Left dumbfounded, David watched his father before he aimed a glance at Elkins. “Much has happened since I was last here,” he said in a whisper.
“Indeed, sir,” Elkins replied.
Before David made it to the stairs, he turned and discovered his sister, Adeline, regarding him from the front salon. “Well, hello,” he said as she rushed into his arms.
“I feared I wouldn’t recognize you,” Adeline whispered once her head ended up on his shoulder.
“Oh, come now,” he replied. “How much could I have changed in only a few years?” he countered. He stepped back and regarded her, his expression changing from delight to consternation.
“What?” she asked in alarm.
“Where is my sister Adeline?” he asked. “What have you done with her?”
Adeline gave him a quelling glance. “Very funny,” she remarked.
But David’s expression remained serious. “How is it you still live here?” he asked in all seriousness. She seemed at least two inches taller than when he had last seen her, and her features had matured so the soft lines of her face were closer to those of their mother. Their grandmother’s Italian complexion wasn’t the least bit evident in her coloring, but her hair color matched Elizabeth’s perfectly. He was sure his contemporaries found her attractive.
Her brows furrowing in confusion, Adeline allowed a shrug. “Well, I am still unmarried,” she replied. “A situation I do not believe will change anytime soon,” she added on a sigh. “I’ve become a wallflower, you see. A constant companion to the potted palms of ballrooms up and down Park Lane.”
David pulled away from his sister’s hold. “How many marriage proposals have you turned down?” he asked, suspicious. For a moment, he worried his sister might have gained a reputation for courting without the intent to marry.
Adeline blinked. “None,” she replied with a shrug.
Glancing to one side, David felt a combination of anger and shock on his sister’s behalf. “Are you not considered a diamond of the first water?”
Giggling, Adeline stepped back. “Hardly,” she replied. She continued to grin, though, her peaches-and-cream complexion enhanced by the light of the gas-lit sconces lining the great hall of Bostwick House. “But thank you for the compliment,” she said before she quickly sobered. “So... tell me about this sultan’s son you have brought with you,” she said as she motioned for him to join her in the salon.
David frowned. “He’s become my best friend,” he warned. “He’s a good man, Addy,” he added. “Humble and hardworking, and a master at overseeing construction. I brought drawings to show the buildings that have been erected in the past two years.”
“I’ve read your last few letters to Father,” she said. “Which is why I’m surprised you came back to England.”
David winced. “I’ve been away more than three years,” he reminded her. “I think it’s time I take a wife.”
Adeline glanced around, as if she feared someone was eavesdropping. Once he was over the threshold, she shut the door. “I thought you might marry a Turkish girl,” she said in a hushed voice. “Mayhap one of the sultan’s daughters, like James did. Don’t you find them... exotic?”
A grimace passed over David’s face before he said, “There are some very beautiful women there, yes.” He cleared his throat. “As for Charlotte’s stepdaughters, I rather doubt Ziyaeddin would allow another one of them to marry an Englishman, even though he is happy with James,” he explained. “And besides, I still favor English girls.” His eyes darted sideways. “That speak English. My Turkish is rot,” he added.
Adeline struggled not to snort as she indicated he should sit. “Well, do have a seat,” she encouraged.
He winced. “I’ve been sitting on the train all day,” he said. “I need to get my land legs back.”
Shrugging, she decided to remain standing. “You may find English girls are not as you remember,” she warned. “But they do still speak English. And French, of course.”
Inhaling slowly, David regarded his sister for a moment before he dared a glance at the closed door, as if he feared someone might be eavesdropping on their conversation. “Will you... apprise me of who has married since I was last in town?” he asked. “Maybe before dinner? I understand many of my contemporaries have already been caught in the parson’s mousetrap, and my choices may be limited.”
Knowing her brother had favored several young women who had married since his departure on his Grand Tour, Adeline understood his request. “I will, if you’ll tell me why this... Ertu...” She paused, unsure of how to say the name of their guest.
“Ertugrul,” David murmured.
“Why did he come?”
David inhaled softly. “He... he wishes to attend a Season in London,” he said with a shrug.
“How does he evenknowabout Seasons in London?” she asked.
His eyes darting toward the door again, David leaned in and said, “He attended university at Cambridge. He... he is of a mind to find an English wife.”
Adeline gasped. “But, why?”
