“I already feel as if I am truly your daughter.”
Mary hugged her, hard. “But you are, my dear, you are.”
“WE SEEM TO HAVE CALLERS,”Mary murmured wryly as they entered the grand foyer of Harmon House.
Giggles and laughter, all of it feminine and quite coy, sounded from one nearby salon. Virginia glanced at Mary in some surprise.
“There has been a parade of eager young women coming through this house ever since Rex and Cliff arrived.” She gave Virginia a look. “Neither one are spoken for and they both have fine inheritances. But they are both randy sorts, and instead of taking these young women seriously, I do believe it has become a simple source of entertainment for them both, especially for Cliff.”
Virginia glanced into the salon where they had held the wedding reception. Rex was darkly handsome in his army dress uniform, yet there was little correct about him—his posture was indolent and his dark eyes were distinctly bored as he listened to a plump blonde regale him with some chitchat. His gaze wandered repeatedly about the company and finally to the doorway where Virginia and Mary stood. His expression brightened as it settled on them and he slowly smiled.
Virginia felt certain that he had broken many hearts. She smiled in return and glanced at Cliff. He was not bored, oh no. A gorgeous brunette woman, quite older than the three young ladies present, had him in a corner, her heavily ringed hand on his arm. Cliff was leaning very close to her, quite intimately, as she whispered in his ear, obviously flirting. He might have been the youngest brother, but he seemed the most sardonic and the most jaded. Suddenly he realized that new company was present; he straightened without haste, and rather lazily took a single step back, putting a more appropriate distance between himself and the brunette.
Mary said, low, “That is Lady Arlette. She is widowed andnotsuitable for any of my sons.”
“I dare say Cliff is rather fond of her.”
Mary made a derisive sound. “He is fond of her bosom and her penchant for discreet affairs.”
Virginia had to bite back her gasp of surprise. She glanced at Mary, whom she had never heard utter an unkind word.
Rex approached, bowing. “The lovely bride saves the day.” He smiled warmly at her. “Has my ignoble and reckless brother taken to the high seas, then?”
Virginia recognized the warmth he felt for Devlin and she liked him very much. “Your noble and reliable brother has set sail, indeed.”
He laughed. “But how could he leave such a lovely bride behind so quickly?” He gave her a look.
Did he dare flirt with her now? “My lord, I feel certain it was a most difficult matter.”
He bent and took her arm, whispering, “I have no doubt. You must rescue me, little sister. I should go mad if I have to listen to another marriage-minded maid prattle on about my medals and my honor.”
She looked up at his hard, handsome face. There was some annoyance in his eyes—and something dark she unfortunately recognized. “Will you walk with me?” she asked. “I long for a turn in the gardens.” She wondered why he found female pursuit so distasteful and what ghosts haunted him.
He gave her a wink. “Of course.” He kissed his mother’s cheek. “I am escorting Virginia outside. You may think to rescue Cliff soon.” With that, he tucked Virginia’s arm in his and they crossed the room and stepped out onto the terrace. Once there, she felt his large body relax.
“Most men would love to be so chased,” she said.
He smiled a little at her. “I amnotmost men.”
“I doubt any man in this family is like most men.” She thought of Devlin and her heart skipped.
He eyed her as they strolled down the steps and to the frosted lawns, following a stone path there. “That is very flattering…I think.”
“I meant it as flattery,” she said.
“Yes, I am aware of that. And how does it feel to be a married woman?”
Her heart skipped wildly again. “I haven’t changed—but then again, I have changed completely. I suppose I make no sense.”
He grinned. “None at all. You are not what I would have expected Devlin to land.”
Her brows lifted. “Is that an insult?”
“No, it is flattery.”
They both smiled.
“I expected him to one day settle for an heiress, the matter a strictly financial one. I never expected him to lose his heart to a little American orphan who once tried to assassinate him from the deck of a ship while he was seizing it.”
