“You’ve been in love before?”
“No.”
“Surely, you don’t think I would encourage you to marry someone you didn’t love? It would be a dreadful mistake.”
She knew how dreadful. Such a narrow escape she had had.
“That’s what’s usually done.”
“Nonsense. There are plenty of love matches. In fact, my parents were madly in love—”
“Yes,yourparents. Not peers.”
She sat down heavily. It was her own fault. She’d brought it up. Now she’d have to tell him.
“My fatherwasa peer.”
Eight
There was some loud pounding coming from somewhere.
Franny’s father was a peer?
Bevel was barking. And a voice was shouting, “Kittredge? Are you in there?”
“Someone’s at your door, Your Grace.”
Franny was a peer’s daughter.
“You need to answer it.”
Oh, yes. There was no butler. But a peer’s daughter? Well . . . then . . . he could marryher, couldn’t he?
He sensed he had been very close to being called an arsehole, but she hadn’t said that yet, so there was still hope, wasn’t there? He should ask her right now before he said something unforgivable.
“Franny, will you ma—”
The pounding suddenly became ten times louder and Bevel’s bark in the front hall was ear-splitting.
Franny got up from her chair and went out into the hall and Kittredge came behind her quickly as she opened the door. He must get his question out.
“Whoa, boy! Enough!” It was Dagenham’s voice. Bevel went quiet, and Franny stepped back.
“Kittredge!” Dagenham came in, scratching Bevel’s neck. “You found him. You could have sent me word. I’ve been worried.”
“You have?”
“Well, I was about to get worried.” Dagenham’s eyes slid over to Franny as she closed the door, and he swept off his hat. “Good day.”
Dagenham often said women liked him. He knew how to flatter and flirt. He had a sly intelligence despite his stupid gambling habit. If Dagenham weren’t so atrociously poor, he’d be one of the most sought-after bachelors in theton.
Dagenham bowed. “I won’t wait forever for Kittredge to remember his manners and introduce us. It’s been many years, uh, . . . Miss Cranwell.”
Franny curtsied. “Lord Dagenham.”
Kittredge didn’t like this. “You two know each other?”
Franny looked from Kittredge to Dagenham and back again. She raised her chin defiantly.
