Moonlight and the Duke (Cherish and the Duke #2)

Chapter Ten

E den was in better spirits by the time she and Connor returned to Lynton Grange. She was eager to learn of his ideas on improving her life and had pressed him about it, but he was being quite mysterious.

She shrugged off his reticence because they were almost upon Lynton Grange, and he must not have wanted to start a conversation that would be interrupted. He was surprisingly sweet to her when helping her down, and remained by her side as they searched in the garden for his children. They would be pleased to know their plans for bird watching and then the afternoon fair would proceed according to schedule. Brewster had been told to advise Lord Aubrey, as well.

Priscilla ran over as soon as she heard Eden calling for her. “Did your papa like my card?” she asked.

Connor arched an eyebrow and grinned at Eden. “Amazing. How did you know?”

“Women just know these things.” She turned to his daughter. “Everyone thought it was beautiful, and I have it placed on the mantel in my parlor to show it off to one and all whenever I entertain.”

It was true, because she had made a point of showing it to her staff and they all had admired Priscilla’s handiwork.

The girl beamed with pride. “Can we go find more birds now?”

“Yes, let’s gather your pouches and hats. I see you have your binoculars already strapped around your neck.”

“And food,” young Connor said as he and Alex joined them. “Don’t forget we need to pack more food.”

Eden tweaked his chin. “Dear me, how could I possibly ever forget that?”

The children ran in ahead of them, leaving Eden once again alone with their father. “Connor, will you be joining us?”

“I’ll meet you at the fair. Is that all right?”

She hid her disappointment as she nodded and smiled. “Yes, of course. It’s just that you seemed so distrustful of Lord Aubrey accompanying me and the children.”

“I may have been a little apish about it,” he admitted.

“A little?” she teased.

“All right, I behaved like a big ape. But you ought to know me by now, Eden.”

“Yes, I do.” She gave her head a light shake. “In truth, it is odd how well I feel I know you.”

“Same here when it comes to you. But it could be said we’ve had a connection to each other almost since the day you were born. Certainly ever since your tumble into the fishpond. Gad, you were such a determined little thing with a mop of fiery red curls.”

The memory had her grinning.

Of course, being only two years old at the time should not have left her with a vivid memory. But she did have a vague sense of it, more the remembrance of strong hands fishing her out and then making her feel safer than she ever had felt before or since.

“You spent so much time here when your grandmother owned Chestnut Hill. Then your nitwit parents chose to send you off to one of those fancy boarding schools.”

She pursed her lips. “You had gone off to fight Napoleon by the time I inherited the property and moved back here permanently. But I suppose our lives intertwined enough that we got to be friends.”

“Dearest friends,” he said quietly, and then said no more as Lord Aubrey joined them. A moment later, the children returned with their pouches slung over their shoulders and hats in hand. It was not long before the five of them were on their way.

Eden walked alongside Priscilla while Lord Aubrey walked a little ahead with Connor’s boys. They seemed to like the viscount. For his part, he showed remarkable patience as the boys chatted excitedly about all manner of things. They only paused from chatting when they passed the pond and the boys scampered off the lane to chase the geese for no purpose other than to disrupt those poor birds.

Well, at least they were no longer throwing rocks at them. “Boys! Stop it or I’ll send you straight back home!” Eden called.

They ran back to her side, laughing as the geese chased them.

Priscilla hugged Eden’s skirt and began to cry. “They’re going to bite me!”

Eden placed her body between the little girl and the birds. “It’s all right, sweetheart. I won’t let them hurt you.”

One pecked Alex’s backside. “Ouch!” he yelped, and began to run down the lane to escape the angry bird.

His brother chased after him, not to comfort him but to tease him. “Chicken!” he shouted, and wrestled Alex to the ground while making squawking sounds.

Lord Aubrey patiently broke them apart. “You had better not behave like this by the cliffs. Your father will be quite put out if we return to Lynton Grange minus two children.”

He then resumed walking with the boys but made certain to stand between them.

