“Your Grace,” Prim curtsied.
Nathaniel observed Prim this time as if he were discovering a brand-new species. His body turned slightly, and his eyes focused on her face.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Jenkins.”
“So, tell me,” Leo smiled. “What brought you back to London? The noise alone must be driving you mad.”
“London is indeed noisy. Unnecessarily so.”
“I gather your estate is serene?” Prim tried.
“It is efficient,” Nathaniel blinked slowly. “Efficiency eliminates clamor.”
Leo was sure that she would find a disappointed Prim. If Nathaniel was, indeed, looking for a wife, he was doing a lousy job at it. But Prim seemed amused by Nathaniel’s sensible state of facts.
“It must be something really important that brings you back,” Leo commented.
“I have to settle a matter of importance that needs personal supervision.”
Nathaniel was more cryptic than a Sphinx, but he never lied. Leo was amused by trying to coax the answer out of him. Then he could make a proper presentation of Prim as a perfect candidate for the position.
“I hope you are not in financial trouble, Greyhaven.”
A provocation. Leo knew very well that Nathaniel was capable and resourceful in managing his vast property.
“Not at all. I am merely looking for a wife.”
Prim almost choked on her saliva. Nathaniel was famous for being direct, a trait that had made him quite unpopular with the ladies of the ton. But Prim still kept her little smirk.
“You woke up from the wrong side of the bed and decided the bed was too cold?”
Nathaniel frowned. Leo smirked. The innuendo hung between them like a sword. Only Leo would dare be so indirectly direct, asking something like this in front of a lady. On cue, Nathaniel glanced at Prim with what could have passed as indignation. Now, he either said nothing and left Leo’s blatant accusation unanswered or stated his real purpose.
“I am looking for a mother for my daughter.”
Leo chuckled in satisfaction. Now, Prim knew exactly what Nathaniel was looking for and could make an educated decision.Leo was ready to intervene and smooth the Duke’s pragmatic nature, his icy personality, and the way he stated his purpose as if it were a logistics problem so that Prim would not be deterred. Leo had promised her a husband and he was a man of his words
“That is a noble cause,” Prim said softly.
Leo looked down at her in surprise, but she seemed at least touched by the answer. Nathaniel assessed her answer, and he must have found it adequate. If his raised eyebrow was any indication.
“A noble cause, indeed,” Leo demanded the Duke’s attention. “Miss Jenkins is aware of how important taking care of one’s family is. She takes care of her sisters with the utmost responsibility.”
Nathaniel turned his attention to Leo with his astute intellect. His impassive eyes flicker from Prim to Leo and then to the distance between them.
“Is this a professional reference, Mildenhall? Or a warning label?”
The air went tense. Leo admired the forwardness of the Duke, but truth was currency he rarely dealt with. Nathaniel stood still, still waiting for an answer. He never played the veiled tricks of the ton. This was not a wit-sparring exercise. Nathaniel wanted to know how he should proceed with this, if Leo was supplying him with what he needed or if he was competing for it.
“It is the truth,” Leo answered finally.
It seemed a satisfactory enough answer, so Nathaniel looked at Prim once more. Prim looked at both men with a look that couldn’t decide whether to settle on bewilderment or exasperation. But then focused on Nathaniel.
“Have you been back to London long, Your Grace?” Prim said with a small smile.
“Two weeks.”
Prim was almost startled by the abrupt conclusion to his answer. Usually, the men of the ton grabbed the opportunity to talk about themselves even unprompted. The Duke of Greyhaven was an exemplary exception to the rule.
