Page 29 of Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde
Edith might be a problem when we decide to call things off.
Meg tucked the thought away as she surrendered her empty cup to a footman, then at Drago’s direction, she turned to find herself facing two couples. Both ladies bore a strong resemblance to the duchess and were several years older than Meg, while the gentlemen were Drago’s age or a touch older.
“Allow me to present my sisters and their husbands,” Drago drawled. “Claudette, Mrs. Pemberthy, and Melanie, Mrs. Forsythe. And of course, Pemberthy and Forsythe.”
Everyone shook hands. “We’re absolutely delighted to meet you, Miss Cynster,” Claudette said.
“Please, just Meg,” Meg replied.
“Well, she’s Claud and the older one, and I’m Mel,” Melanie said, “so you and I are going to have to listen carefully at family events when everyone is shouting names.” She grinned at Meg. “You cannot imagine how much we’ve looked forward to this day.” She transferred her gaze to Drago. “Now our dear older brother will have someone else to fuss over.”
Drago arched a superior brow. “I haven’t fussed over you since the day I put your hand in Forsythe’s. From that moment, you became his responsibility.”
Forsythe huffed. “And never a dull moment since, let me tell you.” But his gaze as he looked at his wife was fond.
“You see?” Claudette said. “Trust me, Drago will be forever hovering.”
Melanie uttered a dramatic sigh. “It runs in the family, sadly. I know of no one who’s discovered a way to break Helmsford men of the habit.”
Meg laughed. “They sound awfully like Cynster men.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Melanie said. “You come from a similar family, so you already know what you’re in for.”
Meg glanced at Drago. “I fear I do.”
With no more than a lift of one slanted eyebrow, he turned to chat with his brothers-in-law, who apparently wanted a moment of his time.
Claudette and Melanie were very ready to draw Meg into their own circle of three.
“They’re chatting about politics,” Melanie explained. “Both our husbands hold seats in the Commons.”
“Often, their discussions are quite boring,” Claudette said, “but we’ll learn what it’s all about on the way home. Sometimes, Parliament’s business is worth knowing.”
“Especially if,” Melanie said, “as sometimes occurs, we can…adjust their thinking.”
“Indeed.” Claudette cast a swift glance at Drago and their husbands, who appeared momentarily absorbed. Lowering her voice, Claudette said, “One thing—just a word to the wise. Drago appears so easygoing and, indeed, malleable, but there’s not one person here, or in fact anywhere, who has ever succeeded in controlling him.”
Melanie nodded. “If he thinks your suggestion will suit him, he’ll go along like a lamb, but if he wants to go in some other direction, nothing on earth will sway him.”
“Which,” Claudette concluded, “is why we’re so pleased he’s chosenyouas his bride.”
Melanie explained, “We’ve been dreading who he might choose, you see, because once he’d decided, there would be no arguing, and while we’re entirely happy that he’s marrying, we would greatly prefer that he does so without creating any social waves.”
Claudette rested her hand lightly on Meg’s sleeve. “As you’ll understand, anything that affects the dukedom is always of interest to the ton and also to the political classes.”
Meg blinked. “I hadn’t thought of that, but yes, I do understand.” She was aware that some of her relatives, the Duke and Duchess of St. Ives, were of necessity quite involved in political affairs.
“Of course,” Melanie assured her, “once you and Drago are wed, Claud and I will be around to help you navigate the political shoals.”
Claudette grinned and nodded. “It’ll be quite a family effort.” Her expression stated she was looking forward to the challenge.
A minute later, Drago appeared by Meg’s side, and he and she moved on to another group of relatives.
While chatting with the ladies, Meg overheard enough of the men’s conversations to realize that Drago was very much on top of the varied enterprises and estates that made up the dukedom. She knew something of what was involved; her cousin Sebastian, heir to the dukedom of St. Ives, was already shouldering much of that burden for his father.
She also heard enough to comprehend that Drago had been successfully managing his estates since his father’s death some nine years ago. Despite his reputation for hedonistic indulgence, he hadn’t ducked the responsibility. She was also impressed by how sensitively he dealt with several of the gentlemen’s comments, hints, and carefully worded appeals.
When they moved on again, it was to join a group of Drago’s younger cousins, most younger than Meg, and she had cause to appreciate how deftly Drago steered the conversation, without effort keeping his more boisterous male cousins from crossing any social line.
