“Because sometimes everyone needs some help, and when we receive it, it is our responsibility to either repay it or to pay it forward,” Drake explained calmly, handing the young man a glass of water to sip from.
Micah pondered this when there was a knock at the door, and Drake’s butler came in with a silver tray balanced on one hand.
“The mail, Your Grace,” he intoned somberly, holding the tray out in front of him with a small bow so that Drake could pick up the stack of letters and cards.Having performed his service, he immediately exited back out of the room.
The duke shuffled through them quickly and raised his eyebrows before lifting a single invitation from the pile.
“Your wedding is tomorrow?”he asked Matthew.“And a dinner tonight, in lieu of an engagement ball.”
“Really?”Matthew asked, trying to lean forward and see what was written there.“That must be my grandmother’s doing.I did not realize we were to host anything tonight.What time?”
Drake snorted his amusement, shaking his head as he handed the invitation over for Micah to see.
“I will be there,” he said.“I am looking forward to being properly introduced to your bride.”
Since the last time he’d seen her had been immediately following Matthew’s purchase of her at the auction.If Micah caught the reference, it did not show on his face.
“If Grandmama is inviting you, she is probably inviting the others,” Matthew said, scanning over the invitation.
“The others?”Micah asked.
“The tragic dukes,” Drake explained.He grimaced when Micah shook his head in confusion, and Matthew shrugged.He had not told the story to his bride’s family, because it did not seem of any importance.“Those of us who inherited our titles early when our fathers were killed in a fire at the hunting lodge they were visiting.”
“That’s terrible, I’m so sorry,” Micah replied, with all the sad fervor of someone who understood completely—because of course he did.“What a terrible accident.”
Drake and Matthew exchanged glances.
“Actually,” Drake said, leaning forward to brace his elbows against his knees, before Matthew could flip his coin to decide whether to tell Micah.“There is something you should know, as your sister is marrying Matthew and you are the man of the house…”
Because it had been no accident, though that was the official verdict of the investigation.So far, it did not seem as though there was any further danger, but there was always the chance of something they’d missed.Or of stirring things up now that they were investigating their fathers’ deaths, if the culprit got wind of what they were doing.
It was unlikely Johanna would be put in any danger by marrying Matthew, but there was always the chance.Her brother, even if he had not reached his majority, should know the truth.
Matthew supposed that eventually he would need to tell Johanna as well.
Pulling out his coin, he gave it a quick flip as Drake filled Micah in.
Apparently, it would have to wait for another day.
ChapterFourteen
Johanna
Wearing one of her new gowns, a beautiful eggplant color trimmed with silver, Johanna turned back and forth to look at herself in the mirror, her eyes wide at the vision before her.
“You look perfect,” Nettie said proudly, as she should since Johanna’s current appearance was mostly due to Nettie’s skills.
“Thank you, Nettie.”
There was a knock on the door, and Nettie immediately jumped.
“I’ll get that!”
Johanna was grateful because she could not stop staring at herself.She looked like a lady.A real lady.The way she had been trying to look when she’d gone to the Blackstone house party.Then, she’d been a tawdry, cheap imitation of what a lady of thetonlooked like.An out-of-date one, at that.
Now…
She truly did look like an earl’s sister.A duke’s soon-to-be duchess.