Eden liked that he was patient with Connor’s sons and told him so as they neared their destination and he slowed his step to walk alongside her. “Thank you, Lord Aubrey.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a jovial tip of his hat to her.

In truth, he and Connor were remarkably alike in many ways, both of them handsome men with an air of confidence and obvious intelligence. They were commanding men but not pompous. She could see Lord Aubrey would make a good father someday, and hoped he would find a nice debutante who made him a good wife.

She knew all hope for herself was lost, even though he seemed to like her.

But what chance had she ever had with him?

His family would never approve of an aging spinster who wore thick spectacles and had the worst parents in London. But resigning herself to all hope being lost also freed her to be herself and not care what Lord Aubrey or anyone else thought of her.

To her surprise, he seemed to enjoy his time with her tremendously. “Give me your hand, Lady Eden. Let me help you onto the ledge,” he said once they reached the beach and had walked close enough to the cliff nests to observe the colonies of nesting birds.

“Oh, thank you, Lord Aubrey.”

These birds were everywhere, some flying over the water and soaring above the cliffs, some resting upon the higher ledges, and others foraging for food to feed their young. Still others were scavenging for twigs to build up their nests.

Lord Aubrey then helped the children onto the ledge, starting with Priscilla, since she seemed to be particularly clingy toward Eden today. “And up you go, Lady Priscilla.”

“Thank you,” she said most politely while her brothers shoved and pushed each other because each wanted to beat the other onto the ledge. Alex, being the smaller brother, lost out and tumbled onto the sand.

Lord Aubrey helped him up. “Are you all right?”

Alex nodded while scowling at his brother.

Eden frowned at young Connor as well. “Your brother could have been hurt falling off.”

“He was only going to fall onto sand,” Connor retorted, then hopped down from his perch. “You can have my spot, Alex. Did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m all right,” Alex said, and both boys scrambled back onto the ledge.

Chuckling, Lord Aubrey climbed up last and settled beside Eden. “I never had a brother. I see now all the fun I was missing.”

She laughed softly. “And all the bruising, all the teasing—all the punching, poking, and wrestling you missed out on? But I know what you mean. They love each other and infuriate each other. I wish I had this, too. I missed out on having siblings.”

He nodded. “Having a sister is not at all the same thing. Mine can be quite demanding, and often over the most inane things. Persephone requires attention on herself at all times and is not a good sport when she does not get her way. Still, she is my sister, and I love her even though she often grates on my nerves.”

Eden understood what he meant.

All five of them continued to chat while peering through their binoculars.

Priscilla took out her drawing pad and pencil to draw a nest of baby birds. “Eden, what are those birds called?”

“Those are curlews,” Eden said. “And look overhead—do you see that goshawk? He is hunting over the water in search of his next meal.”

They watched as it dove and came up with a fish in its talons.

When the boys appeared to be tiring of merely watching birds, Lord Aubrey took them for a run along the beach, after which they splashed water on themselves to cool down. By the time they were ready to dig into their pouches for something to munch on, Aubrey sank onto the sand beside her and groaned. “Lord, they are exhausting.”

Eden laughed. “Oh, yes. Do not even try to keep up with them. It is an impossible task. The best one can do is keep an eye on them and try to stop them from mortally wounding themselves or wreaking havoc on the others.”

“But it is nice, isn’t it?” he remarked, leaning back on his elbows as he stretched out beside her while she sat on the warm sand. “Nice having young ones to look after. There is a refreshing innocence even to their mischief. This is what I enjoy most about being in the countryside, this ability to relax and just be yourself. There are so many rules one is required to follow when in London, not to mention the falsity of it all. Everyone approaches you with an ulterior motive.”

“Well, a house party may be more casual, but the young ladies and most of the younger gentlemen attend in the hope of finding a match,” Eden remarked. “Scheming goes on here as well.”

He nodded, his gaze turning troubled as he regarded her. “Yes, that is true. This is certainly my sister’s goal, to snare herself a duke for the mere reason he is a duke and she wishes to be a duchess.”

