Adam furrowed a brow and waved a hand to the chair in front of his desk. “Well, if it’s not about marriage and it’s not about Daphne, what have you in mind?”
“The townhouse we spoke of yesterday. It’s in Bruton Street. I’d like to live there.”
Blinking, Adam regarded a rather large leather-bound ledger that held a special place on one corner of the mahogany desk. He didn’t usually pay the tome any mind—as the household’s best resident in mathematics, his wife saw to the earldom’s ledger—but Adam wondered what property his son might be talking about. “Uh, Bruton Street,” he repeated, flipping through the pages of the ledger in search of an entry that might have the property listed. “Truth be told, I’m not recalling that we own a townhouse in Bruton—”
“Grandfather housed his mistress there. A long time ago,” Andrew stated.
Closing the ledger a bit harder than he intended, Adam regarded his son with confusion. “You know this how?”
About to answer, Andrew realized he couldn’t mention the late Earl of Norwick. He would sound like a fool quoting a ghost. “I learned of it from a relative of Lady Danielle’s. When he discovered I intended to ask for her hand. He’s the one who thought I should have a house to offer her ladyship,” he explained. “A place to live. Once Anthony inherits, his wife will be the lady of this household,” he added with a shrug. “I don’t think there’s enough room here for two couples and their children.”
His father regarded him with raised brows. “You’ve given this a good deal of thought,” he said in awe. He lifted a folded note from his desktop. “As has the man to whom you refer,” he added, waggling a brow.
“Sir?” Andrew replied, his attention going to the bright white missive.
“It seems Lord Norwick wants you to marry his daughter, one Lady Diana?”
Andrew gave his father a curt nod. “That’s Danielle,” he replied, chuffed at learning Lord Norwick had sent word that he wanted Andrew as a son-in-law. “I love Lady Danielle. Whilst I’m waiting for an answer to my marriage proposal, I thought to... sweeten the pot, so to speak.”
Leaning back in his chair, Adam’s eyes widened slightly. “Well, then. I suppose I should discover more about this property,” he murmured. In a louder voice, he shouted, “Hummel!”
The butler opened the door to the study only a few seconds later. “Sir?”
“Let Lady Aimsley know I’m in need of her,” he said.
Hummel’s eyes darted sideways.
“Not like that,” Adam said in dismay, which had Andrew’s eyes rounding.
“Right away, sir,” Hummel said before disappearing.
“Father,” Andrew whispered with an embarrassed grin.
When the servant was gone, Adam turned his attention back to his son. “Just you wait. You’ll be doing the same thing with your Lady Danielle. Mark my words. Middle of the day, when you’re supposed to be tending to matters of estate, you’ll find yourself horny, wanting nothing more than to tup her over a library table,” he said at the exact moment his countess, Diana, appeared on the threshold.
“Adam!” she scolded.
Both men jumped to their feet, Andrew having a hard time hiding his humor while his father sobered and hurried over to greet his wife with a kiss on the cheek and the back of her hand.
“Apologies, my lady. Seems your son is in love and determined to find a home for him and his future bride.”
Diana lifted a brow and regarded Andrew with a wan grin. “So... a townhouse?” she guessed.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Well, there’s the one in Bruton Street—”
“There is?” Adam interrupted, his mouth dropping open. “How is itIdon’t know about it?”
Diana gave him a prim grin. “If you think I was going to remind you about your father’s love nest from when he was too young to know better, so that you could house a mistress there—”
“I wouldnever!” Adam countered. “But it would have been good to know about it.” When he noted her quelling glance, he added in a hoarse whisper, “Foroursecret love nest.”
“Bounder,” she accused with a grin. She turned her gaze on Andrew. “The address is number twenty-five, and Parker is the name of the butler in residence there,” she said. “I’ll send word to him you’re to be expected.”
“So... I can have it?” Andrew asked, turning his attention back on his father.
Adam and Diana exchanged quick glances. “Not that we’re in a hurry to see you off on your own, but your little brother or sister will require a bedchamber at some point,” his mother commented, patting her middle.
