Daddy's Little Darlings

“Mother, Mr. Banning is your age,” she protested mildly. But her mind was going at a nervous clip. Surely Alex’s father wouldn’t punish him through his will just because his only son had given him nothing but grand daughters? “This baby never eats,” she murmured, too un settled to stay on one subject. “All she does is gaze around.”

Danita came over to stare at the baby. “I know. She hardly cries, either. Won’t surprise me if she sleeps through the night tonight, while the other two give us a run for our money.”

“You think there’s some thing wrong with her?” Daphne’s heart jumped wildly with worry.

“Nope. Think she’s got her daddy’s mild-mannered constitution.” Danita took the baby from Daphne and changed its diaper. “Maybe you need a clean bottom before you eat, tyke.”

Daphne pulled her night gown together as she considered her mother’s words. Alex didn’t have a mild-mannered constitution, as far as she was concerned. Or maybe it was where she was concerned.

Or maybe it was some thing she brought out in him.

Certainly, she had been drawn to Alex’s rock-solid steadiness from the start. He was so stable, where she tended to float with the planetary alignment of the day. How could a son like Alex not please his father, even one as demanding as Alexander?

By not giving him what he’d re quested on his deathbed, an annoying little voice reminded her. She was Alex’s only failing. But he was like his mother, Sabrina, too kind to allow the poor farming family down the way to be left out of Christmas festivities. It hadn’t been her nature.

It wasn’t Alex’s nature to throw the poor farming family out now just because he’d gotten sold a bill of goods he hadn’t needed.

“What am I going to do?” she moaned, her mind feeling turned inside out.

“I don’t know, Daphne Way. All I do know is you’re in a bit of a pickle this moment.” Her mother bustled about the room, then put the baby in Daphne’s arms. Alex Junior gazed at her with wise, somber eyes.

“What do you think she wants?” Daphne asked her mother helplessly. “She’s waiting for some thing, but I don’t know what.”

Danita scratched her head. “Tell you the truth, I don’t think she knows what to do with those big bosoms of yours. I think that baby’s kinda over whelmed.”

“That’s one way she’s not like her daddy, then.” Daphne’s face flamed.

“Didn’t reckon so.” Danita squinted at the baby. “You know, that ‘un toots constantly. She’s like a little bag of wind letting off a valve. Think it makes her too un com fort able to eat.”

“What am I going to do?”

“Maybe only a bottle is gonna do for that one, Daph.” Danita sat on the bed. “I gave her some soy formula earlier, and she seemed to like it just fine. Those two babies, they appear to prefer the breast, but this one—”

“Mom!” Daphne ex claimed. “I am not feeding this child soy formula. She’s going to need all the extra help she can get. Breast milk is better, especially when she’s so tiny.”

“Yes, but that baby doesn’t want to feed. You want a hungry, colicky baby who for whatever reason can’t tolerate your milk, or one that’ll grow up just fine on soy?” Her mother shot her an impatient look. “Daphne Way, you’re gonna have to learn to com promise one day, and by your daddy’s long johns, at whose knee you learned this stub born-ness, it ain’t gonna be easy. But you’re gonna have to learn to do it or you’re gonna end up one unhappy lady.”

“I just don’t want to put a latex nipple in my baby’s mouth,” Daphne protested. “As small as she is, she needs all the natural protection my breast milk can give her.”

“I agree. I’m just saying maybe it’s not going to work with this one.”

“I find it hard to believe the child that most resembles its father wouldn’t be attracted to my breasts,” Daphne grumbled. “Would you mind bringing me a bottle of the soy, then? I’m determined to prove you wrong.”

“Fine by me.”

Danita exited the room and returned about five minutes later to hand her a warm bottle. Daphne sighed in long-suffering patience, barely touching the nipple to Alex Junior’s lips. The baby continued to stare at her. “See? This baby just doesn’t want to eat anything.”

A nice, long burst of wind erupted from the region of the baby’s diaper. Daphne met Danita’s eyes in amazement. To her astonishment, the baby let out a demanding wail. Daphne lowered the bottle to Alex Junior’s lips, and the baby began suckling with enthusiasm.

“She would have taken my breast if she hadn’t already seen the bottle,” Daphne said without much conviction.

“Maybe.” Not even bothering to appear convinced, Danita walked to the window and stared down. Some thing below had obviously caught her attention.

“What is it?”

Her mother nodded at someone or some thing on the ground. “I’m not sure. Here,” she said, reaching for Alex Junior, “let me take this ‘un. Nelly’s had a yen to feed one of these babies, and she and I can have a nice chat.”

Danita snatched the baby from her before Daphne had a chance to argue. “Brush your hair, Daphne,” she commanded, “and don’t forget your teeth.” Then she hurried from the room.

Daphne’s mouth dropped open. “For heaven’s sake!” What had gotten into her mother? She got out of bed and ran to the window, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just a lot of cars, which were always parked at the Banning mansion. She wondered if her mother had seen the Banning solicitor leaving. Maybe that’s what she wanted, to hurry off to pick Nelly’s brains about whatever Mr. Banning had been revising in his will.

She shook her head and went into the bathroom to comb her hair, tied it with a green ribbon, then took a moment to brush her teeth and wash her face. She felt so much better, she decided to step in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door. It would be so nice if her stomach was beginning to shrink, though she’d never again have the body Alex had fallen in love with in the first place….

“Daphne?”

She gasped at the sound of his voice in the bedroom and slammed the bathroom door firmly closed. “Yes?”

“Uh, do you have a second?”

“No!” She’d left her night gown and panties on the other side of the door when she decided to peek in the mirror.

There was silence for a moment.

“I’d like to talk to you.”

She closed her eyes at the soft huskiness of his voice. “I’m listening.”

“I mean face-to-face. I don’t want to wake the babies.”

“Oh.” She thought rapidly. “Well, come back in five minutes.”

“Okay,” he said, his tone uncertain. “Better yet, why don’t you meet me on the front step in five? I really need to speak with you.”

“Oh, okay.” Maybe it had some thing to do with his father’s will. If Alex suggested she move out with him, some where far away, like Alaska, she would do it in a flash. Anything not to have to live under his father’s disapproving eye—

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