Richmond smiled. “I miss your brother.”
“As do I,” Julian said solemnly.
“He spoke of you with great fondness,” Richmond said. “Bragged that you would be the most famous artist that Scotland and England had ever seen. He was proud of your talent.”
Julian took a sip of brandy, his face flushed with embarrassment. “I used to follow him around like a little pup. Wes was certainly larger than life.”
“And the best prankster at Eton,” Richmond said with a chuckle. “There was the time we had gotten into the kitchen the night before Parents’ Day. A crowd was expected. The four of us—at Wes’s suggestion—had pricked holes in the bottoms of all the eggs, draining all the contents into a pitcher and placing it in the icehouse. Somehow, Wes had carefully placed them back in the bowl where they had been stored. You should have heard the cursing when the cook cracked each egg, and nothing came out!”
“True. Wes was a prankster…and always made us laugh.” Julian’s thoughts drifted to the last time he and Wes had spent time together doing what they loved. Racing their horses. Wes had been an excellent horseman—and had made sure that Julian was one, as well.
“And I checked with some of my sources to make sure you were, indeed, Wes’ brother,” Richmond said, pulling Julian back into the conversation. “So, back to my question… Your Grace. What are your intentions toward my niece?” This time, his tone was softer. “Are you interested in courting Serafina?”
“Damn right, I am, Your Grace.”
Did I just say what I thought I just said?
Marriage had been the last thing on Julian’s mind when he’d left for Bath. He had intended to find some peace of mind. To rest. To paint. To get some much-needed sleep. Not to surrender his heart.
When did that change?
The first moment you laid eyes on Serafina’s delectable derriere.
Dammit. He shouldn’t be thinking about Richmond’s niece like that when the man was seated across from him.
“That brute was practically salivating as he tried to gain entrance to the tea shop. Had I not promised to escort her home, who knows what might have happened?” Julian added, his fury once more rearing its ugly head.
“I understand your concern, and I commend it,” Richmond said, his eyes shrewd. “But the look in your eyes just now…tells me everything I need to know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I felt the same way when I met my Catherine. If any man dared go near her, I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp.”
“Do you still feel that way?”
“Every blessed day,” Richmond said with a sigh.
Julian’s lips twitched. Richmond could no doubt deliver a death blow with one left hook.
“I am concerned that the baron has a fixation with Serafina,” Julian said. “He was most persistent, as if she belonged to him.”
Richmond was silent for a long moment. “You think he’s dangerous?”
“Yes. I think he has been watching her. He seemed to know she would be alone this morning,” Julian said, his hands curling into fists.
“You have good instincts. I’m glad you were there today to keep her from harm. I’ve already sent runners to a few well-placed friends of mine with the Crown to see what they know about Grimsby,” Richmond said. “I should hear back soon.”
“Will you keep me posted?” Julian asked.
“I will.”
“Thank you.”
“You want her,” Richmond stated simply.
“I do.”
“Then let us dispense with formalities. Call me Richmond. I will call you Mr. Kerr—for now. Serafina is supposed to have a footman with her when she goes out on her own, as well as her maid. I’ll speak to the footman. And I will have a word with my ward about the consequences of not heeding my advice. She’s a stubborn lass,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Now…tell me why you are here incognito. Because if I’m going to allow you near my ward, I want to know the truth.”
