Robert’s grin turned mischievous. “Were you not?”
“I don’t need the dowry.”
“Not if you beget the heir. Otherwise...”
“Rotter.” Thomas sipped his drink, savoring the burning liquid in his mouth a moment before swallowing. “That really is a fine brandy.” He sniffed it and let his breath out slowly. “What are your other speculations?”
“Cecily told Beth that this is Rose’s last season. She may be finding a reason to shut down her network... or end her time in Society with a flourish.”
Thomas shifted in his chair, turning to face his brother more directly. “Why would she leave Society?”
“Beth thinks it’s because she’d always wanted to be a mother, and that’s not going to happen. All her friends—all the ladies she came out with—are married and having children. Once Cecily’s settled, Rose will have no one to shepherd into Society. She can’t be a matron. Her choices will be limited.”
“What does Beth think she’ll do?”
“Move to Yorkshire.”
Thomas stiffened. “Why in the he—Yorkshire?”
Robert chuckled. “This is from Cecily.”
“So it’s not just the servants who know everything.”
“Absolutely not. They have an aunt who has an estate there.”
“I’m still startled you know so much about this woman.”
“Rose and I have known each other for years. And while you were squiring Rose around the room, I was talking to Beth and Cecily. No one would dance with me, so I had to entertain myself.”
Thomas examined Robert a little closer. “Are you in love with her?”
Robert jerked upright, then downed a large gulp of the brandy, wincing and swallowing hard. “Rose? Of course not!”
Thomas almost laughed. “You do realize that was far too enthusiastic an answer for me to take seriously.”
“And you calledmea rotter?” Robert stood, grabbed the poker from the set by the fireplace, and rooted around among the logs that were slowly disintegrating into red embers. “Remember that Rose and I are almost the same age. We played in the nursery together. The park.”
“I remember. Back when we lived in Newbury Hall.”
“And even after we moved to Ashton House. You went off to Eton, but we kept running into each other, especially in the park. Our governesses let us ride together. We remained friends until I followed you to school. We kept writing for a while, but then it just tapered off. She came out, you finished at Cambridge... our lives all went in different directions.”
“You never thought of pursuing her?”
“Maybe. Occasionally. Yes. But any thoughts in that direction would have been fruitless, since she made it so plain in all those letters and rides in the park that I wasn’t the Ashton brother she was interested in.” Robert replaced the poker in the set, straightened, and leaned on the mantel, looking down at Thomas.
Thomas returned the stare. “Dear God, you don’t think—”
Robert nodded. “My third speculation. I think she’s doing it becauseyouare the one doing the asking.”
*
“He is usingyou. Us.”
“We are using each other. I’m well aware of what’s happening.”
“I do not like it.” Cecily perched on the edge of the chair in front of Rose’s desk.
Rose let her quill pause and glanced at Cecily over the top of her spectacles. “Does this mean you won’t accept them as callers? Or dance with them?”
