As though sensing she’d gone too far, his own mother held her tongue through the first few courses. But Addison would not drop his guard. He had no doubt it was only a retreat, not a full-out surrender.
He gestured for the footman to fill his glass.
In the end, the duchess wasn’t going to win. Addison was going to marry Collette and if his mother couldn’t accept that gracefully, he’d send her away to where her disapproval wouldn’t matter.
“Have you had a chance to view the latest exhibit at the National Gallery yet?” Lady Chaswick brought up their outing earlier that day. “The display is a rather magnificent one.”
“Lady Isabella is an excellent painter, is she not, my lord?” Addison’s mother suddenly came to life.
“Indeed. We have a room set aside in Battleford Park, where we have them displayed.” Lady Huntly enthused. “You must visit, Your Grace, in order to truly appreciate the extent of her talents.”
“Perhaps sometime after the wedding.” Addison leaned back, unwilling to discuss Lady Isabella and her many talents. Not that she wasn’t a pleasant young lady, but he’d leave the regaling of her talents for some other bachelor.
“Several months after,” Addison added, feeling goaded. “As I’m considering a tour of the Continent for our wedding journey. How would you feel about that, Collette?”
It was beyond rude of him to dismiss the countess’s invitation so casually, and yet some devil prodded him, nonetheless.
Even Collette looked nonplussed by his brutish behavior. Of course, she would be taken aback by it; she’d been tutored daily on proper behavior in the few weeks since they’d become engaged,
She flicked a glance to her sister-in-law, and then back to him before answering, “I think that would be wonderful.”
“Enough, Addison,” his mother hissed.
“You’ll be finished with your project by the time we return, eh, Row?” He ignored his mother. “And if you decide to sell, perhaps my duchess would prefer that we take up residence in a more modern home.”
“If we can keep the vandals away. I’m going to have to hire a few men to guard the site, it seems, if I’m to avoid further delays.”
Chaswick leaned forward in his chair. “The new manor on Park Street? I, for one, was glad to see Odwick’s torn down. It had become quite the eyesore. What exactly are your plans?”
Everyone present seemed a little relieved to listen to Rowan explain the design, the advantages of that piece of property, and the plans he had to invigorate the gardens.
“And this is for yourself?” Lady Chaswick asked.
“I haven’t yet decided.” Rowan met Addison’s gaze. “You are welcome to give Miss Jones a tour.”
Addison rubbed his chin. Living somewhere separate from his mother was a rather appealing idea.
“But there is no need,” his mother snapped. “As Bedwell, it’s only fitting that you reside in your ancestral home.”
“Brier House is barely a hundred years old,” he pointed out. “Not exactly ancestral.”
“What about Fiona?” His mother obviously did not appreciate the direction of this conversation. Not if she was willing to bring Fi into it.
“She could stay at either.”
“You are not moving out of Brier House, and you are not marrying that woman.” Such an outburst from his mother, froma duchess, invoked a wave of discomfort not easily dismissed.
Chaswick moved to stand but his wife stayed him with a wince. Rowan shook his head and it appeared Lady Huntly and her daughter might simultaneously burst into tears.
Even Lord Huntly shifted in his seat.
But it was the expression on Collette’s face that caused Addison’s heart to drop.
“Excuse me.” She struggled to push her chair back until one of the footmen stepped forward to assist her.
“Most unfortunate, Bedwell. We’ll be taking my sister home now.” Chaswick was assisting his wife up as well and turned his glare on Addison’s mother. “I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure, Your Grace. However, in the light of your reception, I’ll refrain.”
“Let’s do it again sometime.” Rowan was leaning back in his chair, looking far more entertained than was necessary, and for a fleeting second, but not for the first time, Addison wished it was he who had been born out of wedlock.