Eden tried to suppress the pang of jealousy, because she knew Lord Aubrey’s sister had set her cap for Connor for this very reason. Of course, Connor was proud to be a Silver Duke and had no wish to marry anyone. But wasn’t it possible for men to be seduced just as easily as women? Persephone, for all her faults, was quite beautiful, and men fell over themselves to court her. “Lord Aubrey, what—”

“Please call me Trajan. Is it too forward of me to request this? And may I call you Eden? The children all do, and I’ve noticed so does their father.”

She shrugged. “I’ve had a longstanding friendship with the duke and his family. His mother was more of a parent to me than my own.”

“And now? Is it merely friendship you feel for Lynton? Or has it grown into something more?”

Her heart twisted. “Oh, it shall never be anything more than friendship between us. But I will not deny wishing for all of this.” She motioned to the children, who had now finished devouring their apples and scones and gone off hunting for seashells on the beach. Incredibly, they were on their best behavior. Each boy took a turn holding their little sister’s hand, and cheered and complimented her as she found her seashells. “I have plenty of friends and lots of ladies’ societies to keep me busy, but it is not the same. How can one’s heart not swell with joy upon watching these sweet children? Of course, I will be leaping to my feet in a moment as Connor tries to drown Alex.”

Lord Aubrey laughed, but soon sobered and regarded her thoughtfully. “The hour must be approaching noon. How about we head into town and grab a decent meal at the fair? I hear it is to be quite a lively event, one of the largest fairs in this region. Rather surprising for a church fair.”

She nodded. “It has been an annual event for as long as I can remember. The vicar takes great pride in it.”

“Let me guess, you are on its planning committee.”

She laughed. “Of course. The vicar is most persistent about gathering his volunteers, but I don’t mind. It is very popular. Everyone has fun, the merchants sell briskly because of the large crowds passing by their stalls, and the church gets a percentage of the gate.”

“And I suppose there is plenty of food to be had?”

“Oh, yes. There should be just enough to feed Connor’s hungry wolves,” she said with a laugh as she watched the boys.

“The others might be there already and waiting for us.”

“Yes, I’m surprised the boys have not complained yet that they are starving.” When Lord Aubrey held out his hand to assist her up, she took it without hesitation. However, he did not immediately release her.

“Eden,” he said gently, “I think you know that I like you. But I haven’t dared say anything to you because I was not sure how things were between you and Lynton. But if you are just friends and nothing more, would you permit me to get to know you better? I would like our friendship to turn into something more, something perhaps permanent.”

She was taken aback. “Are you asking for permission to court me?”

He nodded. “Why are you so surprised?”

She shook her head and laughed. “You have met my parents, haven’t you? Well, you’ve met my mother and witnessed her theatrical performances. And after this morning’s false alarm, you know how childishly my father behaves.”

“Oh, they are quite the characters. But they are not you, Eden.” He gave her hand a light squeeze. “You somehow managed to survive their pettiness and turn into this beautiful young woman everyone adores.”

She blushed. “Young? Now you are shamelessly flattering me. You know my age, my lord.”

“Trajan’s the name. I do not wish us to be formal with each other. Oh, I know it is a ridiculous name for an Englishman. But your parents are not the only parents in the world who ever embarrassed their children. As for that nonsense about your age, I think beauty such as yours is timeless. You hardly look above twenty, truth be told.”

She rolled her eyes.

“But it isn’t merely your physical appearance that makes you beautiful. It is the loveliness of your soul that shines in your eyes and spreads light wherever you step.” He laughed and released her hand. “That was a bit gushing, wasn’t it? I am not in the habit of spouting pretty words like a romantic poet. Forgive me, but this is how I feel about you, and there is too little time to waste being polite or cautious.”

The children chose this moment to scamper back to her side and declare they were starving. “Oh, my. We had better hurry into town before you waste away to skin and bones,” she teased.

