Magnolia. It was a Whitby-sounding name, to Declan — it worked well with Sage and Saffron, and even fell a bit in line with Amber. The trouble was, Declan hadn't been aware of any additional Whitby girls. Amber was the youngest, their mother died before Declan knew them and certainly too long ago to produce this child, and Archer Whitby was a fabrication. He didn't know of any real cousins.

He didn't quite manage an answer to Tess question, too busy trying to fathom the child in Sage's arms. He likely would have figured it out eventually, with her bouncing blonde curls and the upset on Sage's face, but then Sage mouthed she's mine and Declan could only blink at her.

The baby girl was hers. Steady, responsible Sage, the most educated of the Whitby girls. This seemed like something that could happen to Mia, or maybe even Amber — not to Sage. And the baby couldn't be more than five, which meant that Declan had been here, working in the printshop, when Sage was with child. That meant she'd kept it from him. They'd kept it from him.

He huffed out a breath, an undignified exhale, and leaned back against the counter. Hurt spread in his chest. The Whitbys felt like family to him, sometimes closer than his siblings. He straightened back up, because there wasn't much else to do right now. His expression was less confused, but still concerned, with a slight pout in his lower lip. "I think she's out with a client," Declan said. He wasn't sure if she was out as Archer or as Tess, but either way, Tess wasn't here.

"Should I make Maggie some tea?"