He bowed to her. “Miss Thorne, I presume? You are expected. Please follow me.”
She nodded and smiled her thanks as she was ushered into the manor. While Mary went to the servant’s wing, Joanna was shown into the dining hall.
In the dining hall, Evan and his family were already waiting for her. The dowager duchess smiled kindly at her. Next to her stood Evan’s brother, Peter. She knew next to nothing about him. The only one not smiling was Evan himself, who looked as nervous as she felt.
Joanna curtsied. “It is a pleasure to meet you both,” she said to them.
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Thorne,” the dowager duchess said, as they all sat down at the table. “Ever since Evanannounced to me that he was planning to court you, I have been very curious.”
“I am also curious, Miss Thorne,” Peter said, leaning forward. “How can you tolerate him? I must say you can do better.”
Evan growled slightly. “Ignore my brother. He thinks he is funny.”
Peter just grinned in reply.
Joanna smiled. “His Grace has been very kind to me. It is quite easy to tolerate him.”
The dowager duchess smiled as the first course was served. “Tell us about yourself, Miss Thorne. I do not get out in society much these days because of my health, so I hardly know anyone. And Peter isn’t out in society at all.”
Joanna looked at the younger brother. She remembered Evan told her that Peter was adopted, and therefore was mostly ignored by most of the ton, but she didn’t realize he never attended any society events. “Truly, my lord?”
“Oh, please, no titles for me. I am merely His Grace’s steward, and happy to be so. All the duke’s responsibilities look tedious and dull.” He smiled. “I was adopted when I was only three, and now I delight in the luxuries of the rich with none of the responsibility. Unlike His Grace, I only socialize with people Iwant to. Meanwhile, my dear brother is obligated to endure politics.”
“He is not wrong,” Evan said, taking a sip of his wine. “Matters of Parliament are hardly my favorite. I must say, Miss Thorne’s father, the Viscount of Clifford, is quite sensible when it comes to matters of Parliament. He is one of the more intelligent people to frequent the House of Lords.”
Joanna smiled, pleased to hear something positive about her father for once. She felt a rush of gratitude for him. The corner of Evan’s mouth turned up in a slight smile, but aside from that, his expression didn’t change.
“How is your family?” The dowager duchess asked. “We must have them over for dinner at least once before the Season is out.”
“My parents are well,” Joanna said. “They prefer our home in the country to London, but they are making the most of it. They will be happy to come here for dinner. Blackwell Manor is beautiful, and they’re looking forward to meeting His Grace’s family.”
The dowager duchess beamed. “The manor has been in the family for generations. It’s such a comfort, especially at the beginning of the Season, when the weather is so dreary.”
The conversation flowed easily over dinner, even though Evan only made the occasional remark or two.
Joanna enjoyed the conversation, but she also enjoyed the food. Not only was everything delicious, but it was more food than she had eaten at one time in a long time. She could not help but eat a little more than was proper. The dowager duchess and Evan did not seem to notice, but Peter’s assessing gaze kept her from taking a third helping of roast beef.
Over dessert, the dowager duchess asked about her sister. “Evan mentioned you have a younger sister. Is that correct?”
Joanna smiled. “Yes, Aurelia. She is attending her last year of finishing school now.”
“Does she enjoy school?”
“She enjoys it well enough. What she loves more than anything right now is reading. She and her friends love to read and discuss books together.”
“That is marvelous!” said the dowager duchess. “Do you also enjoy reading?”
Joanna nodded. “It feels like a sort of magic, doesn’t it? Like traveling to other worlds.”
The dowager duchess beamed. “I wholeheartedly agree. It is wonderful hearing of so many young ladies reading. After all, it is important to exercise one’s mind, or risk ending up frightfully dull. You know, Blackwell Manor has an extensive library. Would you like to see?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Joanna said eagerly. “As long as you don’t mind.”
“Not at all! You can even borrow a book or two if you wish. It will be no trouble.”
With dessert finished, the party stood up from the table and traveled from the dining hall to the library. The sight of it took Joanna’s breath away. Blackwell’s library was far bigger than the one at home, which was really only the size of a small drawing room.
This library was easily the size of a ballroom. Shelves lined the walls, going all the way up to the cavernous ceilings, with even more in the middle of the room. There were also writing desks, armchairs, and sofas, all in view of a fireplace that was off to one side.
