Cage winced. He knew how she felt. He took Grace’s hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. When they entered the drawing room, all eyes turned to them, and there were a lot of eyes. Caroline rushed across the room to greet them.
“Hello! I am so glad you could come this evening.” Her eyes darted pointedly at Grace.
Oh yes. “Lady Caroline, let me introduce you to my sister, Lady Grace Blakely.”
“It’s so nice to meet you, Lady Blakely. Please call me Caroline. We are going to be relations after all.” She turned to the room. “Come let me introduce you to my family.”
Cage gave Grace’s hand a squeeze of reassurance. But he needn’t have worried. All the training in social graces, drummed into them as children surfaced and Grace greeted everyone with ease.
A whirlwind of introductions ensued. The duchess’ sister and her husband, Lord and Lady Davenport were in attendance. They greeted him and his sister warmly. He met Caroline’s two nieces, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, close friends of the family, and yes, even Fergus. Soon everyone was ushered into the dining room by the butler. Cage was seated in the middle of the long table, across from Grace and next to Caroline.
The duchess sat to her husband’s right at the head of the table. She peered at him curiously. “Lord Wrotham, how did you and Caroline meet? I have tried to ask Caroline, but she has been quite vague.”
“She hit me in the head with a bejeweled mask at the ball.”
Caroline poked him in the side with her elbow.
“What? It’s the truth.” He grinned at her.
“Caroline, is that what happened to your mask?” The dowager duchess looked as though she were trying hard not to laugh. Her lips twitched.
Caroline glared at him. “It was simply an accident. There is nothing more to say about it.” She glanced around the table. Everyone waited patiently for more details. “If you all must know, I was trying to escape Lord Devonshire, who was hunting me through the ballroom. It was sheer luck that I ran into Lord Wrotham. He was my hero.” She fluttered her eyelashes dramatically as she smiled over at him.
What tripe. Caroline Langdon needed no man to rescue her. But he played along. Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed her fingers and gave her a wink. Caroline’s two nieces sighed loudly from down the table.
“Well then, love at first sight. I approve.” Mr. Davis said. “I knew my Gabby was the one for me right from the first moment we spoke.” He leaned over to kiss his wife on the cheek.
Lord Davenport took his wife’s hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. The look they exchanged was filled with love. Cage glanced down at the duke and duchess as they exchanged a long-smoldering look. Wait, all these married couples were happily in love? Caroline was surrounded by examples of happy marriages but wanted to spend her life as a spinster? That made no sense. What was her game? He glanced at Caroline with a frown.
As though she knew what he’d observed, she shrugged one shoulder before turning to spear a green bean from her plate.
Grace cleared her throat. “You have a lovely large family, Your Grace. Morgan and I were the only children in our household. And he is so much older than I. I often dreamed of having sisters or cousins to play with when I was young.”
“My brothers are both older than me as well. I know what it’s like to be left behind. But Emma is so lucky to have so many siblings.” Caroline turned to the duchess.
“Yes, well, it can be chaotic at the best of times. Lady Blakely, you have met my three sisters, but not my two little brothers. They are eight years old, and then there are Gilchrest’s two sons, and of course, we are missing Vivian and Jack and their two children.” She laughed and put her hand on her belly. “And now one more to add to the mix.”
“I cannot believe how much you have increased since I last saw you.” Mrs. Davis said.
“I know, all I can do these days is waddle around like a pig ready for market.”
“Perhaps it is twins.” Cage mused as he observed her run a hand over her swollen belly.
All eyes at the table swung to stare at him. Cage ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. That was out of line.”
The duke held up a hand. “No, no, he’s right. That has to be it, my love.” He gripped his wife’s hand. “Think of Max and Will. It’s not out of the realm of possibility. And you have been so terribly uncomfortable.”
“Twins?” The duchess stared at her husband. Then both of them grinned.
The duke leaned in to kiss his wife right on the lips before leaning his forehead against hers. “Twins.”
Chapter 27
After that, the conversation around the table flowed easily. After dinner, both the men and women returned to the drawing room. None of the men seemed to mind missing out on their after-dinner port and cigars. The duchess declared that charades was her game of choice, receiving a round of approval from her guests. She organized the guests into two teams. Cage, Grace, Caroline, her mother, Davenport, and his wife were placed on a team together. One of the duchess younger sisters, Abigail, was up first for the other team. The clue was novels. She motioned with one hand in a wave motion.
“Bathwater?” the duchess called out.
“No, waves!” Margaret said.
