“We expect that it will be a boy,” Poppy replied, effectively shutting down the conversation. She cradled her swelling belly, constantly stroking it with slow, deliberate circles. “Of course, Natalia is going to be very jealous. She’s always fancied herself her father’s pride and joy. She won’t like being supplanted by my son, but perhaps it will be for the best. It’s unnatural for a woman of Natalia’s age to still be single.”

Poppy’s assertions seemed cruel to Gwen, but the aunts agreed. All the Blackstone women had married before the age of twenty, so for Natalia to be twenty-eight and still single was unusual. Gwen probably would have chosen a different sort of man had she waited until she was a little older instead of rushing to the altar with Jasper when she was only eighteen. Instead of a handsome face and academic prestige, she would have chosen strength and integrity and a sense of humor. Status didn’t matter. She wanted a strong, confident man who was a protector by nature. Her gaze trailed out the window as she contemplated Patrick’s raw-boned charisma. He would be a wonderful father, and if they married, it probably wouldn’t take long for her to conceive, would it?

“Gwendolyn! Are you blushing?”

She startled. Aunt Martha had been prodding her, and all the aunts stared.

“I think she’s been woolgathering over a man,” Helen said. “Tell us everything!”

Gwen hadn’t expected to broach the matter so early in the day, but Aunt Helen had just provided a perfect opening. Everyone in her family had been urging her to remarry, and the aunts would surely be delighted, even if Patrick was a little outside their class.

“Yes, I may have found someone,” she said, and all the women leaned forward. Even Poppy seemed curious enough to stop rubbing her belly. “His name is Patrick O’Neill. I met him—”

“That sounds Irish,” Poppy interrupted.

“He is. Patrick came to New York when he was fourteen.”

Poppy’s face froze, and the aunts traded quick looks but remained neutral. “Yes?” Aunt Martha prompted. “Tell us more.”

“He is a lawyer and very clever. I’m afraid he had a run-in with Oscar over that awful memoir, but I hope that can be water under the bridge. I know Patrick and I seem like opposites. . . .” So much depended on these next few minutes. If she could get the aunts on her side, they would smooth the way for Patrick. These women had stepped in to help raise her after her own mother died. They seemed hopeful on her behalf as they waited to hear more about Patrick. “I know we seem like opposites, but Patrick is everything that is strong and courageous in a man, and I can’t wait for you all to meet him.”