Lord Sebastian's Secret (The Duke's Sons #3)(52)

“There will be no wedding! I told you, I have forbidden it. Gresham is to go.”

“No.”

Georgina’s parents stood toe to toe. Though her mother was much the smaller figure, she was no less formidable. “I will not have this, Alfred,” she said quietly. “I said nothing when you paid five hundred guineas for a supposed Anglo-Saxon crown—which turned out to be nothing of the sort—or when you nearly cut off Fergus’s fingers with that ‘war ax.’ But I draw the line here.”

“You will allow a savage’s blood into our family?”

“Mr. Mitra told you that isn’t true,” Georgina couldn’t help but interject.

Her mother held up a hand to restrain her. “If you persist, I shall have to order the servants to ignore your commands. That would be quite uncomfortable for me, but I will do it. I hired nearly all of them, you know.”

“Fergus will stand by me,” Papa growled.

“I suppose he will. Do you wish to see me standing before Sebastian’s chamber door repelling an advance by the two of you?”

Papa shuffled and muttered and glowered. He seemed to be searching for further arguments, and finding none. Finally, he threw up his hands and stamped out, slamming the door with a resounding crash.

“He should take counsel from the ancestors,” Joanna said.

Georgina had forgotten she was there. Clearly her mother had, too, because she jumped at the sound and whirled.

“They are founts of wisdom,” Joanna added.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been taken in by this nonsense,” said Georgina’s mother.

“I have been transformed!”

The two women gazed at each other. Georgina could almost see an unbridgeable chasm opening between them. She thought her mother saw it, too, because after a moment she sighed and said, “Well, it is time to go off to bed, whoever you have become.”

Georgina went to tell Sebastian that he was not to be ejected from Stane Castle, but she remained uncertain and unhappy. For one thing, she didn’t want to be at odds with Papa. She wanted his blessing on her marriage. And for another, she was concerned about what he might do to prevent it.

These considerations sent her to the top of the old stone tower the following afternoon. Mr. Mitra’s airy refuge was well known by this time, and she did indeed find him there.

“Lady Georgina,” he said, rising as she appeared at the top of the stair. He gave her one of his characteristic bows. “I have thought of offering you my apologies, but I didn’t wish to intrude.”

Or be dragged into her parents’ disputes, Georgina thought. She didn’t blame him for hiding. “I have come to ask if you can do something to change Papa’s mind,” she said. “He listens to you.”

“Alas, that is only partly true,” responded the Indian gentleman. “And less so lately. Your father certainly enjoys our conversations. He forms his own interpretations of what I say, however. And then holds to them very…firmly.”

“But you are the scholar, the expert. He respects you very much.”

Mr. Mitra bowed again. “I greatly value your good opinion. But I fear it is exaggerated where your father’s…engrained views are concerned.”

Sebastian’s head appeared at the top of the stair. “Ah, we had the same idea,” he said to Georgina as he climbed up. “You’ve got to do something, Mitra.”

Mr. Mitra sighed. “As I was just telling Lady Georgina, I fear there is nothing I can do.”

Sebastian came over to stand beside Georgina. “Couldn’t you stage another of your…sessions? One where I turn out to be that Offa fellow’s loyal retainer or something?”

Georgina couldn’t tell if Mr. Mitra was offended by this suggestion or simply weary of being misunderstood. Perhaps he was both at once.

“I do not stage them, Lord Sebastian. You must not imagine I don’t believe in the principles I impart. Even though I take the liberty of doubting the…enthusiasms of some people.”

Georgina had noticed Mr. Mitra’s distaste for Joanna’s declarations.

“Well, but—”

“I would help if I could,” Mitra interrupted. “I simply do not see how it is possible.”

“I am going to marry Georgina,” declared Sebastian.

Georgina gave him a tremulous smile as he took her hand. It was an enormous comfort to hear him say that so definitely. She remembered how expertly he’d managed during their recent misadventure. He’d taken care of everything so confidently and capably. Taken care of her. Her spirits rose.

“I think you should do so,” replied Mitra. “You seem admirably suited.”

“That’s all well and good to say,” responded Sebastian. “But you’ve pretty nearly wrecked our engagement.”

“I do not agree that I did so,” was the polite but adamant reply.

“If you hadn’t been there, drumming and warbling and putting us to sleep…”

Georgina broke into what was obviously going to be a futile argument. “You will help us if we can think of a…suitable way?” she asked the older man.

“Most happily.”

Georgina tugged at Sebastian’s arm and led him back down the stone stair.

“I think it was just a dream,” he said as they went. “That room was very stuffy. We all nodded off. Or I did, at any rate.” He frowned as they reached the first level of the tower. “It’s how I would have known to dream of checkered trousers that stumps me,” he added.