Page 80 of Better Than a Duke
“You laugh at the same things, and I don’t know what you chat about, but you do it a lot. Is he your friend?”
Out of the mouths of babes. “Yes. He is.” Friends who shared delicious kisses and, on occasion, had very excellent sex in the garden.
“I’m glad. You should have a friend, too, and the Raineses are good company.”
Her papa and Eddie’s mama spent a great deal of time these days looking at each other, mostly when the other one couldn’t see it. To Rebecca that said they were mad at each other about something but didn’t want to talk about it. And that wouldn’t do.
In addition, Papa had written a letter to Lady Pauline to apologize for the squirrels, and he’d made Rebecca add a note to the end saying how sorry she was, too. She didn’t mind writing the note, but shedidmind the way he’d made it sound like she would welcome more visits with Lady Pauline.
Her and Eddie’s plan wasn’t working. And they were running out of time. Old Moldy had taken Mrs. Silbern driving, and when she came back, Eddie said she was quieter, like she’d decided to do something that didn’t make her happy. And Papa said he’d half proposed to Masquerade now.
With Brubbie behind her, Rebecca trotted down the stairs and into the morning room. “We should go fly kites,” she announced with a pirouette, because her dress flared out when she did that and it was a very pretty pink and yellow.
Her papa looked up from his newspaper, because he’d stopped reading them at the breakfast table. “Kites?” he echoed.
“Yes. It’s quite breezy today, so we should all go fly kites. At St. James’s Park. Hyde Park is too crowded, and I don’t want to scare the horses.”
“That’s good thinking.” For a second he looked at her, in a way that told her he wasn’t going to agree, and she wasn’t going to like the reason for that. “Perhaps we could do that tomorrow, Rebecca. Today we’re going to a luncheon.”
“You and me, ‘we’?”
“Yes.”
She lifted an eyebrow the way he did when he was skeptical about something. “Where are we going to luncheon? To Grove House, I hope, with Eddie and Mrs. Silbern.”
“No, we’re going to Bursk House.”
“Grandmother’s house?” Rebecca slumped onto the couch. “She always follows me about, pointing out everything I’m not allowed to touch.” Her grandmother, the dowager marchioness, also treated her like she was a rabid dog, offering her treats but making sure their hands didn’t touch, and never turning her back.
“She does the same thing to me.” He set the newspaper aside. “We owe Pauline a nice meal without squirrels, Cricket. This will be it.”
“Lady Pauline will be there, too?”
“Yes.”
Stifling a sigh, Rebecca scooted forward. Clearly there was something she wasn’t understanding about Papa and Lady Pauline. “Is she perfect for you?”
“If I’m to remarry, I would like it to be to someone who is patient, proper, has common sense, and who can be a good guide for you as you get older. Given those requirements, I suppose that yes, she is perfect for me.”
“Are you going to have more children?”
“I’ve done everything I can to ensure that you will have a comfortable life whether you ever marry or not, Rebecca, but you can’t inherit my title or most of my properties. Those will go to my second cousin, Percival, if I don’t have a son. If you have a brother, I am hoping you will be able to live in whichever of my properties you choose, for as long as you wish. A son is the only way I can assure that.” He tilted his head. “But we have had this conversation before, even if it ended with you telling me you would rather have a pony.”
“I remember that.” She smiled. “I was little then.”
“You’d like having a younger sister or brother, wouldn’t you?”
This was complicated. She wanted an older brother, but if she said that, her father would know exactly what was going on. If that happened, Papa would think she was being selfish, and then boarding school. “I wouldn’t mind a bigger family, I suppose, if we can all have fun and laugh together like we do with the Silberns. It’s been spectacular.”
He grinned. “Yes, it has been.”
“Do you think we could have Mrs. Silbern and Eddie come holiday with us after the Season? I told Eddie about our pond, and now he wants to learn how to punt.”
His smile slipped just a little, but enough so she could see it. “We’ll invite them, certainly,” he said. “But Mrs. Silbern is likely getting married, as well, and she’ll be with her husband.”
“The Duke of Trent?” She made a face. “Are they going to kiss?”
“That, Cricket, is none of our affair.” He stood up and straightened his coat. “I’ve some correspondence this morning. You have mathematics with Mrs. Brubbins. Please stay in the house, and we’ll be leaving here at half twelve.” With that he headed for his study.
