Lady Be Reckless (Duke's Daughters #2)(22)

He nodded at her to continue.

“I will ask if there are families in particularly desperate financial straits, as you suggested earlier. And to those families, we will need to show your good points. To prove that you should be viewed in the same light as any other young gentleman.” She couldn’t help but look at him again; it felt as though her eyes were drawn to him in a way they had never wanted to look at anything before. Not even Bennett, with whom she was madly in love.

“You and I will appear in company together. I will introduce you to the people I know, and they will come to know you as well.”

“Bennett has tried that, you know,” he said drily. “How will you succeed where he has not?”

“Well,” she said in a prim voice, “Lord Carson is capable in so many ways, but he is not a lady. He doesn’t know what ladies find intriguing about gentlemen.” He kept his gaze steady on her, making her wish she wasn’t too old to squirm in her seat under the scrutiny.

“Because he’s not a lady,” she repeated, and then his expression relaxed, and it looked almost as though he wanted to laugh.





Chapter 7




In order to achieve great accomplishments, it is important to be greatly confident.

Lady Olivia’s Particular Guide to Decorum



“Edward!”

Edward started as he heard his father’s voice. He’d been so engrossed in debating with Lady Olivia, he’d forgotten for a few moments about his father. It shouldn’t make him feel guilty—his father wouldn’t want that—but it did.

But she had thoroughly perplexed him and irked him and fascinated him. And she had made him laugh—when was the last time that had happened?

She and her silly list and her confident assertion that she could succeed where others had failed. He wondered whether Queen Victoria herself would be as regal as Lady Olivia.

He had to admire that, and he had to admire her. Even if he knew that the two of them would likely be at loggerheads during this entire month.

At the end of which he would not have a bride, nor would he be any more accepted into her world, despite what she thought.

But it would keep his father content, and that was more important than his feeling that his efforts were futile. It didn’t matter; nothing mattered except that Mr. Beechcroft’s wishes—Edward didn’t want to say final wishes—were honored.

And he would also be able to spend time with the most fascinating woman he’d ever met.

He would donate the thousand pounds to whatever cause she wished, no matter what happened; it was only money, he had plenty of it, and he knew whatever cause she championed was likely to be one that helped people less fortunate than she. Which was, barring the queen, everybody.

What must it be like to be the beloved child of a duke? To be accepted wherever she went, treated as though her opinions and presence were always welcome?

“Edward.” His father spoke more strongly now, jarring Edward entirely out of his baffling thoughts. Thank goodness.

His father had walked into the room, accompanied by Lady Ida, both of them looking companionable with one another.

“You did not mention we had visitors,” his father said, turning his warm smile to Lady Olivia. “And then I was in the library, and scared Lady Ida here.”

“I was not scared,” Lady Ida interrupted. “Merely startled.”

His father rolled his eyes at her, then chucked her under the chin. An action that seemed to startle Lady Ida even more. And again, Edward felt like laughing.

“And then we got to talking, and it seems Lady Ida has interests in some of the same things I have.”

“Even though some of his opinions are woefully behind the times,” Lady Ida said, but in an amused tone, not as though she was judging.

“So I asked her why she was here in the first place, and she told me her sister was visiting my son. You are Lady Olivia, I presume?”

His father strode up to her, holding his hand out for her to take.

She blinked, then allowed him to enfold her hand in his, offering him a curtsey as she did. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Beechcroft,” she said in a soft tone. Far softer than how she’d spoken to him, Edward noticed.

“Well, I knew we should not interrupt, but then Lady Ida said she had allowed you thirty minutes to discuss whatever it is you are discussing, which is . . . ?” And he trailed off, looking expectantly between Edward and Lady Olivia.

Judging by his expression, it was clear what Mr. Beechcroft thought they were discussing. Edward wanted to tell his father he was entirely and absolutely wrong about that—that Lady Olivia would never deign to even consider him as a suitor—but to mention it would be to hurt his father far more than allowing him to believe the lie would.

“We cannot share that, sir,” Lady Olivia said. “It is a secret until it is not.”

Now it was Lady Ida’s turn to roll her eyes. “Being the very definition of secret, after all.”

Lady Olivia dismissed her sister’s words with a wave of her hand. “Never mind that.” She looked at Edward. “So as we discussed, are you free to take me and my sister out for a carriage ride tomorrow?”

He wanted to laugh at the sheer brazenness of her. Of her assuming he would fall in with her plans just because she wished him to. Although that was what he was going to do, wasn’t it? It was far too amusing, and he liked looking at her too much, to deny himself the pleasure.