Page 62 of The Insufferable Duke
“Isaac, is it possible you have done this, and it has just slipped your mind?” Christopher asked meaningfully. Isaac was becoming more and more forgetful these days. It was possible that he had done it and not even realized what trouble he had caused.
“Well…” Isaac didn’t answer.
“There you are, you see,” Laura declared and waved a hand at him across the room. “You have to keep an eye on him.”
“How many people has this change of address been sent to?” Frances asked, pushing away her own embroidery.
“There is no way of knowing, not if he can’t remember,” Christopher grumbled, fearing it would be a late night if he and the messengers would have to go to so many houses. “I cannot believe you would go to such lengths.”
“I haven’t!” Isaac insisted.
“He plainly did,” Laura said, glaring at him. Frances sighed deeply and discarded her embroidery entirely.
“Worry not, Robert. Even if you had no guests turn up, you would still have enough people to witness the ceremony. He does nothing to stop the wedding; he only embarrasses us.” Frances shrugged, hardly appearing as if she cared.
“Mother?” Robert stepped toward her. “Have you accepted this marriage or not?”
Christopher waited for the answer, finding himself curious.
“Julia is a fine young woman,” Frances said with a smile. Robert audibly sighed with relief and turned back to face Christopher. “As for the rest of the family, I have other thoughts on them.”
“Mother!” Robert hissed. “No more of this. You agreed to be kind.”
“It is very hard to be kind and to humor a family that does not deserve one’s good nature,” Frances insisted and snatched up her embroidery again. “Would you not agree, sister?”
“Well, I…” Laura struggled for words, looking between her sister and her nephews. Christopher moved his hands to his hips, waiting. “No matter what one thinks of the family, it is admirable, I believe, to risk the wrath of those you love for another that you love.”
“Oh, you are too romantic for your own good.” Frances waved a dismissive hand at Laura who returned her focus to her sewing, clearly wishing she hadn’t spoken at all.
“The family is not so awful,” Christopher said in a low tone as he snatched up the letters.
“What did you say?” Isaac stood shakily to his feet, reaching for his cane that wobbled beneath him. “You mean to defend them? Shall I tell you what awful people the Carters are? Shall I tell you what their ancestor did to ours, all those years ago?”
“Challenged him to a duel because his love chose our ancestor, instead of him; yes, we know this story,” Christopher said restlessly, looking over the letters in his hand. “You forget, at the moment, that you told us the tale many days of our lives and sometimes twice a day.”
“Have I told the story already today?” Isaac frowned.
“Yes,” Christopher and Robert said in unison.
“Oh. Very well.” Isaac sat down again and placed his cane between his knees, resting his chin upon the top. “Then you know what awful people they are. The Duke of Dunton, what a proud man. Do not even get me started on his eldest daughter.”
Christopher’s hands tightened around the cards. His eyes flicked up to stare at Isaac.
“What a proud woman she is. Have you ever seen a woman walk around as she does?” He attempted an impersonation, lifting his chin high and swinging his shoulders side to side as if he were striding around a room, rather than sitting crumpled in a chair. “How proud indeed!”
“She is not proud.” Christopher cut across his great-uncle with harshness. The suddenness of his words drew the attention of the room, who all looked toward him. Laura pricked herself on a needle again, but she placed the wounded finger in her mouth and didn’t even mutter a noise of pain so as not to disturb the silence. “I will not have you insult Lady Helena, Uncle.”
“Whyever not? She is a daughter of that family —”
“Is that the worst thing you have to accuse her of?” Christopher slammed his hand down on the table beside him, making his uncle jump so much he dropped his cane. “That she is related by blood to one you resent. That’s it? Has Lady Helena in any way ever done anything to hurt you? To harm you? To affect your life?”
Isaac struggled to answer. His lips opened and closed again.
“No, I thought not.” Christopher was furious, unable to hold back his anger.
It wasn’t just anger at the trouble Isaac had caused with the wedding, which would now have to be rectified, but also the words about Helena had cut him to the bone. “She has a good heart and is devoted to her sister. She has tried hard these last few weeks, as have I, to put these two families on friendlier ground. Out of everyone in that family, if you choose to lambast her, then you are picking the wrong person. Choose another to hate, for she does not deserve it.”
“You speak passionately, son,” Frances observed with interest. Christopher looked at his mother, aware of her penetrating gaze. “You feel softly toward this woman?”
