Page 63 of The Duke and the Runaway Bride

Phineas glared at his boys and then smiled.

Beatrice let out a breath. “Thank you,” she said to Modesty. “That was a fine speech, and I am so glad to have you here tonight.”

“Oh, please stop, or you will make me cry again,” Modesty pleaded. “The ramblings of an old fool.”

“The wisdom of an astute woman,” Edwin corrected.

“I can drink to that,” Phineas said, holding up his glass. “To the wisdom of astute women.”

“To the wisdom of astute women,” everyone chorused.

Edwin said the words while looking down at his wife. Something about how the night had gone stirred something inside him. He was used to taking control of situations, and most of his dealings were rooted in business, which meant there was not a lot of room for emotions. The dinner with her family was charged with emotions.

He’d never attended a dinner party like that before, but he didn’t dislike it.

Perhaps the thing he liked most about it was the way Beatrice put her hand on his leg when he had defended her. As he looked at his wife, he wished for that hand to touch more than his clothed leg. It was her dimples, again. When she smiled back at him and her delicate dimples popped, he wished to kiss her.

The refreshments washed away the tension of the evening, and the main course brought a more relaxed atmosphere. Braised duck was served to everyone with potatoes, parsnips, and roasted celery. One maid circled the table with a gravy boat, adding thick red wine sauce to each plate.

“Perhaps not the most elegant way to broach the topic,” Letitia stated, “but with all the talk of illegitimate children, when will we hear an announcement about more grandchildren?”

“Mother,” Beatrice warned.

“Well, do I not have a right to know? Your younger sister is already with child, and that was supposed to be you, my dear. You are wed, and children should follow.”

“I wish to take care of our issue first before we start a family,” Edwin interjected. “I can assure you that you will have more grandchildren soon.”

“That is a reasonable answer,” Letitia relented, looking at her daughter.

“Now that we have broken bread, so to speak, we must talk about the debuts of the two young women at the table,” Beatrice said, in a desperate attempt to change the subject. “As we are all such good friends now and understand each other better, would it not be wonderful if they were to debut together?”

“Are you suggesting hosting a ball at your estate?” Letitia asked.

“Well, no,” Beatrice said quickly, glancing at the Duke. “There are many important balls throughout the Season, and we might choose any one of them as the first official event that Elizabeth and Hannah would attend. Any host would be pleased to have them.”

“I suppose it would be possible,” Phineas agreed. “We had hoped Hannah might attend events with her cousin, as you and Charlotte are now both married. But if they are getting on well, it could work.”

“Oh, we are getting on splendidly, Father,” Hannah claimed. “Can I please attend events with Lady Elizabeth?”

“Your Grace,” Elizabeth said politely, putting some of her training to good use. “May I attend events with Lady Hannah? If I had a good friend with me, I would not be so nervous, and the balls would be a lot more fun.”

“Oh, yes, a lot more fun,” Hannah echoed.

The two women reminded Edwin of the twins. They formed one unit, and they attacked together. He was sure there could be some mischief there, too. Yet, most of all, it looked like they had become best friends in only a few hours.

“It is fine with me,” Edwin replied.

“I don’t see why not,” Phineas added.

“Oh, thank you,” Elizabeth and Hannah said in unison.

“Oh, thank you,” the twins mimicked, before bursting into laughter.

“Our families are becoming intertwined,” Phineas said to Edwin. “You have married my oldest daughter, my youngest and your sister look inseparable, and I hope our business deals lead to much more business.”

“Yes,” Edwin agreed, not sure which part he was agreeing to or if he was agreeing to it all.

There was something strange about it all. Not strange in the conventional sense, but strange to him. When he had married Beatrice, her family were only her relations and he didn’t care about them at all, except for doing some business with her father to be polite (which also benefitted him).

---