Michael looked at his father for the first time. “And if I cannot?”
“Then I suggest the church. Drunken priests do less damage than drunken soldiers.”
“That’s cruel,” said Robert.
“But true,” said Michael. He looked around, as if he weren’t sure wheretolook.
“Then?” prompted Thomas.
“Then comes the hard part. None of you have spent much time in polite society. I allowed this because I’ve never cared for it myself. But I could avoid it in my twenties because I was already married and a father. Emalyn bore the weight of our social responsibilities, and I now regret not seeing that all of you were schooled in the proper behavior of a duke’s son and the responsibilities you have to that society.”
“Thatwehave? Don’t you meanThomas? He’s the heir.”
“Every duke’s son has responsibilities, and at this moment in time Thomas is only heir to the title and the entailed properties. TheAshton estateis much more significant than the ducal entailment and constitutes the bulk of our income. Therefore, you will study with your mother and sister on the proper etiquette of theton, and you will study with me on what is required to run the estate. In three days, you will attend the first event. At the end of this month we will make a tour of the properties, talk to the stewards, and meet the staff.” Philip took a breath. “So the only question remains, are you game? Or should I expect to hear from the archbishop about your application?”
“Do we have a choice?” Robert asked.
Thomas stiffened at the question, his gaze moving from his brother to his father.
“None,” Philip replied.
*
Rose watched hersister’s face in the dressing table mirror, a surge of pride slipping through her. Cecily’s maid had turned her long golden strands into an ethereal uplift hairstyle dotted with pearl-tipped pins, taupe lace, and white feathers. Her dress, which featured a sparse ginger-colored medallion motif on white silk, lay in soft ruffles over her petticoat. The bodice had a modest décolletage but still emphasized the gentle rise of her breasts. Her complexion was smooth, with twin spots of a soft blush on her cheekbones. Cecily seemed to glow in the room’s candlelight. The gossip sheets had already proclaimed her one of the season’s brightest gems for obvious reasons.
“You are so beautiful, sister. You will win the heart of every man there tonight.”
Cecily gave a soft laugh, a light sound both sweet and feminine. “Hopefully, only the bachelors.”
Rose grinned and pinched her sister playfully on the arm. “Well, if any of the married ones pay too much attention, you let me know. I will make sure they end up in this week’s gossip sheets.”
Cecily grinned for a second, then turned serious, twisting suddenly on the stool in front of her dressing table to peer at Rose. Her action startled her lady’s maid, who didn’t react fast enough to release the two feathers she was trying to place in Cecily’s hair. The quills caught in the tight curls, pulling two long strands free. Cecily jumped. “Ouch!”
The maid dipped a slight curtsey. “Sorry, my lady.”
Rose laughed. “You need to sit still, Cecily. Practice not reacting to outrageous statements. Some men love to shock young women, just to get a reaction. They enjoy making you blush.”
Cecily patted her maid’s arm. “It’s fine. I should not let Rose irritate me.” She straightened on the stool and glanced again at her sister in the mirror as the maid set about her repairs. “Butyoushould not try to shock me. You do not have to be my protector, you know.”
Rose stiffened in the chair near Cecily’s bed, fighting off a sour memory. “Oh, yes, I do. You need to focus on winning a husband, not worrying about which rake will try to take advantage of you. That will be my responsibility.”
“I thought that was Mother and Father’s responsibility.”
“They do not hear the rumors I do. When you’ve been on the shelf as long as I have, you hear a lot of gossip.”
“You hear a lot of rumors, but it has nothing to do with your being a spinster and you know it. And you haven’t been one that long. You could still find a husband.”
Rose was both charmed and alarmed by her sister’s naiveté. The urge to protect her sister surged even more forcefully through her. “Cecily, darling, I’m seven and twenty.Eightand twenty next month. This is mytenthseason. No one evenlooksanymore, not even the widowers who already have a passel of half-grown children and no need for additional heirs.”
Cecily examined Rose. “Perhaps if you wore something more in style—what happened to the new blue and gold frock?” She scowled. “Wheredidyou get that dress?”
“A trunk in the attic. It’s not that far out of style.” Rose straightened one of the beads that Sarah had attached to the bodice and tugged on the new sash. “The blue one needs repairs.”
“It looks as if it were from Mother’s first season.”
Rose slid her hands down the tight narrow pleats on her emerald-green skirt and adjusted her bodice. “It’s mine from a couple of seasons ago. I tried one of Beatrice’s old gowns, but it was far too tight and too long. Too late to get it hemmed, even if there was enough to let out.”
Cecily sniffed. “No doubt. You’re only four inches shorter. Same with Abigail. I don’t know why Mother didn’t send their gowns with them when they married.”
