Chapter 6

Kara adjusted the baby in her arms, glancing up at Damien with a smirk. "Well then, Lord Blackwell, I suppose I shall take my leave now and return to my estate."

Damien, who had just started to pour himself a glass of brandy, paused mid-pour. His eyes flickered toward her, his gaze sharp with scrutiny. "Leave? At this hour?" His voice was edged with something she couldn't quite place.

Kara shrugged. "Yes. I should not overstay my welcome."

Setting his glass down, Damien folded his arms, his expression unreadable. "And where, may I ask, do you intend to stay, Miss Winter? Apart from your family’s estate, do you have another place of residence?"

Kara tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. "I could stay with Leah for a while. Her father has only just been granted a barony, so there would be no issues."

Damien let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "No. That is not acceptable."

She arched a brow. "Not acceptable? Since when did my living arrangements require your approval?"

He stepped closer, his voice lowering with an air of finality. "Since the moment you arrived at my window, holding that child."

Kara’s playful expression faltered slightly. "Damien—"

"I have come to a decision," he interrupted, his voice steady, as if he had been considering this for longer than she realized. "Rather than succumbing to my family's expectations and bedding multiple partners for the sake of maintaining appearances, I believe it would be far more rational to simply marry you."

The room fell into silence.

Kara blinked. "Excuse me?"

Damien did not falter. "We already have a child in our care. Regardless of how the child came to us, society will assume it is ours. This arrangement is pragmatic. It offers you protection from your family’s pressures, and it silences mine."

For once, Kara found herself at a loss for words. She was rarely stunned into silence, but the audacity of Damien Blackwell's words left her momentarily breathless. Marry him? Of all the possibilities that had crossed her mind, this had never been one of them.

And yet…

She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms.

It made sense.

Kara exhaled, a slow smile forming on her lips. "Well, Lord Blackwell, I suppose if I were to consider marriage, I must ask—how do you intend to explain the presence of a child that is neither yours nor mine?"

Damien’s jaw tightened as he paced the room. "That… is something I am still considering."

Kara leaned back against the pillows, watching him walk back and forth, deep in thought. The clock struck one, its soft chime filling the room. Unbeknownst to him, exhaustion had begun to take its toll on her. She barely realized when her eyelids fluttered shut, the warmth of the bed lulling her into slumber.

By the time Damien turned to address her again, his words died on his lips.

She was asleep.

Not just her—

The baby, too, lay nestled against her, its tiny hands curled into delicate fists. The sight of them, peaceful and vulnerable, caused an unfamiliar sensation to stir within him.

With a long sigh, he reached for the cord by the door and gave it a firm pull. Moments later, his maid entered, keeping her eyes respectfully lowered.

"Bring warm milk," he ordered. "And be quick about it."

The maid scurried away, leaving Damien to his thoughts. He moved toward the bedside, ensuring the blankets covered Kara adequately. He extinguished the candles, plunging the room into soft darkness. The only illumination came from the dying embers in the fireplace, casting flickering shadows against the walls.

When the maid returned, she carried a silver tray with a delicate porcelain cup, steam curling from the warm milk within. Damien dismissed her with a curt nod before carefully settling himself on the edge of the bed.

Taking a small spoon, he dipped it into the milk and brought it to the baby's lips. The infant stirred slightly, mouth parting instinctively to accept the nourishment. Damien continued, his movements slow, deliberate, careful. With each spoonful, he cradled the child a little closer, his grip no longer hesitant but protective.

He had never done anything like this before.

And yet, somehow, it felt... right.

He cast a glance toward Kara, who remained undisturbed, her chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.

As he fed the baby, a realization settled deep within him.

His life had taken a turn he had never anticipated.

And there was no turning back now

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