Til Debt Do Us Part (Married At Midnight #4)

Chapter 41

Forty-One

Dare

"I 'm so tired," Talia sighs as I lead her into the formal living room at the Morgan Estate. "I love Hope to pieces, but my sleep is all out of whack because of hormones and her breast feeding schedule, which has me getting up every few hours. No one told me about that."

"I'm sorry. I know you haven't had a proper night of sleep in the last week."

She wrinkles her nose as I haul Hope’s bassinet into the room and set it beside the couch.

The late autumn chill bites through my cashmere sweater as I sit Talia down on one of the plush velvet sofas in the room. Dark circles pool under her eyes. Her auburn hair has been in a messy bun since we left the hospital. I don't blame her one bit for not managing her usual long, silky tresses while she's still adjusting to life as a new mom.

In Talia's arms, our newborn daughter Hope fusses, her tiny rosebud mouth rooting for a breast. Talia puts a blanket over the baby and adjusts her top so that she can breastfeed.

Solana enters the room at a run. "Talia! I want to show you something."

Talia gives her a weak smile. "What is it, honey?"

The little girl presents a leaf to Talia.

"I found it for you," she says. "Isn't it nice?"

"So nice. Thank you so much." Talia reaches out and cups Solana's face briefly, then takes the leaf. "I'll hold onto it."

Solana beams. "I'll look for more leaves for you."

"That sounds good to me."

Magda walks in, holding her side. She's out of breath and I try to offer her a seat.

"No seat." She shakes her head and sucks in a huge breath. "Miss Solana is high energy! She keeps me on my toes."

Talia smiles and nods sympathetically. "She definitely has a lot of energy. Thank you for taking care of her, Magda."

"Of course! I am so happy to have her here. She brightens up my day whenever you visit."

I look down my nose. "As long as she doesn't wear you out. Let me know when you need a break."

The older woman waves me off. "I am fine. Thank you."

I look over to Talia, who is looking more and more zombielike by the minute.

"Magda, would you mind taking Solana for hot chocolate?" I ask the housekeeper, my eyes never leaving Talia's exhausted face.

"I love hot chocolate!" Solana cheers.

Magda flashes me a smile and herds her out of the room. The little girl's footsteps patter away down the hall.

I sit next to Talia on the sofa, taking her free hand in mine. Her skin is like ice. I warm it in both of my hands.

She needs more support. She needs to be around family.

"We need to talk," I say gently.

She blinks slowly, like a cat. "Can it wait? I'm so tired, Dare."

"Don't worry, I won't ask anything of you right now. I just want you to know my plans for the future."

She nods, eyes already drifting shut. I forge ahead quickly.

"The children from Hope House are still at the Windsor hotel. It's been a month now, and that hotel is no place for them long term. So I've decided they'll come live here, at the estate."

Talia's eyes fly open, suddenly alert. "What?"

I rush to explain. "We have so many empty rooms, acres for them to explore. We can make playrooms, get tutors and therapists. Give them the childhood they deserve."

Her mouth opens and closes, her expression startled.

"Dare... that's a wonderful idea, but..."

I cut her off as gently as possible.

"I was thinking about us, too. I was thinking that we could eventually move in here. And I thought that we could make Minnie a room that is close at hand. Olivia, too, if she wants to come stay. One day, we can build stables out back so you can have your very own horses. That way you would have all the support you need, not just from me, but also from the women in your life."

I search her face anxiously. Does she understand my intentions? The last thing I want is to stress her out.

Wordlessly, she lays Hope in the bassinet beside her. She goes down without a fuss. Then Talia throws her arms around me, hugging me fiercely. I'm a little taken aback.

Is this a ringing endorsement of my plan?

"You're amazing," she whispers. "This is my dream come true."

I clutch her tight, relief washing over me in a dizzying wave. I stroke her hair. I'm still in disbelief that she supports my decision.

"You like the idea?"

She presses her face against my chest. "It's amazing. I never thought about it, but there is plenty of space here."

"I know it won't be easy," I say. "We'll need to hire more staff, make renovations. And deal with Remy..."

I trail off, not wanting to think about Remy's reaction when I told him. He barely tolerates my wife's presence in his ancestral home. How will he handle a dozen rambunctious children running wild in the hallways?

Talia pulls back, searching my face. "What did Remy say? Does he know?"

I grimace. No point lying to her. "I told him this morning. He wasn't exactly pleased."

That's an understatement. Remy ranted for a full hour about disrespectful young upstarts destroying his family legacy. His tirade only stopped after I threatened to move him to a nursing home.

"But he agreed, reluctantly. The children can move in as soon as we finish renovations." I brush a strand of hair from Talia's face. "Don't worry about Remy. I'll handle him."

She smiles softly. "I know you will."

Rising on tiptoe, she kisses me. I wrap my arms around her, marveling again at her inner strength. With her by my side, I can conquer anything.

Talia's smile fades as she considers the logistics. "It will be a big change for Remy. Are you sure he understands what this means?"

I shrug. "Does it matter? I'm not asking his permission. This is my house now, and I'll do as I please."

She gives me a reproachful look. "Dare, he's your grandfather. You can't just disregard his feelings."

I scowl, even though I know she's right. Remy doesn't deserve Talia's compassion after how wretchedly he's treated her.

"Fine, I'll speak to him again," I concede. "Make sure he grasps the situation fully."

Talia nods, appeased. She kisses Hope's downy head as the baby drifts to sleep in her arms.

Watching them, resolve hardens within me. I will not fail these children as my grandfather and father failed me. They will have everything they need, both material and emotional.

She looks up, eyes shining. "Dare, you're making my childhood dreams come true. The fact that we can give these children a real home, a chance at a future. It's all I've ever wanted."

I caress her cheek, heart swelling with emotion. "Anything for you, darling girl. Your happiness means everything to me."

She kisses me softly. "I really think you would do anything if I asked."

I kiss her knuckles, vowing silently to live up to her faith in me.

"I promise this is just the beginning," I tell her earnestly. "You'll see. Our little family is going to grow much larger. But you'll want for nothing. I'll move heaven and earth to give you the life you deserve."

Her radiant smile is all the reward I need.