“Thank you,” he said to the door. “Tell Her Grace, I will be over in the hour.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bran wasn’t interested in what his sister had to say or the buns. He wanted to see Kate. Now that he was waking, he worried that she was upset with what had happened. After all, who knew the minds of women?
It didn’t take long for him to dress. Chewing on a hot bun, he made his way to the main house by way of the stables where he asked for Orion to be made ready. This would give him a reason to excuse himself from Lucy.
His sister was waiting for him in her private quarters. He’d barely shut the door before she launched into him. “Christopher was out very late last night. Brandon, I’m worried. He seems more enamored of this actress than before. She has her talons in him. Worse, my friends, including Mrs. Warbler, have takena likingto her.”
“You needn’t worry about Miss Addison and Christopher. There isn’t anything there.”
“Then where was he last night?”
“I don’t know.” Bran shrugged. “Perhaps at The Garland? There are usually lads over there.”
“He is so secretive.”
“Lucy, if you had been my mother, I would have been secretive as well.”
“You sound as if I am doing something wrong. He is my son. He is the duke,” she blustered. “He has responsibilities—”
“He is a young man. He will go after young men’s pursuits.”
“As long as it isn’tthatactress. You act as if you think me silly for my worries. Let me tell you, these things can become very messy. I’d rather have the matter under controlnowthan deal with a by-blow later. We’d have to find someone to raise the child and, well, it is untidy. You know how bastards are.”
“Not having had one, I will take your word for it.”
“All you need do is look at Miss Taylor.”
“Lucy, be kind. However, I can tell you with complete assurance that Christopher is not dallying with Miss Addison.”
She pursed her lips at him, her brows rising. “I trust you, Brandon, except every one of my mother’s instincts warns me that my son is in trouble.”
“Then why don’t you take him to London? He should be there this time of year. Let’s utilize a geographic cure. Take him to the city as part of his duties and separate him from your concerns.”
The purple ribbons on Lucy’s black lace bonnet bounced as she shook her head. “Neither of us will go. I don’t know if I can stand London anymore. Christopher is very much like me. He prefers the country.”
It was on the tip of Bran’s tongue to tell his sister to throw off her mourning, wear color, and move back into the stream of life. He also knew his words would set her off into a tirade about how unfeeling he was, and he did not want to put up with that this morning.
So, he tempered his voice and said, “Your fears about Miss Addison are groundless. Beyond that, there is little more that I can do.” He took a step toward the door.
Lucy rose. “She has bewitched you as well, hasn’t she?”
Bran didn’t flinch from the accusation in her tone. “I admire Miss Addison.”
“That is not how you spoke about her in the beginning.”
It hadn’t been. “You are working yourself up over nothing.”
“One would think that people with good common sense could see what she is doing to Maidenshop. Everyone is lowering their standards.”
“We lack your gift, Lucy,” Bran said placatingly. “However, buck up. All will be well. And I must go. My horse is waiting for me.”
“Oh, we can’t let your horse wait... not when my son’s immortal soul is at stake.”
“When did you take on religion, Your Grace?”
That question caught her off guard. “I—I’ve always been of a serious state of mind.”
