“I’m not going through with my original plan. I won’t claim this child as Lushing’s. I want our son—or daughter—to be raised within your shadow, to know you for the wonderful man you are.”

Knowing people were watching, listening, knowing he should take her elsewhere for this discussion, he seemed incapable of doing little more than staring at her dumbfounded. Gently, he cradled her cheek. “Lena, I can’t give you—”

“I don’t give a bloody damn what you can’t give me. I know what you can give me, and it’s more than enough, more than I deserve, more than I ever hoped for. And it’ll be enough for our children.” Her smile was beatific and radiant. “I know you love me. I saw the painting in your lodgings. Change the background to a small cottage and make me the happiest woman in the world.”

Dropping to his knees, he pressed a kiss to her belly where their child grew. “I love you with all that is within me.” He looked up at her. “Will you marry me?”

Countless sighs echoed around them as her smile grew and her eyes warmed. “Oh yes, I’m looking forward to introducing you to the pleasures of marriage.”

Laughing, he stood, swept her up in his arms, and began carrying her from the room amid cheers, claps, and adoring smiles. “No reason those pleasures can’t begin immediately.”

“No reason at all,” she agreed.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” Connie said as she strolled into the small dining room, Flo and Alice in her wake. “You don’t usually join us for breakfast.”

“I have some news to share with you girls.” And she wanted to do it before they’d had an opportunity to read any gossip rags, so she’d come down to wait for them.

“That sounds portentous.” Flo wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before settling in beside Selena. Connie took a chair beside Flo while Alice came around to sit on the other side of Selena.

“It does mean there will be some changes,” she told them.

“Do tell,” Connie ordered playfully while a footman set plates of sausage and eggs before them. Selena’s stomach roiled. She really needed to tell the cook to dispense with preparing eggs for a while.

“I hardly know where to begin.”

“At the beginning usually works best,” Flo said.

“Yes. Right. Well—”

“It’s all over London that you kissed that Trewlove bastard!” The shouted words accompanied Winslow as he barged in, came to a stop at the foot of the table, and glared disbelieving at her.

“Is it? Well, it is what one does when one is to marry a man: she kisses him.”

“I knew it!” Alice crowed.

Selena watched in stunned fascination as the twins removed a pound note from their pockets and dropped it into Alice’s outstretched hand. “What’s this?”