What a Reckless Rogue Needs (The Sinful Scoundrels, #2)(62)

“Chadwick, please be kind to him. He is our only son.”

He cupped his wife’s cheek. “That is what I love about you, Margaret. You champion everyone, including our rakehell son.”

“Underneath his rakish exterior, he is a good man. He only needs a good woman to help him see it.”

“You are remarkably na?ve, Margaret, but I love you for it, and now will you let me love you again?”

She opened her arms to him, the way she’d done the first night of their marriage, and he knew that he was twice blessed.





Chapter Ten



At breakfast the next morning, Angeline and the twins joined everyone else at breakfast.

“We plan to teach Hercules to sit,” Bianca said to the marquess.

“One would think that would be a natural thing to do,” the marquess said.

Angeline smiled at Colin and then addressed the marquess. “Hercules is learning to sit after getting a verbal command. He has done very well.”

“He likes the treats he gets for obeying,” Bernadette said.

“That is progress,” Margaret said. “Thank you, Angeline. I know the girls are grateful as well.”

The marquess snorted behind his paper.

Ames brought a sealed letter on a silver dish to the marquess. “It is marked urgent,” Ames said.

Colin finished his meal and accepted another cup of tea.

The marquess opened the letter and scowled. “What in blazes is wrong with that man?” he demanded.

“Chadwick,” Margaret said. “We do not shout at the table.”

“I’ll shout all I want. That fool Faraday probably takes all day to decide it’s time to take a sh—”

The duchess gasped.

“Father,” Colin said. “Ladies are present, including my very impressionable sisters.” From the gleaming expressions in the twins’ eyes, Colin figured they had added some very colorful words to their vocabulary, probably from the stable boys when they had their riding lessons.

“I can’t believe it,” the marquess said. “Now he wants to bring his wife to have a look at the house. How many times must he see it? I tire of his foolishness. Colin, go meet the man. I’m liable to say something exceedingly impolite or throw him out on his ar—”

“Chadwick,” Margaret said in shocked tones. “You forget yourself.”

“I beg your pardon,” he grumbled.

“If Mrs. Faraday sees the house and approves of it, she may be more likely to make a decision quickly,” Margaret said. “Lady Angeline, you have a great deal of knowledge about design and architecture, perhaps you could speak to Mrs. Faraday.”

Colin set his cup aside slowly. He hesitated a moment, knowing what he meant to do was dishonorable, but he couldn’t let the opportunity pass or he would surely lose Sommerall.

“Wycoff,” Colin said, “if you are amenable, I think it might help if Angeline attended. She could answer any questions Mrs. Faraday might have.”

The marquess addressed his friend. “The other couple will be there, so there’s no question about propriety. I’d be obliged if you will allow it. Your daughter probably knows more about the house than any of us.”


“I can verify that,” Colin said.

“I’ll allow it,” Wycoff said, “provided you return as soon as the business is concluded. I don’t want there to be even a hint of impropriety.”

Colin made himself meet Wycoff’s eyes. He told himself that he could persuade Angeline to agree to the marriage through honorable means. She had certainly given serious thought to a marriage of convenience, but she had not given him a definitive answer. If she said no, he stood to lose Sommerall. Perhaps today, he could persuade her to make the engagement official.

Margaret rose and rang the bell. “I’ll have cook prepare a hamper in the event the house inspection takes longer than expected. It occurs to me that Mr. and Mrs. Faraday may wish to see the grounds as well.”

“Thank you, Margaret,” Angeline said. “That is very thoughtful of you.”

“You had better dress warmly and take an umbrella,” Margaret said. “The clouds are rather gray, and the wind is blowing. You do not want to catch a chill.”

“I don’t think we’re in any danger of that,” Angeline said. “At any rate, a bit of rain won’t hurt us.”

“Can we come with you?” Bianca asked.

“Absolutely not,” Colin said.

“Colin, please,” Bianca said.

“The answer is no,” Colin said. “You will only be in the way.”

“Margaret,” the marquess said, “do you know the going price for unmannerly fifteen-year-old girls? We might get a bit of extra coin if we sell the twins to Faraday along with the house. Their value has increased somewhat since they started speaking the King’s English instead of twin gibberish. ”

“There’s the hamper,” Margaret said to Angeline. “I hope your journey isn’t too soggy.”

“We should be off,” Colin said. “I don’t want to be late.”

The marquess lifted his gaze from the newspaper. “I wouldn’t be in any rush if I were you. Faraday is liable to keep you waiting for some time.”