Rob grinned. “I’ve only met her briefly. She is…different.”
Lynton chuckled. “Uh-oh. That does not sound promising. Do you think she will give Aubrey a hard time?”
Hell, yes.“I’m sure he will find her…endlessly fascinating.”
Lynton appeared gleeful.
Eden gave her husband a swift poke in the ribs. “Don’t you dare give me that attitude.”
Rob excused himself and moved on, not wanting to get between those two, who were about to bicker. Not that Lynton looked at all put out by his wife’s not-so-subtle reprimand.
He heard them laughing together only a moment later, so their disagreement was not in the least serious.
Rob met Viscount Aubrey about an hour later. He had gone to the stable to see about borrowing a horse in order to ride overto Fiona’s home to see what was delaying her arrival, and found the viscount also hiding out there.
Rob strode over to greet him. “Always nice to meet another fox about to be hunted down. I’m Durham,” he said, extending a hand.
“Ah, the duke everyone is agog over.” Aubrey grinned. “My sympathies on that betting book commenced on you at White’s. Trajan Aubrey, a viscount by courtesy title only.”
“Your father has just inherited a dukedom, I’ve been told.”
He nodded. “Yes, he’s the newly minted Duke of Weymouth, and this has now catapulted me onto the list of London’s most eligible bachelors. I might be the next target of that loathsome betting book. Hopefully not for a while yet. However, the Duchess of Lynton is determined to introduce me to some bird-watching spinster,” he said with obvious dismay.
“Ah, you mean Florence Newton. I’ve just met her. She’s a bit of an odd duck, to be sure. However, I think I like her.”
“You onlythinkyou like her? I’m not sure what to make of that remark.”
Rob shrugged. “And I’m not sure what to make of her yet. She isn’t impressed by titles.”
Aubrey arched an eyebrow. “That is a point in her favor.”
Rob casually leaned his shoulder against one of the stalls and folded his arms over his chest. “She wasn’t impressed by me at all.”
That made Aubrey chuckle. “Perhaps she will find me equally unimpressive. One can only hope.”
“You do not sound eager to find yourself a match,” Rob mused. “Why attend this party if you’re not interested?”
Aubrey’s grin faded. “I don’t know. Just stupid of me, I suppose.”
Hell.Was this man still pining for Lynton’s wife, Eden? No wonder Lynton was peeved to learn he would be joining them for the entire week.
Rob and Aubrey were quite a pair of bachelors, weren’t they? Two fools pining over women they could not have.
Did he look as pathetic as Aubrey looked right now?
At least Fiona was unmarried and still available, although she could stubbornly go off and marry some clot she did not love if he played this wrong. So he needed to be certain his plan would lead her to the right result.
He also needed to hope Fiona would not see right through his motives and move to counter them.
Reggie entered the stable, interrupting their discussion. “There are the two holdouts. I thought I might catch you in here. Bromleigh’s looking for you both.”
“Why?” Rob asked, feeling rather surly.
“Fiona has arrived.”
“Let the games begin,” Rob muttered, striding out to face this week-long agony.
Chapter Nine