Grabbing their belongings, they all walked on to the town of Lynton.

The church spire was visible in the distance, gleaming in the sunlight. The afternoon had turned cooler than usual, and there was a strengthening breeze blowing off the water that made it perfect weather for hiking. Eden could see Priscilla was tiring, so she suggested they head straight to the food tent and grab a table before doing anything else.

“Good idea,” Lord Aubrey said.

The fairgrounds, spread out across the church’s expansive property, were crowded by the time they arrived. Everyone in Lynton and all the surrounding towns had come out for this event. There were plenty of vendors set up in stalls, and some had set up in brightly colored tents. Musicians wandered the grounds playing their lively tunes, and there was dancing for those who wished to dance, and also games of every variety.

“I don’t see any of our group here yet,” Lord Aubrey remarked. “Let me get us settled, and then I will order food and drinks for all of us.”

Eden smiled at him. “Thank you, Lord Aubrey. That would be most helpful.”

She had no intention of calling him Trajan whether alone or in company, but liked that he had suggested she could. She also liked his name, finding it quite interesting because of all the history behind the Roman emperor first bearing the name.

Since the food tent was quickly filling up, Lord Aubrey hurried off with young Connor to secure them a table and then assist him in carrying back their pasties, mince pies, and drinks. They kept their eyes on all who came in and out of the food tent, hoping to spot some of the group from the house party, but none had shown up yet.

“My Papa said he would be here,” Priscilla said, her voice plaintive.

“He will,” Eden assured her. “But let’s go have fun in the meanwhile.”

After they finished eating, they all walked around the fairgrounds together. But Eden and Priscilla soon split up from the boys, who wanted to partake in the various games of strength offered.

“I’ll watch the boys,” Lord Aubrey assured her.

She wasn’t certain he was up to the task, for the boys were quite devious when they wanted to be. But they seemed to be on their best behavior, so she agreed. She and Priscilla watched all three of them take up a side in a game of tug of war. The ground between the two sides had been muddied so that the losing team was going to get caked in mud.

Oh, well. The mud would wash off.

To her relief, Lord Aubrey and the boys won, so they were spared a mud bath. While the three moved on to attempt other games of strength, Eden took Priscilla through the various stalls that sold trinkets and other wares. She purchased a bracelet for the girl that was made out of colorful beads of glass, and then they watched a glassblower as he shaped his melted glass into delicate animal designs. Eden also bought a glass swan for Priscilla.

“It’s so beautiful,” Priscilla exclaimed, and hugged her. She immediately put the bracelet on her wrist, but when Eden took the swan to tuck in her own pocket for safekeeping, the girl made a fuss and began to cry. “I can carry it!”

“But you might lose it, Priscilla. It will be safer in my pocket.”

“No, no! I want to carry it,” she insisted as tears welled in her eyes.

Eden sighed. “Very well, but hand it over to me if you get tired of holding it.”

The girl nodded as she sniffled.

They walked on, browsing several other stalls until they encountered Connor and his house party guests. “There you are,” he said, striding up to them with a smile on his face. “I found the boys with Aubrey about ten minutes ago. Sounds like you had fun today.”

“Yes, Papa,” Priscilla replied, her eyes big as she stared up at him in adoration. “We did, but I’m tired now. I want to go home.”

“Sweetheart, my guests and I have just arrived. Why don’t I accompany you and Eden to the food tent and fetch you both lemonades? You can relax there and wait for us to take a turn about the fair.”

“All right,” she grumbled, but put her little hand in his without complaint.

The tent was crowded by now, and there was hardly a seat to be found. Being a duke had its advantages, however. The tent’s proprietor hastily directed his boys to set up a table and bench just for them in a quieter corner away from the food line, although this tent was so packed that nowhere was truly quiet. However, they were sufficiently out of the way so as not to be constantly jostled.

The proprietor attended to them himself, bringing lemonades for them and an ale for Connor. “Anything else, Your Grace?”

“No, Mr. Fitchett. This is excellent.”

