The long mahogany table, covered with a pristine white cloth, was set with the finest china and crystal, all meticulously arranged. All the guests had come down from their chambers dressed elegantly.
Soon, the hushed tones of conversation and laughter and the gentle clinking of glasses and cutlery created a sophisticated ambiance.
“I must say,” began the ever-loquacious Marquess of Selway, who was seated across from him, “it is remarkable how only a few truly comprehend the intricacies of managing such large estates.”
He posed in his tailored dinner jacket with a proud expression on his face that was not too obvious but remained apparent to the keenest of eyes.
Peter snorted. He had encountered Lord Selway on many occasions and had never once been impressed by his pompousness.
Almost every gentleman at this table manages a large estate. Who exactly does Selway mean to offend by speaking thusly?
He thought of challenging the Marquess, but after spending years debating matters of little consequence in the House of Lords with the gentleman, he knew that any breath he devoted to a conversation with him would be wasted.
“It demands considerable intellect and, arguably, a certain finesse,” Selway added while watching the Fitzroys. “Regrettably, this skill seems to be disappearing among the nobility. However, you seem to have maintained it at this estate.”
“Oh, you always have the kindest words, Selway,” Lord Crawford replied, accepting the praise. “But I quite agree, and you seem to also be a capable example yourself.”
The others whispered their agreement, while Peter lifted his glass of claret and took a small sip.
“He is a mouthful, is he not?”
He almost choked on his wine upon hearing his sister’s voice. He squeezed his eyes shut to hold back laughter. “Maddie… What are you doing here?”
“Enjoying my dinner,” Madeline replied as she picked up a bread roll, tore it in half, and stuffed a piece into her mouth.
“But that is Miss Fitzroy’s seat,” Peter hissed once he regained his composure.
“So it was,” Madeline retorted. “But since Lavinia cannot join us, I figured it was… safest for all the ladies in the room if I took it.” She shoved the other bread piece into her mouth and talked around it. “I am merely doing a public service, dear brother. I wouldn’t want any of these fine young ladies to tarnish their reputations by sitting next to the most notorious rake in all of England.”
Peter bit back a response.
Once again, Madeline has judged me all wrong.
“Are you… Are you the Duke of Pemberton?”
The question came from a timid-looking young man who was seated on Madeline’s other side.
Peter leaned forward and glanced at him critically. “Who wants to know?”
“Ha!” Madeline laughed in that low, rumbling way of hers that was another of her unladylike traits. “Of course, this is my brother, the Duke of Pemberton. Do forgive him for being a bit of a grump.”
The young man ran a shaky hand through hair that was so blond and light, it reminded Peter of a dove’s wing.
“I… I am the one who should apologize,” he murmured. “We—none of us have been introduced, and yet, when I heard what you said just now, I could not… well, I could not quell my curiosity.”
Peter was befuddled. He had attended a few house parties before, but his mother and sister had not warned him about the way the rules of polite Society would be flouted in the Baron and Baroness’s home.
Their daughter skips dinner and refuses to mingle with the guests. Young ladies, like my sister, talk with their mouths full. And this young gentleman seems to think it is acceptable to interrupt our conversation.
“I’m Lady Madeline Linfield,” Maddie said as she took a long slurp of her watered-down wine. She waved her free hand at Peter. “That’s my brother, Peter.”
“Uh…” The young gentleman made a discomfited sound, so Madeline rolled her eyes and amended her statement.
“You may call him His Grace. He likes that.”
“I am the Duke of Pemberton,” Peter said in a voice that sounded rigid and formal even to his own ears. “And you are?”
“L-Lord Windham,” the man stuttered. “Lord Emanuel Windham. I am friends with Mr. Charles Fitzroy and was… was asked to attend this house party so I might be introduced to all of Lady Crawford’s lovely lady friends.” Then, as if he realized a beat too late that he had revealed too much, his pale cheeks turned maroon. “I… I did not mean to imply…”
