Now what game was her cousin playing? “You are?” she asked.
“Yes, I have confirmed that you are alive and well, and that the title remains with you,” Vincent said, placing the teacup down onto the tray.
Delphine stared at her cousin, questioning why he was being so agreeable. He was never agreeable. In fact, that was one thing she could always count on.
Vincent bowed. “I hope you have a most pleasant soiree this evening. I have heard it is in your honor.”
“It is,” she replied. If he was attempting to secure an invitation, he would be sorely mistaken. She had no desire to have him there.
“Well, I must not dally,” Vincent said with a bow. “I will be seeing you, Cousin.”
Delphine remained rooted in her spot as Vincent walked past her and out the main door. She had never had aconversation with her cousin that hadn’t ended in one of them insulting the other. It was almost unnerving.
Perhaps her cousin had finally come to accept that she was worthy of her title. But that seemed unlikely.
So what was he up to?
Chapter Eighteen
As Bennett descended the grand stairs, he saw Delphine emerging from the drawing room with a perplexed look on her face. It was evident that something was troubling her deeply.
He came to a stop on the last step and asked, “What is wrong?”
Delphine’s eyes widened as she turned to face him, appearing startled by his sudden appearance. “Bennett, where did you come from?”
“I just came from my bedchamber,” he replied.
“Yes, quite right,” Delphine muttered distractedly, her hand absently smoothing down the folds of her dress. “Shall we adjourn to the dining room for some breakfast?”
Bennett’s curiosity was piqued, and he wasn’t about to let Delphine walk away without an explanation of what was troubling her. “Did something- or someone- upset you?”
Delphine sighed. “It is Vincent,” she replied. “He came to tell me that he was leaving.”
“And this upset you?”
A line between her brow appeared. “Vincent is notthoughtful. Never has been. So why come and talk to me at all?”
Taking a step towards her, Bennett replied, “People can change.”
“Not Vincent. He is incapable of change,” Delphine asserted.
Grady cleared his throat from his position in the entry hall. “If I may, my lord, I would be happy to ensure Mr. Paterson has truly left the village.”
With a glance at Delphine, Bennett asked, “Would this please you?”
“It would,” Delphine replied.
“Very well,” Bennett said before meeting Grady’s gaze. “Will you inform us when Mr. Paterson departs from the village?”
Grady tipped his head. “Yes, my lord,” he responded.
After Grady departed from the entry hall, Bennett offered his arm. “May I escort you to the dining room?”
Delphine stared at his arm, not making a move to accept it. “Do you think I am being foolish?”
“No, I do not,” he answered.
“I didn’t always have an immense distrust of Vincent,” she shared. “When we were younger, we used to be playmates. But that all changed when my father started to grow ill.”
