She paused at that, staring at him with an unreadable expression, and then her lips curled into a slight smile.
“Perhaps I could, Your Grace, if I knew what it was.”
He blinked at that, startled. Did she really not know his name? Had no one ever told her?
“Matthew,” he said finally. “My name is Matthew.”
“Well then… Matthew, it is quite all right.”
His heart raced again at the sound of his name on her lips and at the slight smile that spread across her face.
It did not take long to arrive at Waterburry House, and then he had the pleasure of helping her down from the carriage and leading her into the house, where her sisters immediately swooped in to hug her and fawn over her.
Their obvious joy at seeing her and their excited chatter was overwhelming. Something he had never experienced before.
He was always pleased to see John and Isabelle, and they always seemed pleased to see him. But none of them acted in such a way.
Even the man he assumed to be her brother was visibly happy to see her, pulling her in for a hug as well.
Matthew’s eyes narrowed as he took in the scene and the man approached him.
“Oh, Matthew, this is my brother, Lord Philip Venton,” Diana spoke quickly, casting a smile in their direction.
It was clear she thought very highly of her brother.
Matthew gave a slight bow, which her brother returned.
“You shall be the one responsible for taking care of my sister,” Lord Venton stated.
Matthew gave a slight nod. “That is right.”
“Good luck.”
He stared at the man, startled, but Lord Venton was laughing, and then Diana and her sisters laughed as well.
“You’ll find she’s quite headstrong, and when she gets an idea in her head… you’ll be at your wits’ end trying to change her mind. But I’ve heard about you.”
Judging by the way Lord Venton’s expression grew serious, the things he’d heard weren’t positive.
“You should be able to hold your own all right.”
“I believe so,” Matthew replied slowly, though he wasn’t entirely sure what the most appropriate answer would be.
“But I will be watching out for my sister. Know that.”
There was a strength to those words that said Lord Venton, for all his casual and easy-going appearance, would certainly not hesitate to defend his sister if the need arose.
“Of course,” Matthew agreed.
But there was something about the way his brother-in-law still looked at him. What was it that Philip had heard about him that made him so wary? What was it that led him to pull his sister a little further away from Matthew and to stare at him for quite so long before he finally gave a sharp nod and acquiesced?
“Come, come, the wedding breakfast is ready.” Lady Waterburry rushed toward them from down the hall, and everyone fell in line.
Lord Venton first turned toward Diana but then hesitated and glanced at Matthew instead. He held out an arm to his two middle sisters, before leading them down the hall toward what Matthew assumed to be the dining hall.
Matthew held out his own arm to Diana as the third sister fell into step behind her siblings. And when Diana accepted his arm and he started leading her forward, this woman… his wife… he had to remind himself yet again of everything that his fatherhad taught him. Because his mind and his heart were rebelling against the stoic nature that he wished to portray.
“Are you quite well, Your Grace—Matthew?” Diana asked.
