Page 48 of The Duke’s Matchmaker

“Then how do you know you don’t like it?” Dorothy asked him.

“Because I only like bird meat. I like turkey and duck and pheasant. And I know that beef means cow.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re a very clever boy. I hadn’t realized.”

He beamed. “I know I am.”

“Will you try the roast beef just as a favor to me? I think you might find that you like it after all, Colin. It’s one of my favorites.”

He cocked his head. “It is?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve loved roast beef ever since I was a little girl. It’s a very special day for me when I get to eat some. I’d love to enjoy it with you, if you’re willing to give it a try.”

“Well…all right.” He took a bite of the sandwich, chewed pensively, and shrugged. “It isn’t so bad, I suppose,” he agreed. “I thought cow was going to taste different.”

“You like steak,” Nathaniel reminded him. “Steak is cow.”

“Oh!” Colin’s eyes widened. “It is?”

“It is,” Dorothy agreed.

“That’s strange. Beef and steak come from the same animal? But when we eat turkey, we just call it turkey. It’s always the same name.” He shrugged. “This is a bit senseless.”

Dorothy laughed. “You’re funny. I’m quite fond of you, Colin.”

“Does that mean you’re going to come to the house more often?” Colin asked her. “Because I’m fond of you too.”

“I’ve become a family friend, I think,” Dorothy said. “Which means…yes, I’m probably going to continue spending time here. Perhaps with additional friends in the future.”

“That’s wonderful,” Colin said. He finished his sandwich. “Can I go down to the river, Father?”

He didn’t correct himself this time, and Nathaniel felt a burst of warmth. “You may go and look at it,” he said. “But you mustn’t touch the water, all right? Because that’s dangerous. I don’t want you getting swept away.”

Colin nodded, jumping to his feet. “I won’t get swept away,” he promised. “I want to have a cookie. So, I’ll make sure I come back in just a few minutes.”

He turned and ran across the lawn to the river.

Nathaniel watched him go. “I guess if it keeps him out of the water, a cookie is as good a thing as any to be motivated by.”

“He’s a great deal of fun,” Dorothy said with a smile. “You’re so lucky to have him.”

“I know,” Nathaniel agreed. “This house has been so much brighter and livelier since he came into it. I’m very lucky that he’s a part of my life. But at the same time, I’m so often at a loss for what to do with him. I have no experience with children.”

“Nor do I,” Dorothy admitted. “I’ve never really been around them. I’m the youngest in my family, and neither of my sisters have any children. Now that my friends are starting to have children, it weighs on my mind a bit…how will I be when it comes to spending time with them? I don’t want them to see me as odd and unrelatable.”

“I don’t think they will,” Nathaniel said. “You’ve really hit it off with Colin, after all. To tell you the truth, I’m surprised by how well you’re doing with him. I knew he liked you, and that a bond of some sort had formed when you visited him during his illness. But you seem to get along so naturally, even now.”

“I’m not doing anything special,” Dorothy said, her cheeks turning that pink that he loved so much. “He’s a bright, engaging child. I enjoy spending time with him.”

“So, you meant what you said? You do plan on coming around to visit again?”

“I…think so,” she said. “If it’s all right with you, that is. I like spending time with him…and with you, for that matter. As long as it’s appropriate for me to do so.”

“There’s no reason it wouldn’t be,” he assured her. “We’re perfectly at liberty to forge a friendship. And right now, neither of us is involved with someone else, so there’s no reason to worry about how someone else would perceive our friendship.”

She nodded slowly. “Of course, soon enough you will be involved with someone, and then we will have to re-evaluate things,” she said. “But I suppose we can cross that bridge when we arrive at it. For now, there’s no problem with our spending time together.”

Nathaniel pulled out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses, which he had found at the bottom of the picnic basket. “Would you like some?”