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“This isn’t proving exactly easy, you know,” he said beneath his breath.
“Why not the weather?” Dinah continued, “Or last night’s musicale performance.”
Would that he had thought of those before now.
“Or,” Eliza added cheerfully, “whether or not Adam’s attire has improved since our wedding.”
“No debate to be had there,” Seth said.
“Certainly not,” Dinah agreed with a quick smile for her sister. “But...fish compared to pheasant?”
Seth shook his head. “I was going for unique and memorable.”
Both his daughters laughed—and like always, it lifted his spirits.
“I think your little disagreement was certainly memorable,” Eliza said.
Dinah nodded, but her lips pulled to the side. “Memorable, but not exactly successful.”
Seth looked from one daughter to the other. But they seemed in agreement about this. “What do you mean?”
Eliza placed a hand on his arm. “I’m afraid, though you did disagree, it didn’t exactly convince anyone that...”
“That you aren’t rathermorethan good acquaintances,” Dinah finished for her.
Hang it all. Seth collapsed back into his seat. “You mean to say I went through all of that for no good reason?”
Dinah giggled, but at least his oldest daughter’s expression was a bit more sympathetic.
“Consider it a good first try,” Eliza said.
Something caught Dinah’s eye the next moment, and she stood. “Excuse me, Henry’s giving me that look. He made me agree before we came that when he was ready to leave, I’d come up with a good excuse.”
“Can you make up a good excuse for me, too?” Seth asked.
Unfortunately, Dinah only laughed again and walked off.
“I was in earnest,” he said to his remaining daughter.
“You’d best stay at least another half hour, or it might appear rude.”
“But it’s all right if Dinah and Henry leave?”
Eliza’s lips pulled to the side. “It’s more that Henry’s title is high enough that he’s allowed to be rude from time to time.”
That was society. The more elevated one’s title, the more one could do without repercussions.
“Moreover,” Eliza said, dropping her tone, “Henry’s nephews, Miles and Oliver, have, for no good reason, decided that being a twin is quite suddenly unfair. They’re acting out horribly and driving Henry mad, it seems.”
Seth could remember those days. He’d never had sons himself, but he could full well recall those moments when his girls were ready to throttle one another. He was always caught in the middle of it, somehow. At times like that, no matter what he’d tried, he was always the enemy.
Seth reached out and took Eliza’s hand. “They’ll grow out of it.” And, no doubt, grow up understanding how to stay in society’s good graces. A trick Seth himself was failing miserably at.
From across the room, he caught Charlotte watching him. She gave him a quick half-smile and then returned her attention to the game.
But helping that brilliant, lovely woman would be worth it.
Like Eliza had said, tonight had proved to be a good first try.
A failure apparently, as both Eliza and Dinah were in agreement that he and Charlotte hadn’t convinced anyone of anything.
Still, it was a first try. Nothing could be done if one never started with a first try.
Hopefully he’d figure this out soon, though. He wasn’t sure how many more nights such as this one he could endure before he started acting out as badly as Henry’s twin nephews.
