“I do not admit to such a thing.” Caroline sniffed. “And you shouldn’t be so rude. There is more to the Season than matrimony.”
“There is?” Sebastian said, with his green eyes wide. His mother, not so loving this time, mimicked his earlier move and threw a bread roll at him. His quick hand caught it in the air, and he bit off a large chunk with his strong white teeth.
“Pig,” Caroline hissed.
“Oh, don’t I know it,” he answered with his mouth full.
His mother gave up the argument with a deep sigh. Fanny bit back a smile, as she knew all too well there was no way their mother ever would win a verbal duel with her sons, especially the younger one. He never seemed to take anything anyone said seriously.
Butler came in through the door and, in a voice as solemn and formal as his person, announced: “His Grace, the Duke of Hereford.”
They all went quiet for a second, and then the racket continued. Fanny’s heart skipped a beat, and the only thing she could think was how poorly she was dressed. What on earth had possessed her to come downstairs dressed in one of her oldest morning gowns? This was not how she had planned to look the next time she and Devlin met. She had meant to dazzle him with her finest dress, but instead…
George stood to greet their guest, who came through the door looking overwhelmed by the crowded room and the loud chattering.
Devlin bowed his head to his host and the ladies before seating himself in the chair Butler conjured from nowhere and placed at George’s right. He looked around the table with a strange expression on his beautiful face until his gaze briefly stopped as it met Fanny’s.
She could feel her cheeks turn hot, and he gave her an amused smile. He seemed to enjoy her transparency, but it made him too aware of every emotion she felt.
“You’re up and about early,” George uttered, as his wife poured their guest some tea. “Is this something you learnt on the continent, perhaps? Lord knows it isn’t common here among your peers.”
“This is an awful hour to be up and about.” Drake let out with a big yawn. “I still can’t understand why I couldn’t stay in the sack for a few hours more. At least until it’s time for the fashionable hour. It would do wonders for my complexion, you know.”
“If you would get any prettier, none of us would be able to eat anything. Instead we would just sit here, admiring your perfection.”
Drake looked at Sebastian with a little too much eagerness. “You think?”
George ignored the young ones and offered Devlin some ham sandwiches.
“You know,” he said as he set the tray down again, “your mother was one of the most beautiful women I ever met, and had she not been already betrothed to your father I think I would have courted her.”
Devlin looked surprised; this was news to him. As if George understood how little Conan had told the boy about the mother he didn’t remember, he continued with dreamy eyes.
“As you know, she was born in the small village of Compton, not far from Chester Park, and she was the loveliest person, both outside and inside. My best friend in those days, Freddie Aldworth, and I were both seriously in love with her. Our hearts were crushed when we were told she had been engaged to your father since before she was born. However, the information didn’t stop us, of course. My father was very upset with me at the time, because we learnt Emily’s favorite flower was a pink rose, and as there were loads of pink roses in the garden of Chester Park we picked a few and gave them to her.”
Uncle Harry suddenly laughed out loud.
“A few, you say?” He guffawed. “More likely thousands. You and your fellow spent a whole night covering the front of her house with all the flowers. We all were made aware of that as soon as her father came with three wagons and returned them at our front door the next morning. He was spitting mad at you and Freddie, and threatened to stuff them down your throats if you did something like it again.”
“Oh, Papa, how romantic of you,” Fanny said dreamily. “I do hope Grand-Papa didn’t get too upset with you.”
“He did get upset, but not because we gave them to Emily. No, he got upset because he was all caught up about Anna at the time. She had told him the day before how she loved pink roses, and so he had invited her to come and look at the ones at Chester Park. What upset him was that he now would have to tell her there was no point in her coming, as there were no pink roses left.”
“But what did Emily say?” Fanny asked, not noticing how Devlin too stared at George, waiting breathlessly for the answer.
“Emily, as the wonderful person she was, saved one pink rose, which she dried and put in her jewelry case, where she kept all her things of great value. As I said, she had such a good heart. When I heard she had passed away only a few years later, the world became a bit dimmer.”
George sat quiet for a moment, obviously pondering the past, before he continued. “But it was a true treat for me when you came to Chester Park with Rake, Devlin. You look so much like your mother, you know. You have the same dark hair, golden eyes, and bright smile. It was like getting a small piece of her back. It was quite saddening you only came that one summer. We would have loved to have you there every year. Why didn’t you return? I hope we didn’t offend you in any way?”
Fanny froze. This was a question she too had wondered. She had been terribly upset all those years ago when her hero—and future husband—didn’t return to her.
“My father never cared whether I came home during the holidays, until he heard I’d spent a summer with your family. I don’t know why it bothered him, but I had no choice but to obey him, as he was my legal guardian and I had no say at all.”
Rake, who had been listening, now asked quietly, “Why didn’t you tell me? I thought it was something I did wrong, because all you told me was that you didn’t want to come with me again.”
“I told you I couldn’t come home with you again,” Devlin said. “But you never asked me why.”
