Lady Hensley nodded at him but still looked perturbed. “Thank you. Have a wonderful day, Mr. Devons.”
He bowed and made his way to Lord Robert. He began to take his jacket off when Lady Hensley marched over to him. “Mr. Devons, what are you doing?”
“I promised Lord Robert we would play.”
“That’s unnecessary. I will play with him.”
The boy stopped dribbling with his feet. “Please, Mummy. You aren’t very good.”
The lady glanced away, embarrassed, and Sebastian did his best not to laugh. He’d already offended her. She didn’t want him there but acquiesced to her son’s request. Lord Robert clapped as his mother went back to the table she was sitting at.
The young lord leaned in and said, “You can call me Robert.”
He winked at him. “You can call me Sebastian.”
Chapter Three
Diana rolled hereyes at her Aunt Winifred as they made their way through the exhibits.
“It’s an innocent question. Why is it acceptable to look at all these naked statues, but women must have layers and layers of clothing? Goodness, it’s so hot.”
Diana slowed and glanced sideways at her aunt. “It isn’t the same.”
Her aunt snorted. “When I’m in the country, I often go without unnecessary undergarments.”
A smile tugged at Diana’s lips. “Well, thank you for wearing all the proper garments today.”
“You are most welcome.”
Diana shook her head and continued. She’d received a message from Lady Hawley that she had an exciting venture to discuss with Diana, but first, she wanted her to visit the London Society of Antiquaries grand hall, which housed hundreds of artifacts and antiquities. The lady had finished the missive, explaining she would be in touch soon. Diana would be lying if she said she wasn’t intrigued. Still, most of the exhibits appeared dreadfully dull.
She leaned in to study a manuscript written in Latin. The volume was stunning, even without her understanding the words, but she suspected the value was derived from the text. She wished there was a translation.
“Of everything you could find fascinating, you’re looking at an old piece of parchment,” her aunt complained, disappointed.
“What should I be looking at?”
Aunt Winifred moved closer and said, “The naked statues, of course.”
Diana flushed. Her aunt winked at her before her eyes darted behind her. “Or maybe that man. He’s so wickedly handsome. And the stories they tell about him are delicious.”
For some reason, Diana suspected her aunt was talking about Sebastian Devons. She turned and saw him standing by another exhibit, laughing with the Marquess of Derry, his half-brother. They were once considered something of a scandalous family. Their father had chosen to live openly with his mistress, Devons’s mother, while the current marquess’s mother lived abroad.
Studying them both, Diana didn’t sense any animosity between the brothers. If she remembered correctly, Sebastian Devons was the oldest. He didn’t seem bothered that his younger brother held the family title. She wondered what his life was like growing up. How did that shape the man rumored to be one of the biggest rakes in London?
She’d enjoyed watching him play ball with Robert yesterday. His enthusiasm to engage with her son had seemed so sincere. Her son had gone to bed delighted their neighbor was now their friend. Diana flushed, still perplexed by the man’s comments over her hair. Still, she couldn’t be too upset. She had spied on him.
Diana studied him. He was tall and much broader than most of the men in the room. Even without the height, he would have stood out with his square jaw and dark hair.
“You find him attractive, too,” her aunt said before guffawing.
The sound caused both the marquess and Mr. Devons to turn their way. Her eyes met his. He nodded, and she smiled in return, before turning back to Aunt Winifred.
“You are causing a scene.”
“I’m an old lady, and I’m allowed to.”
Diana shook her head. “You are only fifty-two.”
