He sighed. “You are now trying to assuage my hurt feelings.”
She smiled up at him. “I am doing no such thing. Remain irritated and bad tempered, if you wish. But unless you see a way around my promise to your mother, I shall not be accepting any invitations you send me.”
“Gad, you can be stubborn.”
“I am merely trying to be honorable. If you cannot accept this, then I thank you for your visit and for sharing your heartwith me. I hope you will do so whenever you need a shoulder to lean on.”
He tucked a finger under her chin. “Your shoulder is still healing. Never worry that I shall require its gentle support anytime soon. And never think you have won this round.”
“What do you mean?”
“You shall be coming to supper at Langford Hall tonight, and it shall be done without your breaking a promise to my mother.” He kissed her on the nose. “Thatkiss does not count.”
She ignored the remark because she had no intention of counting that sweet peck as worthy of kiss number six. They had set the ground rules days ago. Only a kiss on the lips would count.
But she was more curious about his prior statement.
How was she to dine at Langford Hall without breaking her promise to his mother?
Chapter Twelve
Ailis was stretchedout on her bed moping in her bedchamber when her uncle knocked at her open door. “Do come in, Uncle Nigel,” she said, forcing a smile.
He studied her with some concern. “How are you feeling, Ailis? Well enough for company?”
“Yours? Or is someone else coming over?” There was nothing on their schedule tonight. She knew this because she was the one in charge of her uncle’s appointments and knew none had been made for this evening.
“No one is visiting us, but we are invited to dine at Langford Hall tonight and I have accepted on our behalf.”
She inhaled lightly and scampered off her bed to come to his side. “You accepted?”
He nodded. “The duke extended me the invitation on his way out.”
“He did? What were his exact words?”
He eyed her quizzically. “What does it matter? He asked me to join him tonight and suggested I could bring you along if I wished, but the choice was mine. Ailis, I said I would bring you with me. I thought you would enjoy attending an elegant dinner party.”
“The clever cur.” She shook her head and laughed softly, although she was miffed by Jonas’s obvious ploy. Since the duke knew she would reject him if he invited her outright, he hadasked her uncle instead. If her uncle were the one to invite her, then she was not breaking her promise to his mother by attending, or so he obviously reasoned.
But she would certainly be breaking her promise in spirit. “I cannot go, Uncle Nigel.”
“Truly? I thought you enjoyed the duke’s company.”
“I do…it isn’t that.”
Her uncle scratched his head. “If you are not up to going, then I shall not go either. I’ll send our regrets.”
“Oh, but you must attend. The duke will be offended if you refuse him. However, he will understand my reason for begging out. He knows I am still recovering from my dislocated shoulder, since he is the one who fixed it and has been tending to it the last few days. Besides, I am sure there is planning to be done for our Christmas ball that I have neglected. I shall be fine on my own.”
“As you wish, dearest.” He shrugged and turned to walk out. “I just thought you would enjoy the company of other young ladies. Wouldn’t it be a nice change from putting up with an old codger like me?”
“I love spending time with you. As for those elegant ladies…” Ailis knew she was fairly naïve about many things, but her uncle was genuinely hopeless if he believed thesetondiamonds would ever welcome her presence. “Another time, maybe.”
He paused at her doorway and took another moment to study her. “No, Ailis. I think you ought to go. His Grace did not come right out and insist upon your presence, but I got the distinct impression he wants you there. You’ve just said he took good care of you while you were at Langford Hall. I think his feelings would be hurt if you ignored the invitation.”
“You think the duke has feelings?”
He tossed her a cautionary look.