Rake nodded thoughtfully, and Fanny leaned back in her chair. Was this why? All those tears she’d spent when he didn’t come back, and now she was told it hadn’t been his own choice.
Maybe her mother was right, years ago, when she told Fanny she should stop wearing her heart on her sleeve. Everything that happened wasn’t because of her.
As breakfast came to its end, the Darlings one after another left the family breakfast room. Slowly it grew quieter, until only Fanny and her parents remained with Devlin. They were well aware of why he was there without anyone saying it.
“Do you want to tell us what gives us the honor of welcoming you to our humble home today, Hereford?” George pretended innocence but with a wicked smile. “Or shall I just tell Fanny to go and get dressed and tell her maid to get ready for a walk in the sun?”
“Papa!” Fanny protested, embarrassed over her father’s forwardness, but Devlin only laughed.
“I would really enjoy your daughter’s company for a ride in the new phaeton I just bought, if it would be all right with you, sir? Unfortunately, there won’t be any room for her maid.”
“It would be just fine—or, what do you say, my dear?” he asked Caroline, who nodded with tears in her eyes.
“Fanny, dear, why don’t you go upstairs and get yourself ready? We will await you in my office.”
Fanny nodded to her father. She had to restrain herself from running until she was out of sight. Then she took the stairs two steps at a time, and in a second she was in her bedroom shouting orders to her maid Nell, who just smiled and shook her head at her young mistress’ obvious hurry.
Fanny rummaged through the dresses in her large wardrobe. What should she wear?
She wanted to make a really good impression. She wanted to show him she wasn’t just a debutante or the little girl from his past but a grown-up woman who would make an excellent duchess.
In the end, she picked one of the new mousseline gowns she and her mother had ordered from the seamstress when they arrived in London. It was a lovely
pink color that she knew fit her complexion and didn’t render her pale and colorless.
Nell helped her with her matching bonnet and coat, and Fanny rushed down the stairs again, heading for her father’s office, only to be stopped by her mother in the hallway.
“You do look beautiful,” her mother said, obviously pleased with her daughter’s appearance.
“Thank you, Mother,” Fanny breathed, and kissed Caroline’s cheek before she continued down the corridor. Giddy, almost too excited, she couldn’t stop smiling.
It was unbelievable she had met him only two days earlier, because now he was all she could think of. She was so caught up in her thoughts she bumped into the men who stood in the hallway waiting for her. All her four younger uncles, her two cousins, and her two brothers stood there with determination written across their handsome faces.
She caught herself before she rolled her eyes. She guessed she had no other choice but to listen to whatever they wanted to say, and she had a pretty good idea what was on their minds.
“Yes?” she asked, trying hard not to show her impatience.
Sin was pushed forward by the others, obviously being the one chosen to deliver the message they thought she needed to hear. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. A minute or two passed with him standing there squirming and not speaking one syllable.
Now and then one of the others would poke Sin in the back, and he would turn around and glare.
“Oh, come on! Devlin is waiting for me, you know,” Fanny said, when she had reached the absolute end of her patience.
“You can’t let him fondle you,” Sin finally blurted out.
Fanny was mortified.
“I can’t believe you just said that!” she cried out.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Rake gave in. “What your daft brother is trying to tell you is that you must be aware Devlin is a libertine, and as such he might make some sort of pass at you. If he does, you must be quite clear that you won’t have anything to do with it, and you must demand that he return you here at once.”
Fanny didn’t know what to say. She knew they only talked about this because they cared for her, but this was a bit too much.
“A man can get carried away when he is attracted to a woman. A man as experienced with women as Devlin is will be too much for an innocent like you, and you won’t stand a chance,” Edward clarified from somewhere behind Sin. “Before you know it, you will be on your back with your skirts over…ouf!”
“Too much information,” said his twin, William, after he’d punched him in the stomach. Drake came forward and took her hand, and his long slender fingers held hers in a surprisingly strong grip.
“We know what someone as experienced as Devlin can do to someone who is as innocent as you, and to not be able to be there to prevent it from happening scares the hell out of us. Your mother forbade us to go with you, follow you, or send someone else to be closer to you than a mile, so we are fumbling in the dark here.”
Fanny closed her eyes and counted to ten before she glared at her relatives. They shrank back, all eight of them, and she walked by them with her head held high.
When she had passed them, she turned around and put her hands on her hips, giving each one of them a hard stare.
“Never talk to me about this again.”
When Sebastian opened his mouth, she threw out a wagging finger and said with the angriest voice they’d ever heard from her, “Never, ever, ever!”
She turned and left them standing there in the hallway and didn’t halt until she stood in front of the office door. With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she knocked and entered the room.
Her father gave her a welcoming smile she almost missed because of the magnificent man who rose and bowed his head politely toward her.
George put a loving arm around her slender waist, bringing her close to give her a small peck on her head. “Off you go, and have a nice time.”
