Page 69 of The Moonstone Marquess
“Thank you, m’lord. Make yourselves comfortable and I’ll bring out the ale in a trice. My, your nieces are such delightful girls. What a joy it is to have them with us.”
“They are having the best time. I don’t think they’ll want to go back to London when the month is up.” He winked at her. “Makes me wish I was a little boy being tended by the lovely Lady Phoebe.”
She laughed heartily. “You are a naughty man, and I’m sure you were a devil of a boy. She’s such a sweet lass. But I think she would have handled you quite well. She may look meek, but don’t be deceived. They are all fine girls and strong at heart, these Killigrew sisters. But Phoebe has the most inner strength of all of them.”
He grinned. “She’s got me handled, that’s for certain. I’ve never behaved so well in my life…or enjoyed it more.”
Mrs. Hawke nodded. “There’s a magical quality about her.”
“I know,” Richard chimed in. “She has me quite besotted.”
Mrs. Hawke glanced at Cormac and then frowned in disapproval at his friend.
He knew what she was thinking. Who the hell was this upstart to make a claim on Phoebe?
The lioness in question breezed into the kitchen, her cheeks pink and her smile captivating. “Chloe has the girls settled in the dining room. Shall we join them?”
“Ah, I did not realize the little ones were to eat with us,” Richard said.
“Oh, yes, Lord Crawford. We do not hold to formality in this house. Besides, they adore their uncle, and I would not deprive them of the pleasure of his company. Please, do go in. I’ll be along in a moment. Mrs. Hawke, do you need help serving the meal?”
“No, my dear. Mr. Hawke will help me out.”
In the dining room, Cormac took his seat at the head of the table, Imogen on one side of him and Chloe on the other. Phoebe sat on the other side of Imogen, while Ella took a seat beside Chloe. That left the opposite end of the table for Richard, which placed him next to Phoebe.
The table was small, the leaves taken out to make for a more intimate setting.
Still, Cormac did not like Richard being seated so close to Phoebe.
Imogen looked up at him again with her big eyes. “Uncle Cormac?”
He stopped gnashing his teeth. “Ah, the food has arrived. Now I will not feel the need to eat you, my little duckling.”
She giggled, always loving when he teased her.
Once they were all served, Phoebe asked Richard questions about archeology. The rest of the meal was taken up by his conversation, which Cormac might have found quite interesting if not for the fact that Phoebe also found Richard’s holding forth on ancient civilizations fascinating, and that irked him to no end.
Oh, Lord.
Imogen was staring up at him again.
He sighed.
He could not help gnashing his teeth.
When the meal was over, Cormac extended his compliments to Mrs. Hawke. “Truly, one of the best meals I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, Lord Burness.”
It had not escaped his notice that the lamb had been diced into small pieces so they did not require cutting. Phoebe must have requested this of Mrs. Hawke because the girl was a gem and thought of everything.
It was such a small thing, but a huge kindness to him. She knew he was a prideful arse, and having to sit there while someone cut his meat would have been humiliating for him.
Richard seconded the opinion and tossed Mrs. Hawke a flowery compliment.
“Very gracious of you, my lord,” she said with noticeable stiffness. She had obviously decided Lord Crawford was not suitable for Phoebe.
Clearly, a woman of discerning taste.
