The winter wind howling against the walls of Starcross Castle, swirling fresh snow through the grey skies, was bitter, but it was the least of Peter’s worries. He paced from his desk to the door and back again, nearly knocking his shin against the corner of the bed as he went.

“There, there, old friend.” Edmund caught him in the middle of one pass and thumped his back. “She’ll be just fine. She’s a strong girl, always has been.”

Before Peter could reply, a cry sounded from Mariah’s room. A cry of pain. Peter’s gut twisted, and he marched toward the door to his dressing room.

Again, Edmund caught him and stopped him. “There’s nothing you can do in there but get in the way.”

“I can be there,” Peter said, shaking out of Edmund’s grip and storming into his dressing room.

In spite of protests from everyone from Snyder to the midwife to Mrs. Travers, from the moment Mariah had gone into labor, he had insisted every one of the doors from her room, through the dressing rooms, to his room remain open. In exchange, he’d promised to stay in his room and not get in the way. But that promise had become impossible as Mariah’s cries and grunts grew louder and more anxious.

They’d made it through nine months of pregnancy together, faced the turmoil of William’s sudden death together, and helped each other and Victoria recover from the ordeal together. He couldn’t stand by and let Mariah go through the most important moment of their life alone.

“There you are, my dear. I see the head,” the midwife was in the middle of saying as Peter marched into the room.

He stopped short at the sight that met him. Mariah sat on the edge of the bed, her mother and a pile of pillows supporting her back. The midwife sat on a stool in front of her, reaching between her legs. Victoria stood next to the midwife with a towel ready and waiting. Ginny and Poppy hovered on either side of the bed, looking as though they were ready for anything. But it was Mariah who instantly had his full attention. She was drenched in sweat, her dark hair plastered to her head, face red and contorted in pain. The sight broke his heart.

Until she looked his way.

“Peter,” she shouted through her panting, and reached out for him.

He didn’t hesitate. He ran to her, sliding onto the bed by her side and looping an arm around her back. He was only marginally conscious of knocking Mrs. Travers out of the way. When he opened his mouth to ask how Mariah was, nothing but wordless sound came out.

“Easy now, easy. We’re almost there,” the midwife said, shooting him a nasty look.

“My lord, what are you doing here?” Mrs. Travers gasped, looking mortally offended. “Fathers do not attend births.”

“This one does,” Peter said.

“But—”

“It’s coming. Push now, dearie.”

Everything else was forgotten as Mariah gritted her teeth and pushed. The sound she made was excruciating for Peter to listen to, but he ignored it like he’d ignored the sounds of battle ages ago, giving Mariah his hand to squeeze. Which she did. So hard he nearly cried out along with her.

“Here we go, here we go.” The midwife shifted, intent on the miracle in process.

There was a strange sound, Mariah let out a final cry, then collapsed in exhaustion, and Victoria rushed forward.

Then a tiny, furious wail rent the air.

The midwife did something Peter couldn't see, then said, “Congratulations, my lord. It’s a boy.” She held up a screaming, red-mottled, sticky infant with a cord hanging from his belly.

Peter had never seen anything so horrifyingly beautiful in his life. He was stunned, mesmerized as his son—his son—flailed his tiny fists in the air. Peter’s eyes stung and his throat closed, but he had never been happier in his life.

The midwife slid the baby onto Mariah’s belly while she continued her work with the afterbirth. Mariah wept openly as she embraced their son. “He’s so perfect,” she said, blinking back tears.

“You’re perfect,” Peter insisted. He scooted farther onto the bed so that he could embrace her and their son together. The moment was so beautiful that he could hardly keep his thoughts together, but one thing jumped to the front of his mind. “Are you well?” he asked, kissing Mariah’s forehead and brushing back her sweat-dampened hair.

“I’m fine,” Mariah wept. “Tired, but I don’t care. Look at him.”

“Mother and baby came through beautifully, my lord,” the midwife said as she stood. She briefly took the baby to wrap him in a towel, tucking his tied cord inside the bundle. “Easy as pie. They’ll both be on their feet in no time.”

“Thank you,” Peter told her from the bottom of his heart, then turned his full attention to Mariah. “And thank you.”

“Me?” She laughed, dragging her eyes away from the baby to gaze up at him with so much love that Peter felt warm all over.

“For agreeing to marry a broken old man,” he said. “For giving me hope.”

“You’ve given me so much more than I could ever repay,” she said, tilting her head up to kiss him.

He kissed her in return, holding her and the baby in an embrace that he never wanted to end. She’d given him so much more than he could ever have hoped for—an heir, a family, a future. But more than anything, she’d opened his heart and filled his world with love.

* * *

The romance of Starcross Castle is not over yet! Are you curious about maid Ginny Davis and stableman Harry Pond? What about the charming, if clumsy, maid Poppy Miller and handsome gardener Nick Parsons? Don’t worry! All of your romantic questions will be answered, and sooner than you might think. Coming on February 2^nd, you can learn all about Ginny and Harry in Starcross Lovers. And one week after that, on February 9^th is Starcross Dreams, Poppy and Nick’s story. That’s right, for every full-length novel in the Silver Foxes series, there will be a series of companion novellas about the servants in the household of whichever house the main novel takes place in.

Speaking of those full-length novels, book two in The Silver Foxes of Westminster is coming April 6^th! tells the story of industrial heiress, Marigold Bellowes, and rising star of Parliament, Alexander Croydon. You remember Alex from , right? Is Alex still grieving over the death of his long-time mistress? Has he been able to open his heart to his illegitimate son, James, yet? And how will Marigold react when she learns her new husband already has a son? Especially when a horrible miscarriage leaves her barren, and James may be the only child Alex will ever have? promises to be a tale of heartbreak and forgiveness, and finding love against all odds. P

And be sure to so that you can be alerted when all of these exciting books are released!