Connor took a sip of his ale, cast a wink at Eden, and then turned to his daughter. “Tell me about your day, sweetheart. What did you and Eden do?”

The girl began to bend his ear, intent on describing every detail from the moment they walked out of Lynton Grange. “And then the goose bit Alex…”

Connor guffawed. “Ah, my boys. They fill me with such pride.”

Priscilla went on to describe their bird watching and walk through the fair. “Then Eden bought me this lovely bracelet.” She raised her wrist to show her father. “See how it shines?”

“Oh, yes. It is quite beautiful. Did Eden purchase anything for herself?”

“No, Papa. But she also bought me this swan…this…” She began to search around for it.

Eden groaned and did the same, hoping against hope it had merely fallen under the table. Unfortunately, it had not.

Priscilla had lost it.

“Oh, Papa! It’s gone!” She burst into tears and would not be consoled even when Connor drew her onto his lap. “I’ve lost it. And now Eden will be mad at me!”

Eden rose as Connor did his best to comfort his daughter. “Let me go search for it. Priscilla, it must have fallen somewhere between the glassblower’s stall and here. I’ll try to find it for you.”

Of course, she doubted that she would locate that tiny glass swan, considering the number of people who were walking between here and that stall. Someone had either picked it up and kept it for themselves, or the delicate thing had been trodden on and was broken. There was a small chance someone was honest enough to return it to the glassblower’s stall. But Eden knew this was unlikely.

The glassblower had made several swans, and she would simply buy a new one for Priscilla after conducting a token search. She wasn’t sure yet whether to claim she had found the original swan or tell Priscilla the truth and reveal she had bought her a replacement. Well, she would give it thought.

She carefully retraced her steps and was searching behind a row of crates beside the glassblower’s stall when she heard some familiar voices. “Why should I not be angry with Trajan?” Persephone said to her mother, Lady Lothmere. “He was supposed to distract that Darrow girl and keep her away from the duke while I made my move on him.”

“He is trying his best, Persephone.”

“But it is not enough just to talk to her. He has to pretend to woo her. He promised me he would do this. He just has to keep up the pretense for a few more days. How difficult can that be?”

“Not difficult at all, I would imagine. She is pretty whenever she is without those hideous spectacles.”

Persephone laughed harshly. “Ugh, her, pretty? She’s old and washed up. Even Trajan declared he would not marry a girl above twenty and five.”

“Then all the more reason to be grateful to your brother for the sacrifice he is making on your behalf.”

“What sacrifice? A morning of bird watching? We found him playing games with the duke’s boys, and that Darrow hag was nowhere in sight.”

“Child! She is not a hag, and I do not think I like your behavior. You are getting too much above yourself. Do not think the duke hasn’t noticed. I would worry less about her and more about how you are coming across to him. No man wants a wasp for a wife, so you had better curb that sharp tongue of yours.”

“Mama, don’t tell me you like her.” Persephone sounded aghast.

“Yes, it so happens I do. I feel sorry for her because she is a nice person but will never be anything more than a spinster. You are fortunate she is too old even for the Silver Duke. A man like him can have someone young and fresh. Were she a few years younger, I think she might have won his heart.”

“Ugh! Do not even suggest it. He is mine, and I will not let her have him.”

“Enough, Persephone. He already has three spoiled children to plague him. He does not need a childish wife to make a fourth. Come along, let’s look at the jewelry.”

“All right, but when we are married I am sending those children off to boarding school. I have no intention of becoming their mother.”

Eden remained behind the crates, unable to move as Lady Lothmere’s conversation with Persephone sank in. Those beautiful, kind words spoken to her by Lord Aubrey this morning were all a lie.

And she had been foolish enough to believe him.

Was this what was happening to her? Had she grown old and desperate? Deluded enough to believe the handsome viscount’s flattery? Gad, he’d been so convincing, so seemingly sincere in word and deed.

So there it was. The bitter truth.

