Freya was stunned by the suggestion. “Have any of you ever been in the Lyon’s Den?” she asked.
“All of us,” Lady Orson declared with a smile. “Some of us more than once.”
“Lord Graham, mylady,” the Beaufort butler announced Aaran’s presence.
As she always did, Lady Annalise Beaufort scrambled to her feet to greet him. His brother Beaufort had won the heart of a remarkable woman, and, in many ways, Aaran knew great envy. Her Ladyship ignored a necessary curtsy, and, instead, rushed into Aaran’s waiting arms. He chuckled, “You will never change, will you, my girl?”
Her Ladyship rose on her toes to kiss his cheek, and Aaran briefly closed his eyes to savor the moment. “Why should I change?” Lady Annalise questioned. “Beaufort seems to know satisfaction, and you, sir, have always been one of my most trusted confidants.”
“I have,” he said with a smile.
“Come. Sit beside me,” Lady Annalise instructed. “Tea, Mr. Cross, or would you rather have something stronger, my lord?”
“Tea is fine,” Aaran instructed.
“Yes, my lord. My lady.” The butler bowed and disappeared. Meanwhile, Aaran settled beside Beaufort’s wife. “My brother has told Duncan, Orson, Thompson, and me of your news. I must say I approve of the befuddled look on Navan’s countenance these days, but I am a bit befuddled myself as to why I was not in your confidence.”
As he thought she would respond, Lady Annalise barked a laugh. “I had to tell His Lordship first, my lord, and then we both wanted an additional opinion. You know how my husband plans for every detail.”
“Yes, I do, my dear girl. I meant only to tease you. Just know I am quite jealous of my Irish brother,” Aaran admitted.
“You could have the same,” Lady Annalise said softly.
“No one wants to take on a man whose face is scarred and whose leg is turned inward,” he stated before he could reword his response or control his tone.
“You err,” Lady Beaufort declared as she playfully swatted his arm in protest. “Lady Freya Cunningham is more than a bit interested in renewing your acquaintance.”
“She is Iain Cunningham’s daughter. You saw for yourself how much the man despises me,” Aaran argued. “If his wife and daughter had not been traveling with him, he would have spent the night in the woods alone rather than to accept my assistance.”
Lady Annalise caught his hand and brought the back of it to her lips for a gentle kiss. “I guarantee Lady Freya is not immune to your charms, my lord. She has recently befriended Miss Whitchurch…”
“It is my understanding that Lady Cunningham has praised Miss Whitchurch’s work,” Aaran argued. “And before you confess it, I am aware that Lady Freya and her mother called at Macalhey House. Such does not mean…”
“Lady Freya,” she said over his protests, “has conveniently joined me, Lady Emma, and Victoria on a couple of occasions, each with a different mixture of parties. Only yesterday, we went to a tearoom together, after we called upon Madame Emmeline’s modiste for Miss Whitchurch’s final fittings for her marriage clothes.”
Aaran did not know what to say. He concentrated on controlling his breathing, but his mind raced in complete confusion. “Such does not mean the lady would accept my attentions,” he continued to argue.
Lady Annalise frowned. “Why are you men so hard to convince? We women are an open book. Did you not notice Lady Emma’s interest in Orson before Richard did? Even with her scrambled memory, was Her Ladyship not obvious? It was you who convinced her to propose to Orson.”
“Yes, but…” he began.
“Did you or did you not warn Lady Theodora not to mistake my brother’s interest in me, as Alexander wished to prevent Jacob Moreau’s abuse of my person? You even went so far as to make a marriage pact with Dora.”
“Yes, but…”
She continued without his participation. “And I do not need to remind you of your encouragement of Navan’s attentions in Alexander’s absence.”
“But, you two were…”
“Did you not discover the tragic end of Miss Cassandra’s passing so Lord Thompson and Miss Whitchurch could move forward?”
“It was Duncan who arranged the means to guarantee the child’s legitimacy,” he stated with a frown.
“Yet, you laid the bricks upon which Duncan designed his plan. None of this family operates without your hand on the strings to keep it moving forward,” she said smugly. “Both Beaufort and I often comment on how you are essential for Duncan’s family to survive.”
Aaran leaned back heavily into the cushions. “Even if all you say is true, Cunningham would not agree to my courting his daughter. The man would rather give her to…”
“Sir Patrick Hodge,” Lady Annalise said over him.
