Page 7 of A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Heirs

Victor chuckled. “Her Grace is not you, Cilla. I don’t think I’ve ever met any woman as unassuming as the Duchess of Burwood. But I am very happy she has found happiness with Burwood. He seems an excellent man, not to mention an accomplished horseman.”

“Why do men put such store in horsemanship?” When Victor opened his mouth to explain, Cilla waved it away. “But truly, I am thrilled for her as well. Honoria has been a remarkably good friend to me.”

“Still, you both would be wise to avoid that household altogether, even if he is a duke,” their mother continued. “The Muckrakerreported yet another scandal. This time with the pretender, Mr. Beckham. I was, however, shocked to learn of Lady Charlotte Talbot’s part in the incident.”

“Why do you read that rubbish?” Victor shook his head. “Most of it isn’t true.”

Cilla grimaced. “I’m afraid in this instance, some of it is true. When I called on Honoria to meet her daughter, she confirmed that Mr. Beckham and Lady Charlotte were married and left on their wedding trip to Wiltshire.”

Their mother huffed an exasperated sigh. “One less eligible woman for you, Victor. Now,shewould have been a feather in your cap. Sister of a marquess.” Shetskedand shook her head. “What a step down she has taken! A plainmister.”

“A very wealthy mister, from what Honoria says,” Cilla added.

Victor enjoyed watching his mother’s eyes widen at that particular bit of news. For the most part, he was grateful his mother’s fascination with gossip had disrupted her mission to find him a wife. His heart wasn’t ready for that quite yet. For a multitude of reasons, he and Lady Charlotte would have made a dreadful match, the least of which would have been that Lord Nash would have been his brother by marriage.

Victor simply couldn’t countenance that. It would be torture having the man flaunt his happiness with Miss Lovelace—err, Lady Nash Talbot—in Victor’s face. Did they go by their honorifics in America, or were they known as Mr. and Mrs. Talbot?

No matter, he supposed. But the fact that a woman as kind and good as Adalyn Lovelace had thrown him over for a despicable, no-good rake like Nash Talbot still galled. Victor thought he and Adalyn had formed an attachment. He’d done his utmost to treat her with respect as a gentleman should, and what did it get him? A broken heart.

His unenthusiastic courting of Lydia, mostly to appease his mother, but also to put Adalyn out of his mind, had dwindled to sporadic calls, which was unfair to both of them.

As his mother droned on about the importance of securing the family’s title and family line, Victor stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Mother, I have an important meeting.”

His mother’s teacup clanked to her saucer. “With whom?”

With myself—in silence. “Since I’ve reached my majority, Mother, I no longer have to provide you with an account of my appointments.”

He almost laughed at the indignant expression on his mother’s face, but to carry his lie, he found the strength to suppress it.

Cilla placed her tea down, rose, and joined Victor. “I should leave as well. I promised Timothy I would be at the clinic this afternoon.”

Their mother gaped. “But didn’t you just arrive? I don’t know why you feel the need to lower yourself andworkat that clinic! You both will be the death of me.”

Making their escape, Victor swept Cilla from the room. Once outside of his mother’s hearing, he gave his sister a stern brotherly examination. “Cilla. Are you...?”

“Am I what? Avoiding Mama? Yes.”

“No. Are you...?” He waved a hand in a circular motion around her abdomen.

His sister laughed. “Men. So fearful of one word. Am I expecting? Pregnant?”

Victor grimaced, and Cilla laughed even louder.

She caressed her stomach. “I believe so. Timothy instructed me to sleep in today and rest.”

“But, Cilla, that’s wonderful news.”

Tears welled in his sister’s eyes. “We have been hoping for so long.”

“Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.”

And as Victor escorted Cilla from the house, he wondered if that was true for him as well. But where was the woman waiting for him who would erase Adalyn Lovelace from his mind?

CHAPTER 3

Flanked by Drake on one side and Honoria on the other, Juliana pulled in a fortifying breath as they waited in the entrance of Lord and Lady Montgomery’s London townhouse. Juliana had instantly liked the outspoken redhead and her more reserved husband when she’d met them at Drake’s house party the previous summer. And Honoria assured her Bea would not stand for anyone mistreating a friend.

“You’re in for a real treat, Juliana,” Honoria leaned down to whisper. “Susan told me she heard it from Lady Montgomery’s maid that Camilla Somersby will be singing this evening. What a magnificent voice. It’s a shame she and Dr. Somersby were unable to attend the house party last year. They might have saved me from the humiliation of singing that embarrassing song.”

---