Edwin moved to retaliate.
“Yes, thank you, Edwin,” Pere replied, her tone tight.“I trust you’ll both be on your best behavior tonight?”
“You have my word.”Edwin gave a sweeping bow.
“Mine as well,” Henley added, forgoing the theatrics.
“All is well, love,” their mother soothed.
“It’s… just quite an important night,” Pere added, her voice unexpectedly soft.
Henley stepped forward but was promptly shoved aside by Edwin.
“Ah, Pere, you’ll be the talk of London!You’ll be turning down suitors left and right.”He nudged her shoulder.
“You think?”Pere’s eyes lit with hope.
“Of course!In fact, I’m going to make sure this is the most talked-about evening of the season.”He nodded, apparently agreeing with himself.
Henley watched him closely.His instincts flared—something was coming.
“I’ve been thinking… it’s time I settled down,” Edwin said with a shrug, as if commenting on the weather.
Henley blinked.Surely, he wasn’t talking about marriage?
“Pardon?”Pere said, pale and fisting her hands again.
“I’m the heir,” Edwin said with a glance at Henley, voice barbed.
Henley resisted a scoffing laugh; he didn’t care about the title—only that Edwin didn’t destroy it.
“I need to ensure our family line continues.And to do so—legitimately—I must marry.”He delivered the line to the now-silent room.
Henley glanced at their mother.Her expression brimmed with hope and trepidation.
Odd mix, that.
The trepidation he understood.The hope?Not so much.Something was off.Why now?
“And you think announcing that tonight will benefit me?”Pere asked, incredulous.
“Yes.”Edwin nodded, oblivious to her tone.
He was always slow to read emotion.
Henley opened his mouth to call out the idiocy, but their mother spoke first.
“Oh, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that, Edwin!”
Henley froze, glancing to Pere, who stared at their mother in disbelief.
“I’m sure once the news is known, the mamas of the ton will waste no time throwing their daughters at you.”
“What about the mothers of the sons?For me?”Pere demanded, her tone nearly mutinous.
Henley’s attention darted back and forth like he was following a tennis match.“While it’s a good sentiment, is now truly the best time—during Pere’s debut—”
“It won’t take away from her.Not too much, at least.And we must think of the greater good,” their mother interrupted.“We’re still recovering from last season’s scandal.The more positive gossip we create, the faster the other will fade.I’d think you’d be in support of this, Henley.”She gave him a loaded look.“A bit of your penance, don’t you think?Remember just because your brother is the earl doesn’t mean you don’t have your own title to upkeep.It’s a special accommodation to keep it in our family—”
