Page 12 of If the Duke Demands

Quinn grinned at Sebastian’s expense. “And quite happily, too. I’ve also got an estate agent lined up to oversee everything while we’re in London.” A hopeful tone crept into his voice. Quinn was chomping at the bit to find his replacement. As soon as he did, he could leave Islingham and carve out an independent life for himself on his own property. “If he does well, you should consider keeping him on.”

“We’ll see.” Quinton might be ready to charge out into the world on his own, but Sebastian wasn’t ready to give him up just yet. As he glanced between his brothers, he knew how lost he would have been these past two years without their help. “Any other business to discuss?”

“I have plans for London, too,” Mother spoke up.

“Of course.” Sebastian’s eyes softened on her, knowing how beneficial this season would be for her. He’d been worried about her this winter and knew that London would reenergize her spirit. “You want to spend as much time as possible with Josie and the children.”

“No, dear.” Her lips curled into a pleased smile, and her eyes gleamed, reminding him of the joyful woman she’d been before his father died. “Miranda Hodgkins.”

His heart stopped.

And when it started again, the lurch ripped his breath away. He cleared his throat to keep down the panic that his mother had somehow discovered what had happened last night.Almosthappened. “What about her?”

“She’s done a remarkable job with the orphanage these past few years.”

Thatwas what she wanted to say? He smiled with relief. “Yes, she has. A wonderful job by all accounts.”

Her smile turned beaming. “So I’ve decided that we will sponsor her for the London season.”

Dread surged through him, numbing him in a flash. “Pardon?” He prayed that he’d heard incorrectly, that his mother had confused Miranda with someone else, that there was another young woman who needed a sponsor for the season.

“I want Miranda to come to London with us this season, so we can express our gratitude for all she’s done for the orphans and the village. And for our own family as well.” Oblivious to his distress, she continued enthusiastically, “She has no one except Rebecca and Hamish, and they’re not in a position to give her the season she deserves. We are. And we should.”

“To what end?” His chest tightened. Young ladies made London debuts in order to snag husbands. Was his mother seriously considering an attempt to marry off Miranda to some London dandy?

As if reading his mind, she answered, “Only for the experience of it, I assure you. Every young lady should be able to enjoy the excitement of a London season at least once.” She added, almost in afterthought, “Although I wouldn’t chase away any gentlemen who might spark an interest in her.”

Wordlessly, he slid his gaze to Robert. Did his mother have any idea of where Miranda’s true interest lay?

No, of course she didn’t. His mother wasn’t cruel. If she did know, she wouldn’t place Miranda in a position to see Robert wooing anyone else.

When he didn’t agree, her smile dissolved. “It was your idea, Sebastian.”

His idea? Impossible. Yet a fuzzy memory formed painfully at the back of his mind of a passing conversation in the carriage returning from Christmas morning service, a conversation he’d dismissed at the time as unimportant. A London season, introductions, a new wardrobe…all things better left to the ladies, especially when his attention was focused on the estate as he watched it roll past the carriage windows, of repairs that needed to be made to the stables and a new bridge built over the creek between the south meadows, a new roof installed on Blackwood Hall, the walls reinforced around the western pastures…Wouldn’t it be nice, Mother, if you gave Miranda a London season?

Good God. Hehadmentioned it.

“We owe it to her,” Elizabeth Carlisle continued, her eyes glistening. “She was a great help to me after your father’s death when Josie had to return to London. I don’t know what I would have done without her. It would be lovely if we could repay her kindness.”

He conceded that point. Mirandahadprovided important support for his mother during that dark time. She’d stopped by Chestnut Hill every day on her way home from the village to check in on them, often came with her aunt and uncle for Sunday dinners, and cajoled his mother into shopping trips to the village or delivering baskets to the tenants, which Sebastian had come to suspect were nothing but excuses for her to take his mother out of the house and away from her grief.

Theydidowe her a great deal for her kindness. He only wished there was some other way to repay her than with a London season.

“It would break Miranda’s heart if she didn’t have this opportunity,” she insisted.

Sebastian grimaced. It would break her heart to watch Robert court Miss Morgan.

But Mother was right. With only Rebecca and Hamish to care for her, no connections in society except for their family, and not enough money to buy the gowns, accessories, and everything else she would need for a proper debut, Miranda had no chance at a real season without the Carlisles’ help.

And yet, the last person he wanted to deal with in London was Miranda, especially when he was hunting a wife and she was hunting Robert. He couldn’t imagine a more potentially disastrous situation for all of them.

“Perhaps we should wait a year,” he countered gently, doing his best to maneuver himself out of the sticky situation in which he had unwittingly placed both Miranda and himself. Up to their necks. “With this being the first season for the family out of mourning—”

“Certainly not.” His mother straightened her spine in that way she did when she prepared to do battle with her sons, in the past over everything from snakes in laundry baskets to racing cows down High Street. “Besides, I’m looking forward to it myself.” Her face softened at the slightly selfish admission, and a lightness and happiness came over her that Sebastian hadn’t seen nearly often enough since Father died. “Josephine never had a proper debut, and since none of you three have yet to secure wives and grandchildren for me to spoil—”

All three men glanced guiltily away from her, to cast their gazes onto the floor, the wall, out the window—anywherebut on their mother.

“Then I’ll have Miranda to dote on.” She beamed happily at the idea. “And sponsoring her will give me the opportunity to finally assist with a young lady’s London season.”