seemed to take it for granted that she would be welcomed with open arms, but she wasn’t nearly so certain.
She was from a respectable family, true, but had never moved in the lofty circles in which she suspected Cade andhis relations traveled. Then there was the modest size of her dowry. Many families—particularly ton families—put great stock in such matters. What if his family disapproved of the “match”? Worse, what if they disapproved of her!
She swallowed and glanced across at Cade, delicately clearing her throat. “So tell me more about your relations, my lord. Considering our supposed engagement, I believe it would be wise for me to know a few details about them.”
He frowned and looked up from his reading. His gaze, finding hers over his silver, half-moon spectacles, never failed to send little tingles of awareness whizzing through her system.
“Pardon?” he asked.
“Your family,” she prompted, shaking off her reaction. “You said I would be residing with them. Is it your mother and sister with whom I will be living?”
“Yes, and a couple of my other siblings,” he offered, laying a finger over the open page of his book. “There’s Mama and Mallory. She’s the one who’ll be making her debut into Society with you.”
“And your sister’s age?”
“She just turned eighteen.” He paused and raised a brow. “Come to think of it, how old are you ? I suppose that is one of those facts of which I ought to have knowledge.”
“I am nineteen, due to turn twenty in July.”
“July what?”
“The sixth. And you, my lord? When is your birthday?”
“January twenty-eighth, and I just turned thirty.” He shifted slightly in his seat. “With you and Mallory nearly the same age, I suspect the pair of you will get onlike a set of matched grays. You’ll likely be running in tandem in no time at all, assuming you have the least bit of love for shopping.”
“I can be coaxed inside the shops every now and again. And does your sister know you are so ungallant as to compare her to a horse? For my own part, I shall say nothing further on the subject.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “My thanks, Miss Amberley, since no offense was meant. As for Mallory, she is well-used to being compared to all manner of unsavory things. It’s what comes of having four older brothers, I suppose.”
Her lips parted. “Four!”
“That’s right. Though last I heard, she’s rid of all but one of them on a daily basis, since Jack and Drake have taken bachelor’s quarters of their own. You’ll only meet those two when they decide to stop by. Edward will be in residence, of course, but then he would be since he’s the duke.”
“The duke!” she repeated, aware of a breathless band of pressure around her chest.
Cade nodded. “Yes. The Duke of Clybourne. Did I not tell you?”
“No,” she gasped. “You did not.”
He chuckled. “Don’t look so stunned. Ned doesn’t bite, at least not much, and he only pulls rank when he’s cross. He’s not nearly so top lofty as some might imagine.”
Cade’s brother is a duke! Heavens!
“So there are five of you, then?” she ventured when she once again caught her breath.
“No, eight.”
“Eight!”
“Hmm. After Mallory there are the twins, Leo and Lawrence, but they’re away at Eton right now, so you’ll likely not meet them except during a visit on school holiday.”
“And the last?”
A tender smile softened his face. “That would be Esme. She’s nine and a delight. I haven’t seen much of her these past few years, but she writes me letters. Sends me drawings as well. I have a likeness of every cat, hound, and horse she’s ever met, and considering the menagerie she keeps in the country at Clybourne, that’s a great many indeed.”
“They all sound…lovely. Your family, that is.”
“Overwhelming, you mean,” he remarked. “Don’t worry. They’ll take you in without a second thought. You’ll be part of the general
She was from a respectable family, true, but had never moved in the lofty circles in which she suspected Cade andhis relations traveled. Then there was the modest size of her dowry. Many families—particularly ton families—put great stock in such matters. What if his family disapproved of the “match”? Worse, what if they disapproved of her!
She swallowed and glanced across at Cade, delicately clearing her throat. “So tell me more about your relations, my lord. Considering our supposed engagement, I believe it would be wise for me to know a few details about them.”
He frowned and looked up from his reading. His gaze, finding hers over his silver, half-moon spectacles, never failed to send little tingles of awareness whizzing through her system.
“Pardon?” he asked.
“Your family,” she prompted, shaking off her reaction. “You said I would be residing with them. Is it your mother and sister with whom I will be living?”
“Yes, and a couple of my other siblings,” he offered, laying a finger over the open page of his book. “There’s Mama and Mallory. She’s the one who’ll be making her debut into Society with you.”
“And your sister’s age?”
“She just turned eighteen.” He paused and raised a brow. “Come to think of it, how old are you ? I suppose that is one of those facts of which I ought to have knowledge.”
“I am nineteen, due to turn twenty in July.”
“July what?”
“The sixth. And you, my lord? When is your birthday?”
“January twenty-eighth, and I just turned thirty.” He shifted slightly in his seat. “With you and Mallory nearly the same age, I suspect the pair of you will get onlike a set of matched grays. You’ll likely be running in tandem in no time at all, assuming you have the least bit of love for shopping.”
“I can be coaxed inside the shops every now and again. And does your sister know you are so ungallant as to compare her to a horse? For my own part, I shall say nothing further on the subject.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “My thanks, Miss Amberley, since no offense was meant. As for Mallory, she is well-used to being compared to all manner of unsavory things. It’s what comes of having four older brothers, I suppose.”
Her lips parted. “Four!”
“That’s right. Though last I heard, she’s rid of all but one of them on a daily basis, since Jack and Drake have taken bachelor’s quarters of their own. You’ll only meet those two when they decide to stop by. Edward will be in residence, of course, but then he would be since he’s the duke.”
“The duke!” she repeated, aware of a breathless band of pressure around her chest.
Cade nodded. “Yes. The Duke of Clybourne. Did I not tell you?”
“No,” she gasped. “You did not.”
He chuckled. “Don’t look so stunned. Ned doesn’t bite, at least not much, and he only pulls rank when he’s cross. He’s not nearly so top lofty as some might imagine.”
Cade’s brother is a duke! Heavens!
“So there are five of you, then?” she ventured when she once again caught her breath.
“No, eight.”
“Eight!”
“Hmm. After Mallory there are the twins, Leo and Lawrence, but they’re away at Eton right now, so you’ll likely not meet them except during a visit on school holiday.”
“And the last?”
A tender smile softened his face. “That would be Esme. She’s nine and a delight. I haven’t seen much of her these past few years, but she writes me letters. Sends me drawings as well. I have a likeness of every cat, hound, and horse she’s ever met, and considering the menagerie she keeps in the country at Clybourne, that’s a great many indeed.”
“They all sound…lovely. Your family, that is.”
“Overwhelming, you mean,” he remarked. “Don’t worry. They’ll take you in without a second thought. You’ll be part of the general
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