Covet - Miles Bridgerton's story

Chapter 4 - Miss Cranleigh

The following morning Kate and Anthony stood in the front yard saying their goodbyes to every guest, who was now leaving after the weekend. Anthony was holding little Lavender in his arms, giving her parents a chance to finish their breakfast in peace.

"Look, look what I taught her, darling...!" Anthony smiled happily at Kate after one more carriage had rolled away. "Who is grandfather's favourite?" He grinned at Lavender, who turned her tiny forefinger towards herself. "Yes, Lavender is!" Anthony laughed delightedly.

"Oh dear..." Kate laughed, too. Anthony was adorably smitten by his granddaughter and somehow he also seemed more at peace now, when there was a young child in the house again. This was a role he knew well and loved, instead of the more demanding task of having adult unmarried children at home. Kate could only hope that he would not flare up again next year when it was Lily's turn to enter society, but at least she would be the last one of their own offspring.

"So, here she is, little Miss Lavender Bridgerton... Finally we get to meet her, since the young couple has not been to London at all." Lady Cressida Berbrooke – née Cowper – smiled her usual mean smile while approaching Kate and Anthony. "She looks so big and strong to be only fourteen months old!" She pointed out with an evil grin. "Our darling Gina is so much more... Delicate." She finished with an adoring look towards her own grandchild in Geoffrey's arms a bit further away in the yard, where he stood talking to Cornelia and her father, Lord Nigel Berbrooke.

"Yes, well... Lavvie has always been very fond of food. I have to remind my son and daughter-in-law not to give her too much of it." Anthony replied quite venomously, pressing the child tighter against himself.

"It was good of you to come, Lady Berbrooke. We hope to see you here next year too." Kate chimed in with her phoniest possible smile. "I understood that Geoffrey is staying, though?"

"Yes, I believe it was something about a house for your second son. Cornelia and Gina will come with us to the Berbrooke estate. It is quite a long journey, but..." Cressida kept on prattling. Thank heavens it is a long journey, Anthony thought to himself. It was bad enough that Colin had married the Featheringtons into the family. Geoffrey usually spent so much time at Aubrey Hall in the summers that he was almost family too – and now he had gone and got married with a bloody Berbrooke. "We will take it slow." She finished confidently.

"Safe travels." Kate smiled, this time maybe in a little bit less fake way.

"Bye bye, Gina, papa will see you again after just a week..." Geoffrey hummed to his daughter and planted a soft kiss on her fluffy blonde hair, holding her tightly in his arms, inhaling her scent deep into his lungs and trying to make it last for the upcoming days without her. His love for Cornelia might have been nothing but an act, but his love for his daughter was true, strong and deep. Despite of having known he was not into women, Geoffrey had always known that he wanted to have children. Now that he did, he cared for Gina fiercely and being separated from her, even just for a week, made his entire body ache, not just his heart.

"Alright, we have to go now." Cornelia declared a bit coldly and took the baby from Geoffrey.

"Take good care of her..." Geoffrey muttered and gave Gina's head one more kiss.

"I always do." Cornelia replied bluntly and seemed to be waiting to get a kiss as well, but Geoffrey had spotted Miles walking down the stairs from the house and entering the yard, so he simply gave his wife a quick kiss on the hand, instead of anywhere on her face.

"Goodbye, then." He tried to put on a smile as Cornelia glared at him somewhat offendedly and climbed into the carriage with Lord and Lady Berbrooke. Meanwhile, Kate and Anthony were saying goodbye to Siena and Genevieve. Lavender had been put down on the ground, but she did not walk around curiously and in a slightly wobbly manner like she usually did, instead she was clinging to Anthony's leg and wanted to come up in his arms again.