plain. Or worse.
Andrew looked over his shoulder at the silent couple behind him. “Believe it or not, I looked up to Tristan. I admired him more than I admired my own brothers.”
“That isn’t saying much,” Tristan added with a chuckle. “You hate your brothers.”
“Don’t interrupt my story,” Andrew playfully chided him. “Now… where was I?”
“You were telling her how I was your childhood hero, I believe.”
“Oh, come on… isn’t that a bit over the top?”
For the first time in so many days, Leona laughed. She wished she could banter with her husband the way Andrew did. To be able to talk to him so casually—that’s what she wanted more than anything. It would certainly make her days at Randall Hall a lot more pleasant.
“I’m sure Lady Randall won’t believe her ears when she hears this ,” Andrew continued. “I enjoyed Tristan’s company because he was the most adventurous, rambunctious child you could ever imagine.”
Leona’s eyes, wide with shock, swiveled on her husband. “Really?”
“I know it’s hard to believe… seeing what an idle spoilsport he’s become. We used to climb trees and fight duels.”
“Duels?” Leona gasped.
“Yes, with sticks,” Andrew explained. “Being a few years older than me, he would always win. He’s always been taller than me.”
“As if size has anything to do with it!” Tristan added with a snicker.
“It does!”
“It doesn’t,” Tristan held his ground, “You were just awful.”
Leona smiled as she listened to their repartee. Andrew’s arrival was turning out to be a blessing. If he hadn’t come, she would still be in her bedroom, hiding from Lord Randall and wallowing in self-pity. Leona was realizing how childish she’d been. “So… how old is my husband?” she asked, hoping her question wouldn’t affect the tone of the conversation.
“You mean, he hasn’t told you?” Andrew asked, punctuating his question with a gasp. “By God, he’s ancient ! If you get close enough to his joints, you can hear his old bones squeaking when he moves.”
Tristan dealt a playful slap to the back of his friend’s head. “You’re one to talk! In a few months, you’ll be thirty yourself!”
“Yes, but not four and thirty!” Andrew said, answering Leona’s question.
Four and thirty? For some reason, she thought her husband was older than that.
“And you, my lady? What might your age be?”
Like her husband, Leona was tempted to slap Andrew’s head. “You fiend! You shouldn’t expect a lady to own up to her age!”
To which Andrew countered, “When the lady is as young as you undoubtedly are, I see nothing wrong with asking such a question.”
Tristan looked over at his wife. He, too, was waiting to hear the answer to Andrew’s question.
“Two and twenty,” Leona replied. “Am I older than you thought I was?”
“No. You’re still very young,” Andrew insisted. “You’re the youngest one here… err…” In the corner of his eye, he saw the maid shifting in her seat. “That is… perhaps… Mary, are you younger than that?”
Mary’s somnolent eyes sprung to life, swelling to three times their natural size. She hadn’t expected to be included in the conversation. “Goodness, no!” she laughed. “I’m much older than that. That must be obvious when you look at me.”
“Mary is thirty too,” said Leona.
“Thirty-two?”
“No, I mean… thirty as well ,” Leona corrected herself.
“Well, I’m not quite thirty yet,” Andrew emphasized. He gave the reins a tug, pulling the horses to a stop. They’d circled Randall Hall a few times; now they were back on the front lawn.
“And I’m not quite dead yet,” Tristan said with a chuckle, hopping from the phaeton like a man full of youth and vigor. He extended a hand toward his wife, offering to help her down. “ Yet being the operative word. After today, I’m sure you wish you had married Andrew instead of me.”
Leona took his hand,
Andrew looked over his shoulder at the silent couple behind him. “Believe it or not, I looked up to Tristan. I admired him more than I admired my own brothers.”
“That isn’t saying much,” Tristan added with a chuckle. “You hate your brothers.”
“Don’t interrupt my story,” Andrew playfully chided him. “Now… where was I?”
“You were telling her how I was your childhood hero, I believe.”
“Oh, come on… isn’t that a bit over the top?”
For the first time in so many days, Leona laughed. She wished she could banter with her husband the way Andrew did. To be able to talk to him so casually—that’s what she wanted more than anything. It would certainly make her days at Randall Hall a lot more pleasant.
“I’m sure Lady Randall won’t believe her ears when she hears this ,” Andrew continued. “I enjoyed Tristan’s company because he was the most adventurous, rambunctious child you could ever imagine.”
Leona’s eyes, wide with shock, swiveled on her husband. “Really?”
“I know it’s hard to believe… seeing what an idle spoilsport he’s become. We used to climb trees and fight duels.”
“Duels?” Leona gasped.
“Yes, with sticks,” Andrew explained. “Being a few years older than me, he would always win. He’s always been taller than me.”
“As if size has anything to do with it!” Tristan added with a snicker.
“It does!”
“It doesn’t,” Tristan held his ground, “You were just awful.”
Leona smiled as she listened to their repartee. Andrew’s arrival was turning out to be a blessing. If he hadn’t come, she would still be in her bedroom, hiding from Lord Randall and wallowing in self-pity. Leona was realizing how childish she’d been. “So… how old is my husband?” she asked, hoping her question wouldn’t affect the tone of the conversation.
“You mean, he hasn’t told you?” Andrew asked, punctuating his question with a gasp. “By God, he’s ancient ! If you get close enough to his joints, you can hear his old bones squeaking when he moves.”
Tristan dealt a playful slap to the back of his friend’s head. “You’re one to talk! In a few months, you’ll be thirty yourself!”
“Yes, but not four and thirty!” Andrew said, answering Leona’s question.
Four and thirty? For some reason, she thought her husband was older than that.
“And you, my lady? What might your age be?”
Like her husband, Leona was tempted to slap Andrew’s head. “You fiend! You shouldn’t expect a lady to own up to her age!”
To which Andrew countered, “When the lady is as young as you undoubtedly are, I see nothing wrong with asking such a question.”
Tristan looked over at his wife. He, too, was waiting to hear the answer to Andrew’s question.
“Two and twenty,” Leona replied. “Am I older than you thought I was?”
“No. You’re still very young,” Andrew insisted. “You’re the youngest one here… err…” In the corner of his eye, he saw the maid shifting in her seat. “That is… perhaps… Mary, are you younger than that?”
Mary’s somnolent eyes sprung to life, swelling to three times their natural size. She hadn’t expected to be included in the conversation. “Goodness, no!” she laughed. “I’m much older than that. That must be obvious when you look at me.”
“Mary is thirty too,” said Leona.
“Thirty-two?”
“No, I mean… thirty as well ,” Leona corrected herself.
“Well, I’m not quite thirty yet,” Andrew emphasized. He gave the reins a tug, pulling the horses to a stop. They’d circled Randall Hall a few times; now they were back on the front lawn.
“And I’m not quite dead yet,” Tristan said with a chuckle, hopping from the phaeton like a man full of youth and vigor. He extended a hand toward his wife, offering to help her down. “ Yet being the operative word. After today, I’m sure you wish you had married Andrew instead of me.”
Leona took his hand,
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