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“It means not for your ears, darling.”
Maren climbed up, too, then pushed Mathilda off Beck’s lap. Mathilda shrieked.
“Come here, Mathilda,” Beck’s wife said. The girl who had tumbled to the floor hopped up and ran sobbing to her mother.
Beck set the other one down. “Off you go, Maren. All of you, off you go. And of course, Lila, whatever you say will not leave these four walls.”
“Umm...” Lila wasn’t very certain about that. She glanced around at them all, the adults attentive, the children involved in some sort of contretemps under the larger table now.
Beck looked around, too. “Yes, I see your concern,” he said. “Donovan?”
“Right.” The handsome Mr. Donovan stood. “Aye, come along, lassies, it’s time to pet the pony.”
“The pony! Me first!” shouted Maren.
“No, me!” shouted Mathilda.
“Me!” shouted Maisie.
Donovan picked up the baby, and with a smile for Lila, he led the gaggle of girls out of the room.
“I do hope the next one is a boy,” Beck said wistfully as he watched them go. “All right, Lila.”
Lila could suddenly think much more clearly with the girls gone. She sat up. “I think that Lord Douglas would make Her Royal Highness a very fine match. But I need to know if there is anything I should be aware about him.”
Husband and wife stared at her. “You don’t say,” Lady Iddesleigh said, her voice full of wonder. Then husband and wife looked at each other.
They seemed alarmingly incredulous. “What is it?” Lila asked.
A butler rolled in with a real tea service and began to hand cups around. Lila said, “It seems as if there is something you think I ought to know.”
“No, no, we don’t know very much at all, do we, darling?” Beck said. “I mean, how could we possibly? We are chained to our salon by the presence of four young souls.” He accepted a cup from the butler. “But Ihaveheard it said that his father the duke is financially incompetent and has made some questionable decisions.”
“Yes, darling, but remember, we believe that Douglas has his own funds,” Lady Iddesleigh said.
Remember?So they had discussed this before.
“I’m certain he does,” Beck said as if it was fact.
Lila accepted a cup of tea. “Is that the only cause for concern?” She did not miss the exchange of looks between husband and wife, or how pink Lady Iddesleigh’s complexion turned.
“Well,” Lady Iddesleigh said as she studied her tea. “There has been a rumor.”
Lila couldn’t help but laugh. “There is always a rumor.”
“Yes, but this...” Lady Iddesleigh shook her head.
Lila turned her attention to Beck. He winced. “There was a rumor of a young woman in Scotland. Her family has made...accusations.”
“Oh dear,” Lila said. “What sort of accusations?”
“The usual sort.” Beck drank his tea.
“Specifically?”
“We don’t know,” Lady Iddesleigh said abruptly.
“We don’t?” Beck asked.
