“The girls need routine,” she said finally. “Lessons and structure. They can’t simply spend their days as guests in your household.”
“Why not?” The Duke moved closer, his presence filling the small room in a way that made it difficult to breathe. “They’re children who’ve suffered a trauma. Surely, they’re entitled to a few days of simple comfort.”
A few days. And then what?
“They need to prepare for their futures,” Sybil said firmly. “The older girls, especially. They need skills that will help them find employment, education that will serve them when they leave institutional care.”
“And they can’t receive that education here?”
The question hung in the air between them, loaded with implications neither of them was quite ready to voice.
He’s not just talking about temporary tutoring. He’s talking about his proposal.
“Your Grace?—”
“Papa!” Rosalie burst into the morning room with her usual dramatic flair, still in her morning dress but with her hair properly pinned. “Cook says you’ve requested hot chocolate with breakfast. Are you feeling quite well? You never drink chocolate in the morning.”
Chocolate?Sybil glanced at the Duke in surprise. He looked almost… embarrassed?
“I thought our guests might enjoy it,” he said stiffly. “The younger ones especially.”
He ordered hot chocolate for the children. This stern, imposing duke ordered hot chocolate because he thought it would make orphaned girls smile.
The gesture was so unexpectedly sweet that Sybil felt her carefully constructed resolve waver.
“How thoughtful,” she managed.
“Yes, isn’t it?” Rosalie beamed at her father with obvious affection. “Papa pretends to be gruff, but he’s quite soft-hearted when it comes to children.”
“Rosalie,” the Duke said in a warning tone.
“What? It’s true!” She turned to Sybil with sparkling eyes. “Did you know he once spent three hours helping our old cook’s grandson learn to tie his shoes? The boy was crying because theother children teased him, and Papa sat on the kitchen floor until he mastered it.”
Stop. Stop making him sound kind, patient, and wonderful.
“I’m sure His Grace has many admirable qualities,” Sybil said weakly.
“Oh, he does,” Rosalie agreed enthusiastically. “He’s loyal and protective and incredibly generous, even if he doesn’t like people to know it. And he’s an excellent judge of character.”
The last comment was delivered with pointed meaning that made Sybil’s cheeks burn.
“Rosalie,” the Duke said more firmly, “perhaps you could check on your sisters? Make sure they’re not planning any additional adventures that might require dramatic rescues.”
“They’re in the library with Leah’s latest specimen collection,” Rosalie said cheerfully. “Something about pressed flowers though knowing Leah, it’s probably pressed beetles. But I’ll go supervise if you like.”
She swept out of the room with obvious satisfaction, leaving Sybil alone with the Duke and a silence that felt charged with unspoken possibilities.
Say something. Anything. Don’t just stand here staring at him like a ninny.
“Your daughter is very… spirited,” she said finally.
“She’s incorrigible,” the Duke replied, but there was warmth in his voice. “And far too intelligent for anyone’s peace of mind.”
“Intelligence is a gift.”
“It can be. It can also be a burden, particularly for young women.” His expression grew serious. “Society doesn’t always appreciate ladies who think for themselves.”
“Perhaps society needs to change,” Sybil said quietly.
