Page 34 of The Duke Who Loved Me (The Duke's Estates 1)

He was going to fall back on platitudes. Probably wise. But Cecelia gave him full marks for recalling Sarah’s name. That was quite unlike him as well.

“Oh yes!” replied Sarah. “And as it is to be my only one, I intend to savor it to thefull.”

“It happens every year,” James said.

“My family cannot afford another,” replied Sarah.

It seemed James was not accustomed to such frankness. He said nothing.

“I will invite you to visit whenever we come,” said Ada.

“You’ll be restoring your castle for years. You won’t be back in town.”

“Have you a castle, Miss Grandison?” James asked. He seemed to be trying to avoid looking at Ada’s eyebrows.

Cecelia was overtaken by a sense of unreality. James seldom bothered about other people, particularly unknown young ladies. He didn’t care about their lives. That is, he neverhad. Was this a real change? Doubt intruded. More likely it was a ploy in the game he was playing.

“My future husband does,” answered Ada.

“We told you about him,” Cecelia said. This would be a test. The old James would never have remembered her fiancé’s name or their situation.

“Ah, yes.” James waited. No one elaborated. “I dined with your brother recently,” he said to Charlotte.

An acceptable save, Cecelia decided. Hehadforgotten. But he’d recovered and lobbed the conversation ball in another direction. People didn’t expect gentlemen to be interested in engagements and weddings in any case. Aside from their own. And sometimes not even then.

“I suppose he has to eat,” said Charlotte. Sarah gasped at her rudeness.

James looked amused. Indeed, this seemed to be the first remark he’d enjoyed in the entire conversation. “As do we all, Miss Deeping.”

A low exclamation escaped Harriet. It sounded involuntary and distressed.

“What is it?” Ada asked her. “Oh, your grandfather is here.”

They all looked. James followed their collective gaze to the fat, choleric-looking man standing in the entry. “You mean Winstead?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Cecelia, conscious of Harriet’s unease.

“Winstead the nabob?”

Harriet scowled at James. “Yes. He became very rich and now he has decided to leave his money to me, so we must never mention the fact that he allowed us to scrimp and scrape all my life and said some despicable things about my father when he died. Before that, too.AndI must not mind his ‘abrupt’ manners or ever lose my temper in his presence. He is to be catered to like a veritable monarch.” She put her hands to her flaming cheeks. “Oh, I–I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. Please don’t repeat…” The others moved to shield her from curious eyes, a ruffled phalanx. Harriet took a deep breath.

Cecelia threw James a speaking look. She knew he was no gossip, but he might inadvertently expose Harriet if he described this scene. Should she just say so? She tried to convey the idea with her expression first.

James held her gaze. For a moment, it seemed as if they were alone in a silent, intimate conversation. Theyhadcome to understand each other over the years. When it really mattered. He turned to Harriet and said, “My father was just such a petty tyrant. It is terribly burdensome, is it not?”

Harriet gaped at him, mouth and eyes wide. Then she recovered, blinked, and nodded.

Cecelia was equally stunned. Indeed, the whole group seemed to be. James was not known for sensitive confidences.

“But at some point they no longer have power over you,” he added.

“When they’re dead?” asked Harriet, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “What is wrong with me?”

“Mostly,” James agreed, as if she’d said nothing unusual. “I don’t suppose his health was weakened by incessant working?”

Harriet choked on a scandalized laugh. Charlotte looked at James with the first sign of approval she’d shown him. Sarah and Ada exchanged astonished glances.

James met Cecelia’s eyes again. He raised one brow as if to ask how he’d done. She bowed her head in grateful acknowledgment.

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