There was a teasing grin on his face, and she frowned. ‘Then why did you suggest that I should have brought them with me today, in direct contradiction of that order?’
‘Because I know how stubborn you are.’
The upturn of his lips and the gleam in his eyes increased his handsomeness, but it was the teasing itself that made her smile. It was nice to have someone to share things with. Silly things between the two of them. ‘Not stubborn. I’m particular.’
‘Ah, yes. Particular. I recall that, too,’ he said, with a laugh.
She giggled and shook her head at him for teasing her.
‘You don’t need to wait for a schedule,’ he said. ‘I can meet you at the zoo tomorrow and give your nieces and nephews rides.’
‘I wasn’t implying—’
‘I know you weren’t implying anything,’ he interrupted. ‘Tomorrow would be the perfect day for Hugo to give your nieces and nephews rides. Mr Ratnam said the howdah we’d commissioned to be built will be delivered tomorrow morning. It’s not as elaborate or large as the ones used in other placesaround the world, but will provide the riders with a safer place to sit.’
She’d seen pictures of howdahs in books and was concerned about how large they’d appeared. ‘It won’t hurt Hugo, will it?’
‘No, a saddle maker built it, complete with padding to protect Hugo’s skin. It’s a simple structure and I’ll be there early tomorrow morning to help put it on him for the first time. He’s worn similar things in the past, so I don’t expect any issues.’
‘I look forward to seeing it,’ she said.
‘Shall we plan on early afternoon for your nieces and nephews to get their rides?’
For a moment she questioned why she was so excited at the prospect, but quickly determined that it didn’t matter. She couldn’t let her nieces and nephews down. ‘Yes, thank you, that would work perfectly.’
‘Good,’ Drake replied as they arrived at the door, which was promptly opened by a butler.
Moments later, they entered a beautifully decorated drawing room and were greeted by the duke and duchess. During the greeting, Meridith passed on Peter’s request to greet the duke and duchess on his behalf and accepted a return greeting to share with him.
‘I’m so happy you were both able to join us this evening,’ Rosemary said. ‘I’ll never be able to thank you enough for how happy you made Thomas today. He swears that Drake is his best friend.’
‘I’m honored,’ Drake replied. ‘The next time he rides Hugo, there will be a howdah for him to sit in.’
‘I was wondering about that,’ the duke said.
As the two men began talking about saddles and howdahs, Rosemary said, ‘Come, let’s sit down so we can visit. Michael informed me that your family has been supporting the zoo for many years.’
‘Yes, we have,’ Meridith answered as they walked to a grouping of upholstered chairs and matching sofa. ‘My mother was very passionate about it, and I’ve been fortunate to be able to oversee our family’s endeavours the past few years.’
‘That’s very admirable of you,’ the duchess replied as they each sat upon a chair. ‘Since marrying Michael I’ve discovered just how much I was missing by being so focused on myself.’
Meridith didn’t see anything selfish about the duchess, but did notice how Rosemary was looking across the room towards her husband. Her face was alight with adoration.
The men were at a credenza, filling glasses with before-dinner drinks. Drake had his back to the room, but the duke turned, smiled in return at his wife, with just as much adoration on his face.
Meridith had seen such expressions within her family. Peter and Alena adored each other, as did her other siblings and their spouses, with the exception of Diana and Walter—not that Meridith could remember the last time she’d had an opportunity to see how they looked at each other. They were so rarely in the same place.
She couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would ever look at her like that, or if she’d look at them. It was what she wanted, yet she couldn’t help but fear that she could end up like Diana. That frightened her and was the reason that she scrutinized every man her family introduced her to, because it was Peter who had arranged her sister’s marriage to Walter.
‘Before I married Michael, I rarely left my father’s house,’ Rosemary said.
Turning her attention back to the duchess, Meridith asked, ‘Why not?’
With a sigh, Rosemary answered, ‘Because I was afraid that my life would change. My mother had died when I was young,and I’d determined that I had to take care of my father and then my younger brother.’
‘You changed your mind after meeting the duke?’ Meridith asked.
‘I’d known Michael my entire life,’ Rosemary said. ‘At one time I wanted a brother just like him, then I wanted to grow up and marry him. Which was exactly what happened. Proof that fairy tales can come true. He’s my true Knight in shining armour.’
