sister very well.”
“The hell you say,” Garrett snarled, slamming down his silverware. “I practically raised her!”
“From aboard ship?” When Garrett only glared in response, the duke smiled and steepled his fingers. “I am here for her, Garrett. You are not.”
“The hell I’m not. I’m right here in blasted England eating at your blasted table. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
“Good morning!” Meg sang as she entered the room, Lucinda following after her. Meg wore a white morning dress with blue stripes, and her hair was artfully arranged in tumbling curls. She bent to kiss Garrett on the cheek, then did the same to Erasmus.
“Good morning, my dear.” The duke patted Meg’s hand, his expression softening. “And good morning to you, Mrs. Devering.”
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lucinda replied. She glanced at Garrett. “Captain.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Devering.” Garrettgrinned. “My, don’t you ladies look lovely this morning.”
Ignoring him, Lucinda turned to the steaming platters of food.
“We’re going into the village,” Meg chattered as she perused the delicacies spread along the sideboard. “I’m going to get some new dresses for Town.”
“Don’t you already have lots of new dresses?” Garrett asked with a frown.
“Oh, these are fine for the country, but I need much grander clothing for London. We are only going to get one or two things from the village seamstress, as I will be visiting Madame Toulon in London.”
“Who’s Madame Toulon?” Garrett asked.
Meg brought her loaded plate to the table and sat down at the duke’s right. “She’s the best modiste in London. She will make all my ball gowns.”
Garrett only shook his head and applied himself to his breakfast.
Silence settled over the table. Lucinda picked at her eggs and tried not to look at Garrett. His behavior this morning confused her even more. She had overheard the duke’s words about the decanter and had fully expected Garrett to implicate her in the crime. But instead he had taken the blame upon himself.
The man constantly surprised her. First there was his devoted love for his sister. Then his unexpected vulnerability last night when they spoke of his mother’s death. Now he’d preserved her reputation by acting the gentleman.
Many men had handsome faces and ugly characters, and their advances she could easily repel. But a man who looked like him and showed glimpses of a gentler side…That made him dangerously attractive.
She clenched her fingers tightly around her fork. It didn’t matter that she was attracted to him. She knew firsthand how chaos ensued when one was ruled by one’s emotions, and she had no intention of doing that again.
When she wed again, she would select a man who was kind and amiable and able to support a wife, but love would not enter into it. Everything was much easier that way.
“Are you going to attend the dance lesson again, Garrett?” Meg asked excitedly, breaking Lucinda’s train of thought. “Monsieur Collineau comes again in a few days.”
Lucinda jerked her gaze to Garrett’s as heated memories of their waltz together flooded her mind. He met her gaze, blue eyes hot, and smiled slowly. Lucinda’s heart began to pound.
“I would love to, puss,” he finally drawled, “provided it does not interfere with something equally important, such as an appointment withthe tailor. I’ve been told that I will embarrass you if I arrive in London wearing my own clothes, so I hope you appreciate the sacrifice.”
Meg made a face at her brother. “Garrett, you are such a ninny. He will look fine in English clothing, won’t he, Lucinda?”
Lucinda licked her dry lips. “Of course he will, Meg.”
Ignoring Garrett’s knowing smile, she concentrated on her breakfast.
“I’ve also engaged a valet for you,” the duke announced. “His name is Stobbins, and he will be coming with us to London. He arrives in a few days.”
“Yet
“The hell you say,” Garrett snarled, slamming down his silverware. “I practically raised her!”
“From aboard ship?” When Garrett only glared in response, the duke smiled and steepled his fingers. “I am here for her, Garrett. You are not.”
“The hell I’m not. I’m right here in blasted England eating at your blasted table. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
“Good morning!” Meg sang as she entered the room, Lucinda following after her. Meg wore a white morning dress with blue stripes, and her hair was artfully arranged in tumbling curls. She bent to kiss Garrett on the cheek, then did the same to Erasmus.
“Good morning, my dear.” The duke patted Meg’s hand, his expression softening. “And good morning to you, Mrs. Devering.”
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lucinda replied. She glanced at Garrett. “Captain.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Devering.” Garrettgrinned. “My, don’t you ladies look lovely this morning.”
Ignoring him, Lucinda turned to the steaming platters of food.
“We’re going into the village,” Meg chattered as she perused the delicacies spread along the sideboard. “I’m going to get some new dresses for Town.”
“Don’t you already have lots of new dresses?” Garrett asked with a frown.
“Oh, these are fine for the country, but I need much grander clothing for London. We are only going to get one or two things from the village seamstress, as I will be visiting Madame Toulon in London.”
“Who’s Madame Toulon?” Garrett asked.
Meg brought her loaded plate to the table and sat down at the duke’s right. “She’s the best modiste in London. She will make all my ball gowns.”
Garrett only shook his head and applied himself to his breakfast.
Silence settled over the table. Lucinda picked at her eggs and tried not to look at Garrett. His behavior this morning confused her even more. She had overheard the duke’s words about the decanter and had fully expected Garrett to implicate her in the crime. But instead he had taken the blame upon himself.
The man constantly surprised her. First there was his devoted love for his sister. Then his unexpected vulnerability last night when they spoke of his mother’s death. Now he’d preserved her reputation by acting the gentleman.
Many men had handsome faces and ugly characters, and their advances she could easily repel. But a man who looked like him and showed glimpses of a gentler side…That made him dangerously attractive.
She clenched her fingers tightly around her fork. It didn’t matter that she was attracted to him. She knew firsthand how chaos ensued when one was ruled by one’s emotions, and she had no intention of doing that again.
When she wed again, she would select a man who was kind and amiable and able to support a wife, but love would not enter into it. Everything was much easier that way.
“Are you going to attend the dance lesson again, Garrett?” Meg asked excitedly, breaking Lucinda’s train of thought. “Monsieur Collineau comes again in a few days.”
Lucinda jerked her gaze to Garrett’s as heated memories of their waltz together flooded her mind. He met her gaze, blue eyes hot, and smiled slowly. Lucinda’s heart began to pound.
“I would love to, puss,” he finally drawled, “provided it does not interfere with something equally important, such as an appointment withthe tailor. I’ve been told that I will embarrass you if I arrive in London wearing my own clothes, so I hope you appreciate the sacrifice.”
Meg made a face at her brother. “Garrett, you are such a ninny. He will look fine in English clothing, won’t he, Lucinda?”
Lucinda licked her dry lips. “Of course he will, Meg.”
Ignoring Garrett’s knowing smile, she concentrated on her breakfast.
“I’ve also engaged a valet for you,” the duke announced. “His name is Stobbins, and he will be coming with us to London. He arrives in a few days.”
“Yet
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