He moved around the table and sat down next to Anette. “Are you not hungry?”
“Not any longer,” Anette admitted, placing her fork and knife down.
The smile on his face faded away. “Whyever not?”
“Apparently, some people took issue with my behavior last night,” Anette said.
Their mother extended the newssheets to Caleb. “Read the article yourself.”
Caleb’s eyes perused the paper before he exclaimed, “What poppycock! There are those who will always seek to find fault with someone else. I would not give it any heed.”
“Regardless, I do think if Roswell took Anette on a carriage ride during the fashionable hour, it would quell most of the critics,” their mother said.
“That might work,” Caleb responded, earning a questioning glance from Anette. She wondered why he was going along with this plan.
“Wonderful. Will you ask him the next time you speak to him?” their mother asked.
“I will,” Caleb said, placing the newssheets down.
Their mother reached for her cup of chocolate as she asked, “Did you make any progress on finding a wife?”
Caleb shook his head. “I have yet to find a young woman that piques my interest.”
“Perhaps you are not looking hard enough,” their mother said.
“I am looking, but these things do take time.”
“Yes, but if you and Anette don’t marry soon then I might not be around to hear the pitter-patter of little feet running through the nursery.”
Anette fought off a sigh of frustration. Their mother was unwavering in her quest for grandchildren.
“In due time, Mother,” Caleb said.
Their father pushed his plate away from him and directed a question at Caleb. “Have you had a chance to review the documents that I left for you?”
“I did, and I had a few suggestions to improve the farming techniques,” Caleb responded.
“Very good,” their father praised. “I intend to meet with our solicitor this afternoon. I will expect you to be present.”
“I will be there,” Caleb said. “I just have to see to a few things this morning.”
“Such as?” their father asked.
Caleb shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. “Roswell and I were going to go riding this morning and then we will stop by White’s for a drink.”
The frown on her father's face spoke volumes—it was clear he was not pleased.“I do wish you would stop wasting your time at White’s. You spend entirely too much time there.”
“I don’t consider it a waste of time,” Caleb said.
“You would be wrong, then,” their father asserted before he pushed back his chair and rose. “If you will excuse me, I am needed at the House of Lords for the rest of the morning.”
After he had departed, their mother gave them an expectant look. “You both have a duty to this family, and it is time that you took it more seriously.”
“I know my duty,” Caleb said.
“Do you?” their mother asked. “Because you have no wife.” She shifted her gaze to Anette. “And your sister has no husband.”
Caleb reached for his glass of water. “Do we have to do this now?” he asked. “I only just woke up.”
