“Second-class honors?” Father asks, his eyebrows creased as he stares at Christopher later that night at the dinner table. “For this, you forwent accompanying me to London in the fall?”
Mother looks down at her dinner, picking at her pheasant while Christopher keeps sitting tall, unflinching in the face of their father’s disapproval.
“I’ll keep trying,” Christopher says, his voice strong, but just the slightest bit raspy.
Second-class honors is jolly good. Rosalie’s sure she wouldn’t do even half so well in the classes Christopher takes. He’ll make an excellent earl. Does it really—
“This is not what we do.”
Christopher nods and looks down at his plate.
“Perhaps when we get to London, I ought to find you a tutor.”
Christopher glances at Rosalie and she shakes her head. It’ll only make him angrier if Christopher—
“Actually, Father, I should like to stay in Bath for the remainder of the season.”
Father looks up, eyes narrowing.
“I feel I can do more for the family here,” Christopher says firmly.
“Oh?” Father says, leaning back in his seat. “And how is that?”
“I would like to court MissPine.”
Mother gasps, her fork falling to the table.
“We just thought that Mr.Sholle’s affections for Miss Pine clearly aren’t making an impression on Mr.Dean,” Rosalie jumps in quickly. “Perhaps a little more competition might deter him, and Christopher offered to help.” She hopes it comes off casually.
Father considers her, then looks to Christopher, and then over to Mother, who’s red-faced and still spluttering.
“That... is not the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” Father says slowly.
Christopher perks up in his seat and Rosalie stares at Father, surprised. That was easier than she expected.
“Why?” Mother adds, her voice strangled.
“Rosalie is right—we don’t want Mr.Dean getting any ideas that MissPine might be available,” Father says simply.
“We’ve already been pushing Mr.Sholle as her match. Certainly we don’t need Christopher involved,” Mother argues.
“You must admit, Mother, a man in line to be earl poses much more of a threat to Mr.Dean than a mere baron’s son,” Rosalie says quickly, the rationale slimy on her tongue.
She’s rather hoping MissPine doesn’t care a whit about titles, or gender.
“She has a point,” Father says, glancing at Rosalie approvingly.
In any other situation, she’d be proud to have him on her side, but none of this feelsgood.
Mother gapes around at all of them. “You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t plan to marry the woman,” Christopher assures her.“But I think protecting Rosalie’s future prospects is a worthy way to spend the rest of the season, and then once we’ve all seen her settled, we can move on to other matters,” he says, looking to Father.
“I suppose there are worse ways for you to spend the spring,” Father says reluctantly.
“Do we actually think Mrs.Pine would ever allow it, or believe it?” Mother asks Father.
“Surely the blood can’t really still be poisoned between the two of you. She’s a wealthy woman with a successful husband and a married son. Her daughter is lovely,” Father says.
