doting husband.”
“ I did,” she said through clenched teeth. How could he possibly think to keep up his charade? “About that—”
“ Now that you've returned from your wedding trip, I trust you'll be hosting that breakfast you spoke of soon.”
Regina's pulse tripled. He'd lied to her, and all he wanted to talk about was that breakfast she'd promised to host back when she'd been too excited about whom she'd be marrying, and why, to care what she'd said. “Why did you lie to me?” she burst out.
His lips thinned. “I beg your pardon, Regina, but even as a baroness, you have no call to speak to your father that way.”
“ Forgive me,” she said automatically. She hated saying those words. They tasted so bitter on her tongue, but she feared he might strike her the way he often struck Toby when he felt Toby was being defiant.
“ I grant you forgiveness.” Father steepled his hands in front of his face. “Now let's discuss this breakfast you're hosting, shall we?”
She'd rather not. “Isn't there anything else we could discuss?”
He frowned. “Regina, you are not reneging, are you? I should hate for my only daughter to make a liar of herself.”
Regina tightened her hands into tight fists, determined not to let him see how much his words had stung. She doubted she was skilled at keeping the truth of her feelings from him as his eyes seemed to have developed a knowing gleam. “Of course not,” she said softly. “I'm still planning to hold a breakfast.”
“ Good,” he said, nodding his approval. “Is it safe to assume there will be at least one earl and countess present at your first breakfast?”
Images of Lord and Lady Sinclair flashed into her mind. “Of course.”
“ Excellent.” He stood. “I don't mean to keep you. I'm sure you have plenty of baroness duties to attend to.”
Regina watched his retreating back. Even married to a lord as he'd always told her was to be her duty, he still held her in little regard.
She sighed. Perhaps if she planned out the perfect breakfast, she could prove herself to him. She rang for a quill, inkpot, and paper then sat down at the game table to write out her plans.
“ Penning a letter to the king to make an exception and allow you to file for a parliamentary annulment?” John asked, taking a seat on the stool opposite her.
“ However did you know?” she teased.
He grinned. “I know my brother best. He has this fascinating ability to entertain with his quick wit and naughty jests one minute and bore a body into a comatose state the next.”
Despite herself, Regina laughed. “You do know him well, indeed.”
“ I told you I did.” He shrugged out of his royal blue coat and dropped it on the floor beside him. “Are you acquainted with his friend Lord Sinclair?”
“ Yes. And his wife.”
John curled his top lip. “I hope my wife is nothing like her.”
Regina shook her head. “I'm sure she won't be. Ladies like her are rare.”
“ I'd say. Lord Sinclair offered her marriage after only meeting her twice. I once overheard him tell Edward that a lady like her was too good to pass by and had to marry her before he lost his chance.” His blue eyes were wide in sheer bewilderment. “I have no idea why.”
“ It's because she's a proper lady,” Regina explained. “She might have a tart tongue and a fashion sense that leans toward eccentric, but she still knows her duty.” She hated the way that sounded, but it was true. Lady Sinclair might be unpleasant to be around in a private setting, but the respect she garnered among the ton by coming from a good family made her a very desirable catch.
“ Either way, I want a tame, mild wife who won't embarrass me.”
“ For a bo—” cough, cough, “young man of fourteen, you seem to have given this a lot of thought.”
He shrugged then pursed his lips. “I have. My mother and father—” He waved his hand through the air. “Never mind that. That's not what I wanted to talk to you
“ I did,” she said through clenched teeth. How could he possibly think to keep up his charade? “About that—”
“ Now that you've returned from your wedding trip, I trust you'll be hosting that breakfast you spoke of soon.”
Regina's pulse tripled. He'd lied to her, and all he wanted to talk about was that breakfast she'd promised to host back when she'd been too excited about whom she'd be marrying, and why, to care what she'd said. “Why did you lie to me?” she burst out.
His lips thinned. “I beg your pardon, Regina, but even as a baroness, you have no call to speak to your father that way.”
“ Forgive me,” she said automatically. She hated saying those words. They tasted so bitter on her tongue, but she feared he might strike her the way he often struck Toby when he felt Toby was being defiant.
“ I grant you forgiveness.” Father steepled his hands in front of his face. “Now let's discuss this breakfast you're hosting, shall we?”
She'd rather not. “Isn't there anything else we could discuss?”
He frowned. “Regina, you are not reneging, are you? I should hate for my only daughter to make a liar of herself.”
Regina tightened her hands into tight fists, determined not to let him see how much his words had stung. She doubted she was skilled at keeping the truth of her feelings from him as his eyes seemed to have developed a knowing gleam. “Of course not,” she said softly. “I'm still planning to hold a breakfast.”
“ Good,” he said, nodding his approval. “Is it safe to assume there will be at least one earl and countess present at your first breakfast?”
Images of Lord and Lady Sinclair flashed into her mind. “Of course.”
“ Excellent.” He stood. “I don't mean to keep you. I'm sure you have plenty of baroness duties to attend to.”
Regina watched his retreating back. Even married to a lord as he'd always told her was to be her duty, he still held her in little regard.
She sighed. Perhaps if she planned out the perfect breakfast, she could prove herself to him. She rang for a quill, inkpot, and paper then sat down at the game table to write out her plans.
“ Penning a letter to the king to make an exception and allow you to file for a parliamentary annulment?” John asked, taking a seat on the stool opposite her.
“ However did you know?” she teased.
He grinned. “I know my brother best. He has this fascinating ability to entertain with his quick wit and naughty jests one minute and bore a body into a comatose state the next.”
Despite herself, Regina laughed. “You do know him well, indeed.”
“ I told you I did.” He shrugged out of his royal blue coat and dropped it on the floor beside him. “Are you acquainted with his friend Lord Sinclair?”
“ Yes. And his wife.”
John curled his top lip. “I hope my wife is nothing like her.”
Regina shook her head. “I'm sure she won't be. Ladies like her are rare.”
“ I'd say. Lord Sinclair offered her marriage after only meeting her twice. I once overheard him tell Edward that a lady like her was too good to pass by and had to marry her before he lost his chance.” His blue eyes were wide in sheer bewilderment. “I have no idea why.”
“ It's because she's a proper lady,” Regina explained. “She might have a tart tongue and a fashion sense that leans toward eccentric, but she still knows her duty.” She hated the way that sounded, but it was true. Lady Sinclair might be unpleasant to be around in a private setting, but the respect she garnered among the ton by coming from a good family made her a very desirable catch.
“ Either way, I want a tame, mild wife who won't embarrass me.”
“ For a bo—” cough, cough, “young man of fourteen, you seem to have given this a lot of thought.”
He shrugged then pursed his lips. “I have. My mother and father—” He waved his hand through the air. “Never mind that. That's not what I wanted to talk to you
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