Page 2 of Empowered By the Earl (Second Sons of London 3)

He stepped back. “Lord, it is good to see you, Ev. Come and sit. Coffee? Tea?”

“Nothing for me. I have already breakfasted.”

They returned to the table, Ev taking a seat on Owen’s right.

“Ah, so you are still keeping military hours and rising before the breaking of dawn?” he asked.

“I don’t suppose you can ever take the military out of the man,” Ev observed. “We received your note in London yesterday and happened to be making our way home the same day.”

“We? Have you already wed, Ev?”

His friend beamed. “I have. I cannot wait for you to meet my Addie. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“That was certainly fast work, you sly devil.”

“Addie is Tessa’s cousin,” Ev explained. “Spence and Tessa took me under their wings and have helped me with Cliffside and then making sure I had bit of town polish on me before the Season began. Addie had a bit of a reputation as a matchmaker and so I put myself in her hands.”

Owen whistled low. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh, I thought I had things all planned out. Addie insisted that I make a list of the attributes I was looking for in my duchess. She would use the list to guide her in making the appropriate introductions to ladies who displayed those specific qualities.”

“And recommend herself?” Owen asked, chuckling. “I suppose she recognized herself on your list.”

“Far from it. My list included the things I thought the Duchess of Camden should be. Dignified. Staid. Restrained.” Ev shook his head. “Addie is none of those things. She is vivacious and full of light and life.”

“Then how on earth did you wind up husband and wife?”

Ev shrugged. “I knew the moment we finished composing the list that what I thought I wanted—and what I truly wanted—were two very different things.”

“You wanted her,” Owen guessed.

“I wanted her. Very much.”

It was hard for Owen to picture his reserved friend with a bubbly, animated woman but he could already see that Addie was good for Ev.

“We wed rather quickly—and then I did not recognize the woman who was my duchess.”

“Why not?”

Ev shook his head. “Because unbeknownst to me, Addie thought she had to act the part of my duchess. She tried to embody all the qualities on my list. It was a dismal failure, her trying to hide her natural exuberance and zest for life. Fortunately, we cleared up the brief misunderstanding and are now as happy as clams. You’ll see for yourself when you come to tea this afternoon.”

“I am coming for tea?”

“That is the purpose of my visit. To invite you to Cliffside so that we might catch up and Addie can meet you. You are the two most important people in my life, Owen. It is imperative you get to know one another, especially now that you are back from the war and will be living next door to us in the country.”

“I would be happy to come around for tea and meet your duchess,” Owen said.

Ev’s smile lit up his entire face. Owen couldn’t recall the last time he had seen Ev look so happy. Perhaps never.

“Don’t worry. Just as Spence and Tessa took care of me, Addie and I—along with Spence and Tessa—will make certain you are taken care of both now and next Season.”

“You think to introduce me around then?”

“Of course. Hopefully, you, too, will find a wife.”

Owen shook his head. “That is the last thing I need now, Ev. You know me. Of all the Second Sons, I am the least likely to want to settle down.”

“But you will need an heir,” his friend insisted.

---