AllFreeNovel
Share Us
/>
“Then I shall be content to let him think me an adorable fool as long as he holds up his end of the bargain.”
Harriett looked at her sister with new eyes. “I think your future husband is in for the shock of his life.”
Cat’s smile turned sly. “Only if I choose to reveal myself in the end.” She patted an errant curl back into place. “We’d best get below before Papa talks the man to death and gives him more information than he ought.”
Twelve
Roland looked up as the two women entered the room, and his mouth went dry as Harriett came around to sit opposite him. Her hair was up in a simple yet elegant arrangement, and she wore a pale green that brought out the color in her eyes. The teal gown she’d worn at the Penworth ball had had a similar effect, he remembered.
The memory of that night—of that kiss—assaulted him physically. She, on the other hand, looked cool and confident, as if the whole thing had never happened. He wondered how long she could keep up the façade.
Her sister sat beside him with a little bounce. “I was so pleased when Harriett told me you’d be joining us for dinner. Not that she and Papa aren’t excellent company, but it’ll be so nice to have someone new to talk to,” she said cheerily, earning her father’s stern glare.
Roland chuckled. “I suppose the saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ is somewhat true, isn’t it?” The girl was full of vim and vigor, her blue eyes curious, her manner engaging—and as unlike her sister as anything in both looks and temperament. By all rights, she ought to have been the more attractive of the pair. Instead, he had to fight not to stare at the taciturn Harriett. “I shall endeavor to be more entertaining than I was this afternoon, my lady.”
The blonde girl batted her lashes. “I’m delighted to listen to anything Your Grace wishes to discuss, of course.”
“Nevertheless, I’m sure we can find a more interesting topic for this evening’s conversation,” he promised, his gaze sliding to Harriett. “What say you, my lady?”
“I’m sure I couldn’t find anything more interesting to talk about than your plans for the Hospital,” replied Harriett, all sunlight and sweetness. “However, for my sister’s sake I shall agree to defer the topic. We will have plenty of time to discuss such things next week—if Your Grace is not obliged to be elsewhere, of course.”
Touché. He favored her with a slow smile, acknowledging the barb. “Though my duties are more than enough to keep me busy, I shall always make time for you, Lady Harriett.”
“At your leisure, of course,” she answered. “After all, I would never wish to inconvenience you, Your Grace.”
Her expression was placid and her demeanor pleasant—affable, even—but he wasn’t fooled. She was as tense as a bowstring and as infuriated as a cornered badger. A thrill shot through him. How he’d missed this! He’d missed crossing swords with her, missed the way his blood heated when battling her sharp mind and tongue. Being here with her now was like consuming a rich, flavorful meal after a week of nothing but bread and water.
I’ve missed her. His gut clenched. To hide his disquiet, he turned to her sister who was now absorbed in rearranging the flowers on the table. “Lady Catherine, what might you like to talk about in lieu of the Hospital, since your sister has been so kind as to let us off the hook?”
The girl leveled a vacant stare at him. “Oh! Am I to choose, then? How lovely! It isn’t often I’m given the privilege in this house, my being next to youngest.” She giggled a little and bit her lip. “Well, I suppose I should like to know more about you, Your Grace.”
It was the right thing for a properly trained young lady to say, and he ought to have feigned flattery. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard quite enough about me from your sister,” he said, glancing at Harriett.
“Not at all, Your Grace,” insisted Catherine. “In fact, I’ve been quite annoyed by how tight-lipped she’s been these past few weeks. Of course, I shouldn’t perhaps have expected her to be very forthcoming. After all, she hardly ever spoke about your brother, either.”
“Cat!” hissed Harriett, frowning.
“Well it’s true! You didn’t.”
Dunhaven cleared his throat. “Ah, Catherine, why don’t you tell His Grace about your plans for a garden gazebo? His knowledge of architecture may be instructive in improving the project.”
It was a deliberate redirection from a subject that was obviously a point of contention between the two siblings. Roland smiled encouragingly at the girl. “Do you share your sister’s fascination with building things then, Lady Catherine?”
“Me? Not at all, Your Grace,” answered the blonde. “I simply thought it might be nice to have a bit of shade in that part of the garden. We had an enormous tree there, once upon a time, but lightning struck it last summer and it had to be cut down. I’ve drawn a few sketches of what I should like to see replace it, but nothing more. Harriett, as usual, spoiled my fun and told me they’d never work. She tried explaining why, but I could hardly understand a word of her explanation—she spoke of tinsel stress and jousts and such. It was like listening to someone speak in a foreign tongue.”
“Tensile stress and joists,” Harriett quietly corrected.
Catherine’s delicate brows drew together and she opened her mouth—doubtless preparing to protest being made to look a fool—but her red-faced father intervened. “Why don’t you run and fetch them and let His Grace have a look? He might be able to advise you regarding which will best suit.”
The young woman’s mutinous expression transformed to one of delight. “Would you?”
“I would be delighted,” Roland said, smiling at her.
She jumped up at once and shot Harriett a smug look. “I shall fetch them at once.” Whirling, she all but ran from the room.
Dunhaven’s shoulders sagged with relief. “My apologies, Your Grace. She is young and has lived a very sheltered life.”
