Penelope & Prince Charming (32 page)
“I intend to knit him a cap,” Meagan declared on the other side of the table. She licked jam from her spoon, eyes happy. “After all, I am his auntie, and the poor little thing will need to keep his head warm.”
“I imagine he’ll have dozens of caps,” Simone pointed out. “All of velvet and silk, I shouldn’t wonder.”
“But not one knitted in good English wool by his stepauntie.”
Michael set down his coffee cup, enjoying the sight of morning sunlight on his wife’s golden head and his daughter’s shining red one. “An excellent idea, Meagan. Penelope would enjoy receiving such a thing from you.”
“Penelope will, yes,” Simone said. She sipped her coffee, looking momentarily mournful. She sighed. “The dear girl is so
practical.”
A month later, in the castle of the Imperial Princes in Nvengaria, Penelope, sitting on a small red-upholstered throne next to the prince’s larger one, received a package from England from a liveried messenger. She thanked the man and opened it with eager fingers.
When she saw the tiny fitted cap in blue and red striped wool, her eyes filled with happy tears. “Oh, Damien, come and see.”
The Imperial Prince of Nvengaria lay on his back on the polished floor before the double throne, his small son on his chest. One large hand cradled the boy, who slept in the relaxed way of infants, his small hands curled to fists on
his father’s waistcoat. “I cannot rise at present, love,” Damien said softly. “I’ll wake him.”
Penelope pushed the wrappings aside, rose, and seated herself gracefully on the floor, her Nvengarian silk gown spilling to the floor. “Auntie Meagan knitted a cap. Is that not a fine thing for a princeling’s head?”
Damien examined it. “Indeed, he shall wear it when the next diplomats come to ogle him.”
“She knew exactly what to send, bless her.”
Damien studied her a moment, stroking his son’s tiny back. “You miss them.”
“Oh, yes. Every day. But I can see them through Nedrak’s scrying crystal, and Sasha said he is working on a spell that will let me write on a paper, and the words will appear on a paper in front of Meagan almost immediately. Would that not be splendid?”
Damien snorted. “Sasha’s spells do blunder, you know.”
“Yes, that is why I have encouraged him to do much research first.”
Damien laughed, shaking the baby, but he did not wake.
Penelope laid her hand on Damien’s, brushing fingers over her child’s fine black hair. “I do miss them. But I would not trade this for the world. You and he are my family now.”
Damien bent a smile on her, warm and full of promise. “I am pleased, my princess.”
“This is our happily ever after, isn’t it?” she asked dreamily. “A family, and love.”
His eyes darkened. “Yes.”
“It is what the prophecy wanted, I think,” she said. “To reunite the line, but to do it in love. Your father mired everything in hate, and Alexander continued it, even if he did not mean to. The prophecy wanted love.”
Damien pulled her down to lie against him. Baby
Damien yawned, opened his dark blue eyes, focused
them on Penelope a moment, then went back to sleep.
“I am damn pleased it did,” Damien said, his voice low.
“It is not really the end of the story, is it?” Penelope said. “But the beginning.”
Damien turned his head and kissed her lips. She felt now-familiar fires stir that nearly a year with Damien had not quenched.
“I hope our story goes on forever, Penelope.”
“So do I.”
He smiled against her lips. “We will have to tell it to our boy one day. The real story, not Sasha’s wild embellishments.”
She laughed. “The real story. About how you swept into my life and turned everything upside-down and charmed me into loving you.”
His smile went wicked. “Perhaps later today we can again remember some of the details?”
She had learned how to be as wicked and teasing as he. She nibbled the lobe of his ear. “I would be most pleased, my prince.”
Damien kissed her again, a long, deep kiss. “I love you,” he said, his blue eyes warm.
“I love you.”
He stroked the baby’s back with his thumb, and Penelope smiled. “Now I have two Prince Charmings in my life,” she said. “Can any girl in the entire world be as lucky as me?”
“To say that Jennifer Ashley is a talented writer is a vast understatement.”
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THE PIRATE HUNTER
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The Pirate Hunter
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The Pirate Next Door
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CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM THE EDGE
(Anthology)
CONFESSIONS OF A LINGERIE ADDICT
THE CARE & FEEDING OF PIRATES
THE PIRATE HUNTER
THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR
PERILS OF THE HEART
A LEISURE BOOK®
April 2006
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2006 by Jennifer Ashley
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