Page 69 of Sincerely, the Duke
“Five days, Stonerick?” she answered with no reprimand in her soft voice but no smile on her lips either. “Six, if you count this one.”
He grinned. “How can you count today when it’s not much more than half over?” She was miffed, as he expected. “I sent a note to say I’d be over soon.”
“‘Soon’ means in an hour or two, not most of a week.”
“I wanted to get here earlier, Maman, but I’ve had many things to do with Edwina and her sisters.”
“Really?” She lifted her chin and questioned the legitimacy of his statement with her expression.
“Just because Edwina and I decided not to take a wedding journey until later in the year doesn’t mean we don’t want to spend as much time together as possible.”
“That’s nice, dear,” she said a trifle too sweetly.
Rick turned to take his usual place on the plush velvet settee and saw a stack of books at the far end. Two titles caught his attention immediately.An Introduction to SuperstitionsandThe History of Superstitions. That raised his ire. It didn’t appear his mother was ready to give up her new venture, but he could keep Edwina away from it. “What’s this?” He motioned toward the end of the settee.
“Books. You’ve been enjoying getting to know your bride while I have been dithering night and day wondering about the truth of your wife and her sisters’ birth. Is it or is it not true they are triplets?”
“It’s true they are sisters,” he answered without hesitation and only mild firmness, considering how he was feeling at the moment. “All beautiful and very different from each other, I assure you. I’ve found out just how much since they’ve been living with us.”
He would forego telling her the sisters were noisy, calling out to each other when they were in separate rooms, or when one was abovestairs and the other below. They seemed to stomp up the stairs rather than walk quietly as the servants were taught to do, and at times, he heard them giggling like little girls at play when they thought something funny. But moving them in had been the right thing to do for Edwina. She had loved having them near, so he’d put up with the disruption for her. And the hope they would both soon find a suitable man to marry and be living in their own homes.
Alberta leaned forward and peered into his eyes. “I will take up for your wife anytime necessary or herfamily if that might be needed too, Your Grace, but I have concerns about the title.”
Rick blew out a laugh. “You always have.”
“I always will,” she answered with no excuses.
He knew, but his responsibility right now was to Edwina, and he had to make that clear to his mother. “She makes me happy.” Rick looked at the books and then back to his mother. “I don’t want to hear any more talk or discussion about superstitions, folklore, myths, or charting the skies in hopes of telling your future. I don’t want to hear one word about the society you joined. I don’t want to see any more books, pamphlets, or anything else left at my house or yours when I visit. What you do is your prerogative, but it won’t be a part of my life.”
She inhaled deeply and appeared to study over his words. “Is that your way of telling me you don’t intend to look into the duchess’ past to try to determine if what Lady Middleton heard might be true?”
His smile was sincere. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Where, when, or how she was born doesn’t matter to me.”
“Well, I heard an insightful quote at the meeting the other day: ‘Superstitions are only what we think, fear, or want to be true.’” She sniffed and then smiled. “Fate is what actually happens.”
“My thoughts as well. You must decide if you want to believe the countess’ gossip or dismiss it as I have done.” He paused and looked directly into her eyes.
His mother absently fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve as she often did, and said, “You say you are happy.”
“Immensely,” he assured her with conviction. And he was. He wanted to live a long life with Edwina, yet the risk of another fever was never far from his mind. “She’s the perfect wife for me.”
The dowager absently drummed her fingertips on her lap. “Did I tell you I found out Miss Fine’s name should have never been on the list that led to the proposal letter you sent her? My secretary admitted the error to me when we talked about the letter. She wasn’t making her debut, only attending parties at Lord Quintingham’s request.”
“I knew. Edwina told me.”
The dowager’s finely arched brows lifted, and she said softly, “It’s good to hear she’s not hiding everything from you.”
“Maman…” he said with a tinge of exasperation.
“I was only going to add that’s what’s called fate, Your Grace. The way you decided on her name and all the rest of what happened to bring her to your door.” His mother relaxed for the first time since he entered the room. “I suppose I’ve had enough enlightening for now. I’ll go ahead and tell Webster to dispose of the books I’ve collected. That’s why I had gathered them all together. I don’t think I need them anymore.” A pleasing smile appeared quickly, and she looked at her cuff again before saying, “I’ll expect you and the duchess for dinner on Sunday.”
“We accept. I assume the invitation includes her sisters and her Aunt Pauline?”
His mother lifted her chin and shoulders a tad as her brows rose again too. “All three sisters at one time?”
Rick nodded slowly.
Alberta gave him a conciliatory soft breath of a chuckle. “Yes, of course. I’m intrigued by them, you know. And I guess if any of them can read my mind I best find it out sooner than later.”
