She laughed. “Is that my new name?”

“Only at stuffy social occasions.” He grinned and wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “I’ve a question.”

“Ask away, my lord.”

“How do you feel about Lord Nelson being so close by? Arrow insisted he must reside in our bedchamber. He said something about hoping his presence would ensure we become the parents of at least one great naval hero.”

She turned around and stared at the bust of the revered admiral, who appeared to be watching them with a grim, determined expression. “He’s welcome to stay, of course,” she said blithely. “But I can tell by the look in his eye, he expects us to do our duty often.”

“And with the uncommon zeal particular to sailors and their wenches,” Harry added.

Molly grinned, laid her cheek on his chest, and listened to the beating of his heart. “What about Maxwell and Lumley? Did they give us a present?”

“They did, as a matter of fact.”

Molly lifted her head and gazed around the bedchamber. “I don’t see anything…out of the ordinary.”

“Well, the presents aren’t exactly here. Lumley has purchased and named a noble ram after me and a gorgeous ewe after you at his newest estate in Scotland. He has high hopes, he says, for a magnificent herd to rise from their union. And if you look in the little greenhouse in the back garden, you’ll see that Maxwell’s commissioned a botanist to experiment with cultivating a white rosebush named Harry with a pink rosebush named Molly in one pot. He predicts they’ll spawn a new, hearty, attractive, and clever generation of rosebush.”

“Clever roses?” Molly laughed.

“Yes. Clever. And I told Maxwell I insist one or two must have your hair color.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

She grinned. “And they must have your smile.”

Harry chuckled. “We’re no botanists, obviously.”

“Nor sheep breeders. But clearly we’ve deduced your Impossible Bachelor friends are trying to tell us something.”

“That they are,” Harry replied, and rolled her beneath him again. “Shall we get started proving them right, my love?”

Acknowledgments

I’m so excited to be able to thank the many kind people who’ve helped me become a published writer:

My fun and fiesty agent, Jenny Bent: I can’t adequately express how grateful I am to her for launching me on this journey.

My brilliant editor, Jennifer Enderlin: a bedrock of support and inspiration always. Her mentorship has meant the world to me.

The team at St. Martin’s Press: they’re simply fabulous, and it’s a honor to work with such caring, talented people.

My fellow writers, especially my friends at Lowcountry Romance Writers of America—every member has great stories to tell—and the Beau Monde chapter of RWA, in particular, Nancy Mayer and Sue Pace.

A special thank you to Cherry Adair for first picking my contest entry out of a pile and sending me to the national RWA conference. She has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know.

I’d also like to thank other writers who have inspired me with their awesome talent, wisdom, fortitude, and grace: Debbie Macomber, Jennifer Crusie, Nora Roberts, Jane Porter, Christina Dodd, J.R. Ward, Jayne Ann Krentz, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, JoAnn Grote, Sharon Brennan Wray, Susan Wiggs, and Virginia Kantra. There are more, so many that I can’t name them all here. Every writer I’ve met has gifted me with something of herself, even if it’s simply the acknowledgment that we share the joys and angsts only writers can know.

Of course, without my family none of this would have happened at all. A special shout-out to my sister Kristin, who organized a sibling gift to me, my first laptop, so I could take my stories anywhere. My husband Chuck and my children, Steven, Margaret, and Jack, have provided me with endless hugs, encouraging words, and cups of tea. The rest of my family, on both sides, have also been unflagging in their support. I love you all!