“London is such a dreadful bore once the Season has ended,” said one debutante to another somewhere behind Hawk’s left shoulder.

He could not have disagreed more. The end of Parliamentary sessions meant his time had been significantly freed to share more moments like this one. His entire family crowded about a small table in the middle of Gunter’s tea shop to celebrate the grand opening of the new port.

Faith sat to his left, Christina to his right, Hawk’s brother immediately opposite him, and Dahlia just to Simon’s right.

While his daughter might disagree, this was Hawk’s favorite part of their new weekend ritual.

Her grandparents would fetch her from school and gad her all about town on Saturdays. Her parents had her all to themselves Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. Then Sunday afternoons, before it was time to return Christina to finishing school, the entire troupe would meet at Gunter’s tea shop with one noble goal above all others:

To order a heaping scoop of every single flavor on the menu, then attack the resulting mountain with their spoons before the rest of the family gobbled all the ices up first.

Hawk hung back, allowing his boisterous family to elbow each other in pursuit of flavored ices amidst infectious peals of laughter.

He was so grateful for all the blessings in his life. His marriage to Faith grew stronger every day. Christina was an absolute delight. Dahlia had even taught Hawk a secret Grenville strategy to the throwing-card game. It gave him his only hope of beating Faith and his mother whenever those two vixens teamed up against him. Not that his mother had much time for card games these days. From the moment she began to regain her health, she’d left her sickbed far behind.

Life was absolutely beautiful, and Hawk’s wife was the most beautiful of all.

Since that day in Vauxhall several months ago, Faith had not been forced to endure any more uncomfortable public outings.

The odd looks his family garnered nowadays were due to their lively games or loud laughter, and a tendency to invite others to join in on their fun.

Faith had grown into her role as marchioness with aplomb. She was no less “important” societally than Hawk himself, and no more scandalous than her best friend Dahlia, who continued to run their charitable boarding school in the St. Giles rookery with Faith’s help.

Simon’s bastardy had affected him deeply during his youth, but today he was highly respected as a man and as a high-ranking inspector.

Hawk often teased him that they could not enjoy a private conversation anywhere without a deluge of citizens interrupting to thank Simon for the various and sundry matters he had resolved for them.

As soon as the last of his mother’s doctors had proclaimed her back to her full health, she had wasted no time in rejoining Society. She was the queen of Bond Street. In honor of her return, she had even purchased a bonnet piled high with yards of intricate lace, fourteen colorful flowers, and a fake bird. She and her fashionable cohorts were promenading Hyde Park at this very moment. Hawk grinned. He was thrilled at the return of his mother’s health and happiness.

When the last of the ices disappeared, Christina set down her spoon and leaned her head on Hawk’s shoulder. “Next holiday, I want to spend a few extra hours at the school.”

He frowned. “At the finishing school? You’d like your grandparents to pick you up later in the day?”

Christina shook her head. “Earlier. They always take me to visit my friends at my other school in St. Giles, but I never have enough time to get everything done.”

Faith leaned forward with curiosity. “What are you trying to get done?”

Christina’s eyes shone. “I teach them everything I learn at the finishing school. It’s ever so much fun. It’s like we’re all there together!”

He exchanged grins with his wife. The daughter they had once worried so much about, now had more friends in both schools than she could even count. Every one of them vying for her endlessly divided attention. Christina was in no danger of becoming a wallflower.

“When can I have a party?” she asked. “It would be so much easier to see all of my friends if they were in the same place at once.”

“A party?” Faith’s eyes widened in amusement. “I’m not certain that’s the best idea.”

“I don’t know,” Hawk mused as he glanced about their motley table. “For the right people, there’s always a way.”

Sometimes when one least expected.

Just that week, his port had secured an important contract with the East India Company.

He was not only treating his entire family to Gunter’s delicious ices, Hawk had also repaid his debt to his father-in-law… and secretly paid off his brother’s recent commission for new desks and writing sets for the boarding school, just as Simon had done with the old account at the tailor’s.

Hawk grinned. He couldn’t wait for his brother to realize how neatly the tables had turned.

“Speaking of parties…” He made a show of pulling out his pocket watch and affecting great shock at the lateness of the hour. “We had better hurry if we’re to catch the fireworks at Vauxhall.”

In no time, his family was on their feet, linking arms to file out the door two by two.

He pressed a kiss to Faith’s temple. As they stepped outside beneath an endless starry sky, a shooting star streaked overhead.

Faith squeezed his hand and grinned up at him. “Let’s make a wish.”

“Why bother?” Hawk bent down to steal a sweet kiss. “All of mine have already come true.”