Page 66 of The Wedding-Crashing Duchess

Gregory turned towards Augusta with a look of innocent offence.

“You should understand that this is how he describes friendship,” he said. “Whenever he does something considerate, he insists that resistance would have been inconvenient, and whenever he tolerates company, he claims he lacked the energy to prevent it.”

“I did refuse you,” Ronan repeated.

“You did, although not with the necessary imagination.”

Augusta glanced at Ronan, and their eyes met again.

The awkwardness returned at once, subtle but unmistakable.

She looked away first.

“Well,” Augusta said, smoothing the edge of the paper between her fingers, “then I shall ask the cook to account for another guest, although I suspect the kitchen will be pleased to serve someone who does not regard every sweet course as an unnecessary indulgence.”

Gregory’s expression brightened.

“You see, Ronan? We have known one another for less than a minute, and already your wife understands one of the greatest flaws in your character.”

“I do not dislike every sweet course,” Ronan said.

“You declined the lemon cakes last night,” Augusta replied before she could stop herself.

Silence followed.

Gregory’s gaze moved slowly from Augusta to Ronan, while Ronan became acutely aware that the remark revealed they had spent the previous evening together in some context involving lemon cakes.

Augusta seemed to realize the same thing, since the colour in her cheeks deepened.

“They were prepared for Sarah,” she added, and the explanation came with enough haste to make Gregory’s attention sharpen further. “We arranged a small evening for her with stories, and Ronan joined us.”

“How domestic,” Gregory said, and although his tone remained polite, his eyes gleamed with amusement. “I had not realized Ravenhill had developed an interest in stories and lemon cakes.”

“He has not,” Augusta replied. “His contribution was mainly to criticize the prince’s poor planning.”

“The prince failed to ask a woman’s name before she left,” Ronan said. “The criticism was justified.”

Gregory looked delighted.

“I already regret missing the evening.”

“You were not invited,” Ronan replied.

“I am becoming aware that invitations are difficult to obtain in this house.”

Augusta lowered her gaze, although Ronan saw the small smile she tried to hide.

He turned his attention towards the paper in her hand.

“What did you wish to ask about Sarah?”

The question restored some of Augusta’s composure.

“She asked whether she might take her breakfast in the smaller dining room tomorrow rather than in the schoolroom,” Augusta said. “I think she wants to feel that last night was not an isolated occasion, and I wondered whether you would object if the three of us ate together before her lessons.”

Ronan hesitated only briefly.

“I do not object.”