“I agree, yet how to bring it about?”
Drumming her fingers on the round side table, she turned the problem over in her mind. “First we must ensure Miss Stern is interested in my son, and he feels the same. Once we know that, I am sure something will come to me. David always said I was the most imaginative person he knew.”
* * *
Dom woke the next day still bothered by Miss Stern. Somehow he must manage to avoid her. He groaned.The carriage ride!He’d engaged to take her for a drive today. A sense of guilt nagged at him, and he could hear his uncle’s stern voice berating his decision. Yet he had rarely been happier and was looking forward to spending more time with her. To pay homage to his duty, he resolved to remain at home and work on estate matters until it was time to leave.
Midway through the morning, he was interrupted by his cousin Worthington striding into the study. Dom glanced up, fighting the urge to scowl. “Is there a reason my butler did not announce you?”
“Because I told him not to.” Uninvited, Worthington dropped into a chair as if he were in his own home.
“See here, Worthington. I don’t like being disturbed without notice.”
He raised a brow. “Neither do I. Yet you had no compunction about running roughshod over my butler.”
There was that, but it was different. “I am the head of the family.”
“You are not the head of my family,” Worthington growled.
Dom decided to ignore his cousin’s ill humor. “My uncle said—”
“I don’t give a damn what that old windbag said.” Worthington leaned forward in the chair, his hands clutching the arms. “I’ll show you the charter if you don’t believe me.”
Dom knew of the charter, of course. And despite what his uncle had said, the titles were different. But Uncle Alasdair insisted that as a marquis outranked an earl, Dom was still the head of Worthington’s house. Now that his uncle was dead, Dom didn’t know what prompted him to needle Worthington every time they met, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself. “I’m busy. Why are you here?”
Worthington leaned back in the chair. “To speak to you about Miss Stern before anything can take root.”
Dom had never before had the desire to reach out and grab a man by the throat, but now seemed like an excellent time to start. “What are you talking about?”
“You. Dotty deserves better than to be courted by a cold fish like you.”
Sweat broke out on Dom’s hands as he tapped his pencil. Was his cousin going to forbid him from seeing her? Even the name, Dotty, that he’d hated, didn’t seem so bad anymore. “Who said I was courting her?”
Leaning forward again, Worthington’s brows drew together. “That is exactly what I am talking about. You care for no one but yourself and your blasted consequence.”
His hands curled into fists. “You know nothing about me.”
“I know how you vote,” Worthington snarled. “I know you supported the Corn Laws that will end up causing men, women, and children to starve.”
Of course Dom had voted for the Acts. His uncle had explained how it would help the country. “Supporting the government is the right thing to do.”
“Only if you are a large landowner who doesn’t give a damn about anything or anyone else.” Worthington’s jaw clenched. “But I didn’t come to talk politics to you. How can you say you’re not courting her when you made an engagement to attend the opera with her, had Countess Esterhazy, of all the busy gossips, introduce you to Dotty to waltz, and asked her for a drive in the Park today? Do you honestly think the rest of thetonwill be as sanguine as you are being?Youwill have brought her into their sights, and if you cast her aside, where will she be? Or do you even care? After all, she’s only the daughter of a country baronet.”
The pencil Dom held snapped in two. Rage coursed through his veins, and he wanted to strike out. He forced himself to calm down. Fighting with his cousin would not help him. “Just what do you suggest I do?”
“Cancel your plans. Say you have an emergency at Merton or one of your other estates, and leave Town.”
He breathed through his nose to keep from leaping over the desk and pummeling Worthington. All his life he had done what others told him to do. No longer. Damn. Baronet’s daughter or not, he wanted her. “No. If necessary I will see her father and ask his permission, but you are not going to stop me fromcourtingher.”
Worthington rose from his chair, his hands fisted.
Dom stood as well, keeping his eyes on his cousin’s. He took a step to move out from behind his desk.
And the door opened.
“There you are, Worthington.” Eunice smiled as she strolled into the room. “Grace has come to see me, and she said you might be in here. Oh no, please do not stand on my account. I came to invite you to join us for a cup of tea.”
Eunice glanced from her son to Worthington. Grace had been correct. The two idiots were about to kill each other. Eunice took Worthington’s arm in both her hands. “I shall not accept a refusal, so come along now. We do not see near enough of you and your family. You too, Dominic. You spend far too much time on estate business.” She turned back to Worthington. “You do not know how happy I am that you and Grace have married. I am a distant cousin of hers, and her mother was my dearest friend. I longed for her happiness.”
