“And you, Lord Baine.” Miss Pembleton replied. “I look forward to us getting to know one another better. Perhaps next time, your brother might permit you to ask your own questions.”
Without waiting for a response, Miss Pembleton swept from the room and her sisters followed her. Luke shook his head, his jaw tight. He strode from the room and Rodger fell into step beside him.
They walked in silence until they reached the guest suites that had been assigned to them, connected by a common sitting area. Luke ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“Well, that was certainly not what I expected.” Rodger said into the silence. “Miss Pembleton is nothing like those rumours.”
“She is much smarter than they gave her credit for, prettier too.” Luke agreed. “But I do not think the rumours entirely without substance.”
“I liked her. She seemed rather nice.” Rodger shrugged and began to look through the stack of books he had brought with them.
Luke only just managed not to gape at his brother. “Nice? Brother, you cannot seriously be considering her?”
“Why ever not?” Rodger raised an eyebrow at him, his hand pausing in its search for an appropriate title.
“She would be most unsuitable. The woman clearly has a temper.” Luke thought of the flashes of anger he had seen in the young woman.
“Only because you goaded her. She was lovely towards me.” Rodger returned to his stack of books.
“You are too trusting, brother, too willing to see the best in people. It is one of your more admirable qualities, but I feel in this instance it may also be your downfall.”
The memory of her sharp, amber eyes glared at him through his memory. How she squinted just before she landed a verbal blow, as if she calculated and analysed her best approach.
Luke shook his head, trying to dismiss Miss Pembleton’s face from it. “She is far too opinionated.”
“Perhaps that will be a good thing. And she held her own just fine against you.” Rodger began to thumb through the volume.“Perhaps I should lend her something to read to help her in your future verbal matches. It is a shame there is not yet a good translation of Kant.”
“The woman said she did not care for such things.” Luke felt his heart sink.He is far too optimistic, I doubt he will find anyone who wants to discuss Kant’s treatise on materiality anywhere near as much as he does.
“No, what she said was that she preferred to do other things, like being out of doors.”
“Exactly. She gardens! And not in the way a lady should.”
“That is hardly the worst thing in the world. It just means she has a more active approach in the things that interest her. Besides, you get involved in more things than most of the aristocracy.” Rodger pointed out. “Most people would not supervise their servants the way you do, nor would they let such things make them late for a meeting with other members of the ton.”
“That is different.” Luke made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
“I do not see how.”
Luke shook his head at his brother. “I am trying to make sure things are done to an appropriate standard. To ensure thateverything is as it should be. That is hardly the same as getting in the way of servants simply to satisfy my own curiosity.”
“It does not sound like she gets in the way.” Rodger said.
“It is not appropriate behaviour.”
“Does it really matter?”
“Of course it does.”
“But it is causing no one any harm.”
“That is not the point.” Luke massaged his temples with his thumb and forefinger.How am I supposed to make him understand?
His father’s familiar cold, blue eyes floated to the forefront of his mind.Propriety and order, that is all that separates us from beasts.Luke stood up straighter.
“Well, I like her. At least she is willing to have a conversation about something other than the weather or the latest fashions! I think she could make wonderful company. And I am sure you will too if you give her a chance.” Rodger flipped open one of his books and began to read.
“I have given her a chance. Several, in fact.” Luke began to pace about the room.
