Her response seemed to appease Fredrick. “I have known Lord William for a long time and he is not honorable. It is a shame that he is related to Lord Kendal.”
“I am not acquainted with Lord Kendal.”
“Lord Kendal is Lord William’s older brother and he is a fine man,” Fredrick shared. “We studied at Oxford together.”
Octavia looked down at her lemon ice and saw that it was mostly melted. “I blame Lord William for ruining this treat for me,” she said, halfway joking.
“It is still edible,” he encouraged. He brought the glass up to his lips and took a long sip.
Feigning disappointment, she remarked, “That is very uncouth of you, Brother.”
“I have learned to make do ever since I was a soldier. Nothing can go to waste, especially an ice from Gunter’s.”
“Mother would be mortified at your actions,” Octavia joked.
Fredrick winked at her. “Mother is not here, and you are not going to tell her. Are you?”
“No, but that does remind me. We need to purchase a bag of dry sweetmeats for Mother.”
“I thought the doctor put her on a restrictive diet?” Fredrick questioned.
Octavia extended her glass to Fredrick. “He did, but Mother enjoys a treat on occasion,” she shared.
“How often does she indulge in a treat?”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Octavia replied, “It isnot important. She is dying and she deserves to eat whatever she wants.”
Fredrick grew solemn. “I suppose you make a valid point.”
She closed her eyes as she willed the tears away. Why had she brought up her mother on this outing? She couldn’t cry here. Not in front of all these people. It would be mortifying and it could cause a scandal. Which is precisely what she wished to avoid.
Her brother reached for her hand and squeezed it. “We will get Mother all the dry sweetmeats that she could possibly eat.”
Octavia opened her eyes and met her brother’s comforting gaze. “Thank you, Fredrick. It is the one thing I can do for her. It makes me not feel so useless.”
“I would be remiss if I did not tell you that Father would be furious if he found out what you are doing.”
“Most likely, but I will take that risk.”
A server approached the curricle to collect their glasses. “Would you care for anything else?” he asked.
Fredrick handed the glasses to the server and replied, “Yes, I would like a bag of your dry sweetmeats.”
“Right away, my lord,” the server said before he hurried off to fill the order.
Octavia smiled at her brother. “You are a good brother.”
“Better than Roswell?”
A laugh escaped her lips at that unexpected remark. “You both are in contention for my favorite brother.”
“I still cannot believe that Roswell is married and is on his wedding tour,” Fredrick said. “He did good by marrying Anette.”
“I just adore Anette. She is one of my dearest friends.” Octavia cocked her head. “Do you intend to marry soon?”
Fredrick bristled. “Where is that question coming from?”
“I am just curious,” she replied. “You are Father’s heir and will one day take over as Marquess of Cuttyngham.”
