Page 47 of Miss Devon’s Choice

“Julia,” Rebecca said, aghast. “One time. I cheated at cards one time. And I was thirteen.” She looked up at Christian, whose eyes were glittering with humor though his expression remained undisturbed. “She is exaggerating terribly, Christian.”

“Is she?” he asked, the gleam in his eye a speculative one. “And why would your sister have reason to mislead me?”

He was teasing her, and Rebecca couldn’t help but bounce lightly on her toes at the very idea of such a thing. What had come over him?

“Come, everyone inside.” Christine gestured to the door, shaking her head at them, and the other three followed her. A maid waited to take their hats and gloves, and Rebecca kept a steady stream of questions for Julia flowing.

“Did you bring little William? And you said Nathaniel came! Was the journey difficult with a baby? Has William grown a great deal? Virginia’s sweet Emma is attempting to learn how to walk.” Julia laughed, but kept up with the questions well enough as they followed Christine into the parlor.

When they entered the room, Doctor Nathaniel Hastings and Thomas Gilbert both rose. After Rebecca introduced Christian properly to Nathaniel, no further ceremony came between the family. Nathaniel crossed the room to give Rebecca a brotherly embrace, then he extended his hand to Christian as though they were old friends.

Rebecca couldn’t help grinning her approval when Christian accepted Nathaniel’s hand with only the slightest of hesitation. Nathaniel Hastings had swiftly won Rebecca’s loyalty and kind regard when she met him. He loved Julia completely, and had an easy and friendly manner about him.

Between Thomas and Nathaniel, she had great hope Christian would find himself among friends. They were the best men she knew.

“Lord Easton, it is a pleasure to meet you and welcome you to the family. Finally, we have the ladies outnumbered,” Nathaniel said, waving his arm to indicate the three sisters.

“Outnumbered?” Christine asked with a click of her tongue. “You cannot count Harry in your favor. He is a child.”

“Harry is fourteen,” Thomas said, putting his arm around his wife. “And we claim him in our brotherhood. The poor lad had to contend with the three of you on his own nearly his whole life. We’re not abandoning him.”

Watching Christian carefully, to make certain he remained at ease, Rebecca noticed a different sort of look to his eyes. The slightest of smiles curled his lips upward and that was when she recognized his expression. It was wistful.

Did he actually enjoy their ridiculous familial display?

“Have you any brothers or sisters, Lord Easton?” Nathaniel asked, a crooked smile on his face. “I am afraid I know very little about you, for all that I have just inducted you into the family.”

“You’ve done that, have you?” Julia asked with a sparkling smile. “I’m fairly certain it’s his betrothal to Rebecca that did that deed.”

“Not at all,” Thomas quipped. “That merely united him with Rebecca. But from all I can tell, he’s a fine addition to the family, and I’ve made it known to Nathaniel. We decided—”

“How is it that the in-laws are permitted to decide anything?” Christine asked, raising her voice to be heard over her husband. “And we are being rude. Nathaniel asked Lord Easton a question.”

All eyes turned to Christian and Rebecca held her breath. The subject of family had been painful for him to discuss before. Would they offend him now, by asking—?

His calm, forthright answer nearly shocked her. “I have no siblings, I’m afraid. I lost my mother when I was young. I grew up as part of a horde of cousins, though.” That tiny smile stayed on his lips, too.

Perhaps he was wistful. Could her family’s strange, chaotic manner remind him of his mother’s family? Studying him closely, Rebecca stepped back to his side and put her hand on his arm. “Then you are not offended by the wildness you’ve encountered here today?”

Christian’s chuckled, genuine humor and warmth in the rich sound. “Not at all. It is refreshingly familiar.”

Nathaniel reached out to clasp Christian’s shoulder, his smile tempered by the kind look in his eyes. “I am glad to hear it, Easton. It strengthens my decision to make you one of us.”

“Oh, is there a ceremony of some kind?” Christine asked, arching her eyebrows and pursing her lips.

Julia laughed. “Besides the wedding, you mean?”

To Rebecca’s everlasting delight, spots of pink appeared on her betrothed’s cheeks at the mention of the wedding. Was she finally getting through to him? If she could make him see their union as more than a business arrangement, as something important and personal, as something to look forward to, perhaps he could be persuaded to feel more deeply about her, too.

“There is a ceremony. Unfortunately,” Thomas said, lowering his voice, “it is secret in nature.” He raised and lowered his eyebrows theatrically. Christine playfully slapped his shoulder to make him stop.

“My darling brothers-in-law,” Rebecca said sternly, folding her arms and affecting a commanding air. “If you are going to take Christian into your ‘brotherhood,’ perhaps you should also take yourselves away. We sisters have a great deal of catching up to do and your silly antics are distracting us.”

“Quite right,” Nathaniel agreed. “Come, Easton. Let us discuss your entrance into our antics—I mean, our most haughty society.” He raised his chin high in the air and led the way from the room, Thomas following with a chuckle.

Christian’s lips twitched and he met Rebecca’s eyes, a question clearly in his expression.

“Please, go enjoy yourself. If you can. They are behaving rather foolishly.” Rebecca waved to the door, reassuring him with a playful grin. “If they are too ridiculous, come back at once.”