You’re just now getting big enough to come with us, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

Georgina replied by tugging on one of her mother’s dark curls.

“Mama! Mama!” Emma’s voice rang out from behind them.

Caroline spun around in time to keep Emma from crashing into her. “Honestly, you are getting older, Emma. A little decorum would be nice at some point.”

“Sorry, Mama.” Emma nodded quickly. “But Uncle Luke almost got sick in the balloon.”

“Oh!” Caroline winced. “Poor Uncle Luke.”

And then coming up the way, at a more reasonable pace, Luke, Callie, and Marc were almost upon them.

“Do not listen to her, whatever she said,” Luke called out. “I was perfectly fine the entire time.”

Emma giggled, and then she pointed to the sky, “Callie, this is where the fireworks will be. You will love them.”

Callie already loved so many of the new things she got to experience. The museums, the parks, the theatres. She was still much more shy than Emma, but Marc’s sweet little girl was coming into her own as well, and not quite as timid as she’d once been.

“I was about to head to our supper box,” Caroline said to the girls, “if anyone would like to go with me.”

“I’m always ready to go wherever you want,” Marc said.

And Caroline grinned up at him. “I was talking to our daughters, but you are welcome to join us.”

“Not yet, Mama,” Emma pled hastily. “Uncle Luke said he was going to take us to see Madame Saqui walk the tight rope.”

“Well, Uncle Luke may not be feeling up to it any longer,” Caroline said.

But her brother scoffed. “I told you not to listen to a word Emma said. I’m perfectly fine.”

Perfectly fine if green was a perfectly fine shade for skin. But if Luke wanted to be ridiculous, who was Caroline to stop him? “Then do go enjoy Madame Saqui, for heaven’s sake.”

Marc came up beside Caroline and threaded his fingers with hers. “Are you enjoying yourself, love?”

“I have been hiding at home a lot, haven’t I?”

“You’ve not heard me complain.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m happy to never have to share you.”

Well, that was all coming to an end rather quickly. “We are hosting a ball tomorrow night. You haven’t forgotten?”

“How could I forget?” he grumbled slightly. “It’s all Rachel’s talked about for a sennight.”

That was true. Rachel was quite anxious for her come out. “And you promise not to scowl at any of the fellows who might ask her to dance?”

Predictably, Marc scowled. “I cannot make that promise until I know which fellows show up.”

That was fair, Caroline supposed.

“I will only scowl at the ones who need to be scowled at. How’s that?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “You are ridiculous.”

“And you are lovely.” He winked at her. “Which means, I think, that I’m the one who came out ahead in this whole marriage thing.”

She couldn’t help but grin at that. “My dear Lord Haversham, I don’t suppose you’d want to get lost with me down a darkened path?” The paths weren’t quite darkened yet, but it wouldn’t be long.

That familiar rakish smile of his was fixed firmly on his face. “My dear Lady Haversham, I am always your most humble servant.”