about death and old bones. Grace either didn't hear or chose to ignore her. Rupert, for his part, wished to applaud her gloomy outlook. Maybe if he enlisted Mrs. Burnham to answer the front door tomorrow Juliana would have fewer suitors.
Rupert mustered his good cheer. "I don't even get a notice then, your grace?"
She waved her hand. "Pish posh, Rupert! You already know you're welcome."
Thomas elbowed him. "She's got you there."
As they all took their seats at the table, Rupert asked, "So how is Master William these days? I need to come over during the day soon and say hello to him."
Grace beamed. "He's the most charming young man you'll ever meet. He puts his father to shame in that department."
Thomas quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"
"He always knows what to say, for starters."
The duke sent a sardonic look Rupert's way. "The boy has one word in his vocabulary. 'Mama'. And for that he's more charming than Lord Byron himself, or even the Prince Regent."
"Not to mention his father," Grace quipped.
Rupert glanced around the table. "I thought you had a guest."
Thomas nodded his thanks to the footman serving his soup. "He'd planned to join us this evening but has taken ill, I'm afraid."
Juliana lifted up her spoon. "You said he's a friend of your father's?"
Grace winked at Eleanor and Eudora as she picked up her napkin and tucked it into the bodice of her dress. "They met overseas during one of Thomas' father's trips abroad."
Eleanor giggled, while Eudora's eyes widened in horror.
"You'll have to excuse my wife." Thomas' apology encompassed everyone present. "She has atrocious table manners and is wont to dump food on herself at any given moment."
Grace's ebony curls bounced as she shook her head. "Don't let my husband fool you. I am quite capable of behaving in the manner typical of a lady whenever I wish. It just so happens that I have abominable luck when it comes to soup. Neither is it limited to what's in my spoon. I've dumped entire tureens on people before."
"Which is precisely why the footmen are ordered to remove all soup and soup-related dishes and utensils from the dining room posthaste whenever their use is complete. Sometimes even before." Thomas winked at his wife, and his love for her shown on his face.
"Uh, did your father travel often?" Juliana appeared nonplussed by Grace's behavior and the banter she shared with her husband.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rupert watched Mrs. Burnham tuck a napkin into her bodice as well. She noticed him staring and scowled. Then she lifted her fork with a white-knuckled grip and made a downward stabling motion with it before calmly returning it to its place and picking up her spoon. Rupert glanced around the table. No one else seemed to have noticed Mrs. Burnham's threatening behavior. Pulling his attention away from the frightful woman proved a challenge, but he eventually managed to return his focus to the conversation circulating amongst the diners.
Thomas was answering Juliana's earlier question. "…extensive. Even after all these years I'm not entirely certain I know everything he was involved in. He made at least two diplomatic trips abroad, though, on behalf of the crown."
"Diplomatic?" Eudora's interest was captured. Rupert had a feeling young Lucien had implied he worked with a diplomat.
"Yes." Thomas gave his attention to the sister. "My father served in the House of Lords. Many of the roles he filled are well documented. There are some gaps, however, and I believe that's where his travel abroad came in."
Juliana's brow furrowed in concentration. "Was it unusual for him to travel without his family? My father occasionally journeyed without the rest of us, but we always knew where he was going. I imagine it's quite different for a duke."
Thomas waved the hovering footman in so the man could clear the dishes from the table. "I was away at school during the period in which Father traveled, and my mother can't recall. It's neither here nor there.
Rupert mustered his good cheer. "I don't even get a notice then, your grace?"
She waved her hand. "Pish posh, Rupert! You already know you're welcome."
Thomas elbowed him. "She's got you there."
As they all took their seats at the table, Rupert asked, "So how is Master William these days? I need to come over during the day soon and say hello to him."
Grace beamed. "He's the most charming young man you'll ever meet. He puts his father to shame in that department."
Thomas quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"
"He always knows what to say, for starters."
The duke sent a sardonic look Rupert's way. "The boy has one word in his vocabulary. 'Mama'. And for that he's more charming than Lord Byron himself, or even the Prince Regent."
"Not to mention his father," Grace quipped.
Rupert glanced around the table. "I thought you had a guest."
Thomas nodded his thanks to the footman serving his soup. "He'd planned to join us this evening but has taken ill, I'm afraid."
Juliana lifted up her spoon. "You said he's a friend of your father's?"
Grace winked at Eleanor and Eudora as she picked up her napkin and tucked it into the bodice of her dress. "They met overseas during one of Thomas' father's trips abroad."
Eleanor giggled, while Eudora's eyes widened in horror.
"You'll have to excuse my wife." Thomas' apology encompassed everyone present. "She has atrocious table manners and is wont to dump food on herself at any given moment."
Grace's ebony curls bounced as she shook her head. "Don't let my husband fool you. I am quite capable of behaving in the manner typical of a lady whenever I wish. It just so happens that I have abominable luck when it comes to soup. Neither is it limited to what's in my spoon. I've dumped entire tureens on people before."
"Which is precisely why the footmen are ordered to remove all soup and soup-related dishes and utensils from the dining room posthaste whenever their use is complete. Sometimes even before." Thomas winked at his wife, and his love for her shown on his face.
"Uh, did your father travel often?" Juliana appeared nonplussed by Grace's behavior and the banter she shared with her husband.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rupert watched Mrs. Burnham tuck a napkin into her bodice as well. She noticed him staring and scowled. Then she lifted her fork with a white-knuckled grip and made a downward stabling motion with it before calmly returning it to its place and picking up her spoon. Rupert glanced around the table. No one else seemed to have noticed Mrs. Burnham's threatening behavior. Pulling his attention away from the frightful woman proved a challenge, but he eventually managed to return his focus to the conversation circulating amongst the diners.
Thomas was answering Juliana's earlier question. "…extensive. Even after all these years I'm not entirely certain I know everything he was involved in. He made at least two diplomatic trips abroad, though, on behalf of the crown."
"Diplomatic?" Eudora's interest was captured. Rupert had a feeling young Lucien had implied he worked with a diplomat.
"Yes." Thomas gave his attention to the sister. "My father served in the House of Lords. Many of the roles he filled are well documented. There are some gaps, however, and I believe that's where his travel abroad came in."
Juliana's brow furrowed in concentration. "Was it unusual for him to travel without his family? My father occasionally journeyed without the rest of us, but we always knew where he was going. I imagine it's quite different for a duke."
Thomas waved the hovering footman in so the man could clear the dishes from the table. "I was away at school during the period in which Father traveled, and my mother can't recall. It's neither here nor there.
Similar Books
