“When have you ever cared about such things?”
Derek formed a steeple with his hands, bringing the points up to his mouth. “So let me get this straight. You don’t like me because I’ve bettered myself?”
“Bettered?” She snorted. “Your words, not mine.”
He could hardly believe the little hypocrite was faulting him for the very qualities she’d once deemed to be all-important. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“You’ve changed, Derek.” She spit the words as if they were the worst insult she could muster.
He shrugged. “And why do you care? You didn’t like me before.”
“That’s not true,” she proclaimed without so much as a moment’s hesitation.
She’d spoken too loudly. The two of them looked at each other, the silence of unspoken truths hanging heavy between them.
Clatter coming from the doorway startled them both from their stare. “I’m so sorry!” Ophelia walked in with her brother. “I had no idea Garrett left you two alone. You’ll have to forgive him, he’s socially backward.”
“What’s the harm? I was only gone for a few minutes.” Garrett laughed, suddenly stopping after he’d seen the two of them. “Did I miss something?” He looked from Derek to Meredith, then back to Derek again.
Meredith relaxed a bit, smiling prettily at Mr. Marshall. “Lord Sutherland and I were just reminiscing a bit. We both come from the same village.”
It was an artful smile, well-practiced. He knew how women like her worked now. Beauty was her armor, and her smile was the shield.
Ophelia clasped her hands together. “What a coincidence!”
“And you’ve never met before?” Garrett queried, still not looking too happy.
“Actually, we have.” Derek spoke before Meredith had a chance to answer. She stared him down, her eyes warning him not to reveal just how well they really did know each other.
“But it was a long time ago,” she interjected, her eyes daring him to contradict her.
He didn’t.
The explanation appeared to satisfy everyone, and the two siblings joined them for tea. Every so often Garrett would look up from his cup and eye the two of them, but kept whatever thoughts he had to himself. Miss Marshall remained relatively quiet, content with letting Meredith lead the conversation.
Dear, sweet, Miss Marshall. He’d been intrigued by the young girl upon meeting her in Brussels. She was beautiful, a petite brunette with a face like a doll. She was smarter than any man he’d ever spoken with before and refreshingly genuine, unlike most women he knew.
That’s why a life of travel worked so well for him. He had no expectations of the women he encountered, and vice versa. They knew exactly what their role in his life was to be—a way to pass the time, nothing more.
But he was an Earl now. And with such an exalted title, came equally towering expectations. He needed to find someone to run his household while he was away. And there was that whole business about providing an heir that he couldn’t very well do alone. All things considered, Miss Ophelia Marshall seemed to fit the bill quite nicely.
He watched as she took a dainty nibble from the side of her biscuit.
And then there was Meredith, who was eagerly devouring a piece of lemon cake. She always did have the appetite of a farmhand. The two couldn’t be more different.
“Miss Marshall, do you have any plans for the evening?” Derek asked, making the customary small talk that he hated, but knew was required.
Ophelia set down her biscuit, her face flushing. She was such a timid creature. He felt as if he needed to approach her as one would an injured animal, with a quiet voice and slow movements so not to frighten her.
“Not tonight. And you, Lord Sutherland?”
“My cousin, Lord MacCalistair, was going to introduce me around White’s.”
“ You’re joining White’s?” Garrett asked.
Garrett was glaring at him again. It wasn’t the first time Derek had found himself
Derek formed a steeple with his hands, bringing the points up to his mouth. “So let me get this straight. You don’t like me because I’ve bettered myself?”
“Bettered?” She snorted. “Your words, not mine.”
He could hardly believe the little hypocrite was faulting him for the very qualities she’d once deemed to be all-important. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“You’ve changed, Derek.” She spit the words as if they were the worst insult she could muster.
He shrugged. “And why do you care? You didn’t like me before.”
“That’s not true,” she proclaimed without so much as a moment’s hesitation.
She’d spoken too loudly. The two of them looked at each other, the silence of unspoken truths hanging heavy between them.
Clatter coming from the doorway startled them both from their stare. “I’m so sorry!” Ophelia walked in with her brother. “I had no idea Garrett left you two alone. You’ll have to forgive him, he’s socially backward.”
“What’s the harm? I was only gone for a few minutes.” Garrett laughed, suddenly stopping after he’d seen the two of them. “Did I miss something?” He looked from Derek to Meredith, then back to Derek again.
Meredith relaxed a bit, smiling prettily at Mr. Marshall. “Lord Sutherland and I were just reminiscing a bit. We both come from the same village.”
It was an artful smile, well-practiced. He knew how women like her worked now. Beauty was her armor, and her smile was the shield.
Ophelia clasped her hands together. “What a coincidence!”
“And you’ve never met before?” Garrett queried, still not looking too happy.
“Actually, we have.” Derek spoke before Meredith had a chance to answer. She stared him down, her eyes warning him not to reveal just how well they really did know each other.
“But it was a long time ago,” she interjected, her eyes daring him to contradict her.
He didn’t.
The explanation appeared to satisfy everyone, and the two siblings joined them for tea. Every so often Garrett would look up from his cup and eye the two of them, but kept whatever thoughts he had to himself. Miss Marshall remained relatively quiet, content with letting Meredith lead the conversation.
Dear, sweet, Miss Marshall. He’d been intrigued by the young girl upon meeting her in Brussels. She was beautiful, a petite brunette with a face like a doll. She was smarter than any man he’d ever spoken with before and refreshingly genuine, unlike most women he knew.
That’s why a life of travel worked so well for him. He had no expectations of the women he encountered, and vice versa. They knew exactly what their role in his life was to be—a way to pass the time, nothing more.
But he was an Earl now. And with such an exalted title, came equally towering expectations. He needed to find someone to run his household while he was away. And there was that whole business about providing an heir that he couldn’t very well do alone. All things considered, Miss Ophelia Marshall seemed to fit the bill quite nicely.
He watched as she took a dainty nibble from the side of her biscuit.
And then there was Meredith, who was eagerly devouring a piece of lemon cake. She always did have the appetite of a farmhand. The two couldn’t be more different.
“Miss Marshall, do you have any plans for the evening?” Derek asked, making the customary small talk that he hated, but knew was required.
Ophelia set down her biscuit, her face flushing. She was such a timid creature. He felt as if he needed to approach her as one would an injured animal, with a quiet voice and slow movements so not to frighten her.
“Not tonight. And you, Lord Sutherland?”
“My cousin, Lord MacCalistair, was going to introduce me around White’s.”
“ You’re joining White’s?” Garrett asked.
Garrett was glaring at him again. It wasn’t the first time Derek had found himself
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