Fanny smiled shakily toward her father, unable to find her voice, as excited as she was.
Devlin offered her his arm, and she put her hand lightly on it, feeling the hard muscles shift under her fingertips. He led her outside to a shiny new phaeton behind the loveliest pair of white horses she had ever seen.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “I love its elegant simplicity, so perfect for a duke!”
Devlin smiled at her exhilaration and followed her as she fluttered around the carriage, stroking the smooth surface, before she went to the horses and petted them. One buffed his muzzle against her head, almost pushing her bonnet off, but she only laughed.
When she looked back at Devlin, he was again staring at her with that strange combination of pride, admiration, and contentment. He held out a hand toward her, and she grabbed it with a sweet smile.
His thumb caressed her fingertips as they rested in the palm of his hand, and she blushed even more. Looking deep into his smoldering eyes, she knew she would have kissed him if they hadn’t been standing in public outside her home. A glance at the front of the house informed her that almost every window was occupied by a family member looking down at them, and she let out a little frustrated sigh.
As she climbed up and sat down in the carriage, she waved her hand toward her onlookers and had the satisfaction of knowing she’d surprised most of them, as they took an automatic step back before they came forward again to wave hesitantly back.
“Bloody family of mine,” she muttered to herself, and Devlin, who had just settled beside her, looked at her curiously. She gave him an apologetic smile.
“My family can be a little too much sometimes. I know it’s because they care about me, but being the only young female, surrounded by all these men who want to protect me against everything, can get rather annoying.”
“They do it because they love you.”
“I know, and I am most thankful for the love they bestow on me. But sometimes I can’t help but wish they would give me some freedom. Some things you need to find out by yourself.”
“Learn by living?”
She laughed, pleasantly surprised. “Why, yes. ‘Learn by living.’ Oh, I have to remember this saying, so I can tell it to them the next time they are going to give me some unwanted advice.”
Devlin laughed. “You must promise me you won’t tell your brothers, or the rest of your obnoxious relatives, that it was I who gave you the idea.”
As the carriage started to move, they shared a smile. Somehow it suddenly became them against the world, and both felt excitement over what was going to happen next. Their future was an unwritten page, and it was now up to them to fill it.
Chapter 14
They drove silently down Mount Street and turned right on Park Lane, where they continued until they reached the Grosvenor Gate to Hyde Park. Once inside the large park, they turned left, and Devlin let the horse walk slowly down The Ring, heading for Rotten Row.
It was still too early for the fashionable hour, so they were practically alone, overseen only by a few nannies exercising the children in their care. Fanny smiled and waved to the children, who waved back with the enthusiasm only children show.
The morning was so beautiful. The sky was all blue, and the sun spread its golden light, making everything seem more colorful.
Or maybe it was the company.
Devlin was, if possible, even more devastatingly handsome than he’d been the day before. He was perfect all over, from his modern windswept hair—his valet had probably spent an hour creating that perfection earlier this morning—down to the shiny Hessians embracing his muscular calves.
“Do you always have such loud breakfasts at your home?” Devlin asked.
“Oh, it wasn’t loud. They were very quiet today, all because of you.”
This caught Devlin’s attention. “Because of me?”
“Why, yes, they were trying very hard not to talk too loudly, so they wouldn’t miss what you and Father were discussing.”
Fanny almost smiled as she saw his ama
zement. She guessed it was also not easy for someone who was used to being alone to understand how, in a household where thirteen persons lived, one had a hard time to find some solitude. You weren’t even safe in your own room, as they all were too used to being able to walk through any door without thinking twice.
If you wanted solitude, you had to lock your bedroom door or hide in the attic.
“Don’t you ever get bored with each other?” Devlin asked, obviously fascinated with the subject.
Fanny shook her head. “No, not bored, exactly. Of course, we sometimes can get a little tired of each other, but I imagine living all alone has its ups and downs, too. We would all rather live together, and sometimes get frustrated over not being able to have some peace and quiet, than live alone and wish there was someone else there.”
“What if you marry someone who has no relatives of his own? Won’t you feel somewhat lonely?”
She looked at him from the side, but his eyes were glued to the road as if her answer wasn’t the least bit important to him, which only made her think maybe it was.
She chewed on her answer for a bit, as she felt the importance of it. If she said she wouldn’t mind the solitude she would tell a lie, but telling him she would hate the solitude would be untrue, too.
If their relationship developed into something more constant, she guessed this would become an issue for her, so she decided not to make her answer too deep, but not completely untrue, either.
“My first wish would be for him to move into our home too. But as most men have their own houses, I guess I would have to start my own large family, so there wouldn’t be just the two of us. I mean, when one has ten children one can’t possibly feel lonely, can one?”
“My God, ten children?” Devlin chuckled. “I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for this future husband of yours, though I suppose he’d be quite happy with the making of all the offspring.”
He looked at her, and her insides turned warm and breathless from the heat of his golden eyes.
It was such a two-sided feeling.
A Family Affair Page 11