“Lord Montrose, Miss Letitia Montrose, and Miss Marina Montrose.”
Christopher entered first. He cast a cursory glance around the room, his gaze barely skimming over Rachel before landing on Simon with a look of calculated interest.
Of course, he is only interested in Simon.Her father had not cared for her before, so she would have been a fool to expect anything different now.
Letitia followed closely, smiling but not sincerely. It was the kind of smile that suggested she had already found something to criticize.
Marina entered last, but when she saw Rachel, her eyes lit up with relief.
“Rachel!” She reached for her sister’s hands, squeezing them in greeting.
“Marina!”
Christopher Montrose stepped forward, ever the imposing figure. “Your Grace,” he greeted Simon with a slight bow, his gaze assessing. “A pleasure to be received in your home.”
Simon inclined his head. “The pleasure is mine, of course.”
Rachel could see the way Christopher’s eyes darted over the fine furnishings, the gilded edges of the room, and the sheer wealth on display. And then, as expected, his next words came without hesitation.
“I imagine Everly Hall must require extensive estate management. These old properties—quite costly to maintain, are they not?”
Rachel nearly groaned. Of course, he would start with Simon’s finances.
Simon’s expression remained unreadable. “A well-managed estate does not concern itself with costs,” he replied smoothly.
Christopher chuckled, though there was no real humor in the sound. “Spoken like a man with a fortune to spare.”
Simon said nothing. He merely sipped his drink.
Letitia let out a small laugh. “Well, at least Rachel has done well for herself,” she said. “We were all so surprised to hear of the match. Rachel was always busy with chores around the house. I do wonder when she got the time to go about finding a love match.”
Simon set his glass down.
“It does not take long,” Simon replied. “One meeting is enough.”
“Oh, I do not doubt it,” Letitia mused. “Rachel has always been… resourceful.”
She was insinuating something wicked.
“I would think that it is better than being jealous,” Rachel pointed out. “Which you seem to be at this moment.”
Letitia’s lips parted in mock surprise. “Jealous? My dear, what a thing to say. Why, I am nothing but pleased for you.” She glanced at Simon. “I am not worried about my own match, either. I am certain that I will be paired soon.”
Simon took this moment to step in.
“How fortunate,” he said smoothly, “Rachel’s resourcefulness—as you say—has put her in quite an ideal situation. Otherwise, she would be sitting here like you, gloating about matches that have not yet been made and entertaining whoever looks your way.”
Letitia stiffened.
Simon leaned forward slightly, his gaze as sharp as cut glass. “But then again, some women enjoy the attention.”
The meaning landed immediately.
Rachel watched as her sister’s expression flickered and then transformed into one of offense.
She had always bragged about how she was highly sought after, but Simon had made it sound like a weakness rather than an advantage.
“My, how protective you are, Your Grace.”
