“Good, then—we’ll have plenty of time to prepare ourselves for that.”
“And Allan, all I ask is that you do not close your mind to the possibility of finding the new duchess at this party,” his grandmother said. “One never knows where love may be found.”
“It’s not love I seek. You know that.”
“And yet love may be what you find. You mustn’t close your mind to that possibility either.”
“You may rest assured that my mind will never be closed,” he told his grandmother. “You may not believe it, but I want this business of choosing a duchess settled every bit as much as you do, and I look forward to finding the most appropriate young lady.”
“Good,” his grandmother said. “And I suppose I’ll just have to trust that you’ll have the good sense not to pass her up when you inevitably do find her.”
She gave Allan a significant look, as if there was something in particular she was trying to convey, though Allan couldn’t imagine what it might be.
Was it possible he had made his feelings for Lady Edwina more apparent than he had intended? Or could it be that his grandmother had simply seen through his defenses? Surely not. He had always been careful to hold her at arm’s length, and nobody knew about that stolen kiss.
It didn’t matter. He would be keeping his distance from Lady Edwina from this moment on, and so whatever his grandmother might think she knew, it would have no effect whatsoever. The story of Allan and Lady Edwina had reached its end.
CHAPTER 22
“Lavinia, everything is simply lovely,” Edwina enthused as she and Matthew stepped into the foyer of Loxburgh estate. “What a beautiful party this will be.”
“You’re to have your usual rooms, of course,” Lavinia said. “I can have the servants show you up to them if you’d like.”
“There’s no need,” Edwina assured her. “How many times have I stayed in the same rooms here? It must be dozens. I’m quite capable of finding my own way.”
“Do you wish to settle in?”
“Oh, no, I want to stay and help you greet your guests,” Edwina said.
“Not that Lavinia needs the help!” Matthew embraced his sister. “Who would have believed that my sister, who was once such awallflower, would be the life of the party? If you’d told me years ago of these events, I would have insisted that it was a lie—and yet here we are. I’m very proud of you indeed, Lavinia.”
Lavinia beamed. “It really does mean so much to me to hear you say that,” she said. “And I hope you’ll enjoy the party, Matthew. I believe it’s going to be the event of the season. We’ve worked very hard to make that happen, so I hope it will.”
“I would say that we can count on your party being especially memorable if the unattainable spinster finds her match at last,” Matthew observed.
“And do we think such a thing is possible?”
“You two rarely seem to speak of anything else!” Edwina chastised. “Perhaps it would be best if you turned your attention to your own affairs, Matthew. I don’t see you with a lady on your arm.”
“Oh, all in good time.” Matthew smiled. “Right now, my concern is for the affairs of my sisters. And with Lavinia so satisfactorily taken care of, naturally my attention turns to you.”
He turned to Lavinia. “And to answer your question,” he added, “I most certainly do think it’s possible that her affairs will be settled this week. Viscount Kentrow has been favoring her with a great deal of attention lately—he’s come around to visit with her almost every day.”
“What?” Lavinia turned to stare at Edwina. “This is the first I’m hearing about you and Viscount Kentrow.”
“There hasn’t been anything to report,” Edwina said. “Our brother exaggerates.”
“Do I?” Matthew raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying that hehasn’tcome to visit you every day?”
“Well, no, he has, of course. But you make it sound as if he’s on the verge of a proposal, and we both know that isn’t the case.”
“What’s going on, Matthew?” Lavinia asked. “Is Lord Kentrow intending to court Edwina?”
“He would be courting her already if she had given in. And regardless of what she may tell you, his mindison marriage,” Matthew replied. “He would be a very fine match for our sister.”
“What about the Duke of Harbeck?”
“Oh, no one ever tookthatseriously as a match,” Matthew said. “Did they, Edwina?”
