Page 47 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
“It’s because of Harry, isn’t it?” Juliet asked.
“His Grace,” her father corrected her. “You need to start referring to him by his title.”
“I don’t see why she should,” Matilda argued. “If they’re courting now, they’re naturally going to be even closer to one another than they have been before. They’re going to stop being formal with each other. He calls her Juliet.”
“Perhaps. But for today, at least, you should refer to him by his title,” their father insisted. “You all should. Even you, Daniel.”
“What?” Daniel sounded amused. “You’re talking about my childhood best friend, Father. I don’t understand why you’ve suddenly become so strange about Harry. But I’m certainly not going to pretend that we aren’t close.”
“It’s important for these callers to be reminded at every turn of just who their competition is. They’re here because Juliet is an object of interest to them thanks to her courtship. We need to make sure they remember that her courtship is with the Duke of Burghley, and that they won’t have a chance at winning her away, no matter how much attention they pay her.”
“Itcouldhappen,” Matilda pointed out, glancing at Juliet. Juliet knew her sister was thinking about life after this false courtship. “What if Juliet falls in love with one of these callers? I’m sure that’s what they’re hoping will happen.”
“Well, let them hope, I suppose,” the viscount shrugged. “But it will never happen. None of these gentlemen measure up to His Grace, and I’d never accept an offer from any of them. They’re wrong to hope for it if that’s what they’re doing.”
Then, he smiled at Matilda. “If anything, this is an opportunity for you. They’ll see that my eldest daughter is no longer available to them but that I have a younger daughter who is every bit as lovely, and perhaps their interest will turn to you instead.” He rose to his feet. “At any rate, you ought to go out of your way to be very kind to all of them, Matilda. I’m sure most of these gentlemen will be present at the dinner party we’re throwing next month.”
“We’re having a dinner party?” Daniel, who hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation, now seemed to focus on it once more.
“Oh, yes,” the viscount replied. “It’s important that we celebrate Juliet’s courtship in style, and in public. That will be a wonderful opportunity for Matilda to socialize with these gentlemen. And it wouldn’t hurtyou, Daniel, to think about searching for a young lady whose company you enjoy as well. It’s about time you thought about marriage.”
He left the room, leaving his three children to think about all he had said.
Daniel scoffed. “Marriage,” he muttered, as if his father had suggested he do something much more outlandish than simply get married.
“You don’t want to marry?” Matilda asked.
“Notthisseason,” Daniel said, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. “There’s far too much going on already for me to involve myself in a courtship. It’s more than anyone needs right now.”
“I don’t think you should stop yourself from finding a match just because I’m being courted,” Juliet pointed out.
She hated to think of Daniel holding himself back, delaying the start of his own life because of something she was doing that wasn’t even real.
Daniel shook his head. “There’s no one I want right now anyway,” he told her. “So you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Well, all right,” Juliet relented. “If that’s truly how you feel.”
“It is. Don’t worry about me right now, Juliet. You have your own worries.”
Juliet hesitated. “I’m not worried about anything.”
She knew her sister could see the truth in what she had said, but Daniel just laughed.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t be,” he said. “You and Harry. Who would have thought it?”
“Are you still unhappy about it?” Matilda asked.
“I’m not unhappy about it,” Daniel shook his head. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not a fool,” Matilda scoffed. “Nor is Juliet. We both know you haven’t liked seeing her with Harry. We just don’t know why.”
“It’s difficult to see your little sister being courted by your best friend. That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy.”
“Well, all right,” Matilda drawled. “If that’s what you say about it.”
“I’ve been thinking about when we were all young,” Daniel said. “Remember that, Juliet? Do you remember the way Harry used to tease you?”
Juliet felt suddenly cold.