She was to have no happiness. No Silver Duke because Connor was never going to marry her, and now Viscount Aubrey was out of the question because she was just old and used up as far as he was concerned.

“Lady Eden, is everything all right?” the glassblower asked as she approached him once Lord Aubrey’s sister and mother had walked out. She nodded unconvincingly and then asked about Priscilla’s lost swan. “No, no one has turned it in.”

“Oh, then I will purchase another. Can you please wrap it up exactly as you did the first? His Grace’s daughter is bereft, and I’m thinking that I ought to pretend to have found the original swan.”

He nodded sympathetically. “I cannot give it away for nothing, but you can have it for half price.”

They completed the exchange and Eden slowly made her way back to the food tent. She was distracted and jostled by the crowd, but did not care. She just wanted to go home to Chestnut Hill and have a good cry. But she would have no peace there either, since her father was in residence and would start behaving like a spoiled infant as soon as she returned.

She fixed a smile on her face and entered the food tent. Priscilla and Connor were still there, now joined by his sons, Aubrey, and Aubrey’s mother and sister.

Oh, just wonderful.

Persephone was glued to Connor, her manner proprietary and aggressively wary as soon as Eden joined them. Indeed, if Persephone had been born a cat, Eden knew the girl would be hissing at her and displaying her claws right now.

Lord Aubrey shifted down to make room for her beside him, but she chose to sit next to Priscilla instead. “Here is your swan, Priscilla.”

“You found it?” The girl’s eyes shone with relief.

But Eden could not quite get herself to tell a falsehood, so she simply related the truth. “No, sweetheart. When I told the glassblower about the lost swan, he gave me this beautiful one instead. Here it is with his warm regards. He hopes you will love this one, the sister to the first, because this swan needs love, too.”

Priscilla was not certain what to make of this. “But it is just made of glass. It doesn’t have a heart.”

“Perhaps not a heart as we know it, but all things respond to affection. Did you know that flowers do better when people talk to them?”

She nodded. “Grandmama talks to them all the time.”

“See?” Eden smiled at the girl. “Swans are no different, whether real or made of glass.”

Priscilla nodded and gave her a hug. “Then I will love it. I already do. Thank you, Eden.”

Crisis averted as Priscilla now happily showed off her bracelet and the swan to everyone at the table. “It is quite beautiful,” Lord Aubrey said, taking a long moment to admire the swan. “And what did Lady Eden get for herself?”

“She didn’t get anything,” Priscilla replied.

“Oh, that cannot be right.” He rose from the bench and came around to stand by her side. “May I escort you back to the glassblower’s stall?”

Eden did not wish to be in his company, but everyone was watching her and she did not want them to see how hurt and miserable she felt. Her heart was as fragile as that glass swan, so easily shattered. “It isn’t necessary.”

Lord Aubrey’s eyes darkened. “On the contrary, I think it is quite necessary. Come with me…please, Lady Eden.”

She glanced around the table, saw Persephone’s smug expression and Connor’s resigned glance. Yes, he was resigned to endure all of them for the duration of the house party, and then he would take himself off with his fellow Silver Dukes to do whatever these men enjoyed doing when on the prowl. Persephone would be forgotten, but so would she. “All right.”

Lord Aubrey offered his arm to escort her through the throng, but slowed his steps as they approached the glassblower’s tent. “You are upset with me.”

She glanced at him, sparing but a moment before looking away again. “What makes you say that?”

“Look at me, Eden.” He sighed when she did not. “Fine, it is obvious you will not look at me. But I’ve seen enough to know that you are tense and resentful over something I might have done. If I am at fault, it was inadvertent, I assure you. Please tell me straight out, have I done something to anger you?”

“I am just tired, that’s all.”

“If you say so. I know this is no place to talk privately, but give me a few moments after tonight’s dinner party. Take a walk with me in the garden.” When she said nothing, he led her into the tent and insisted she look through the objects on display. “How about this glass dog? I know how much you cared for your Beauregard.”

She turned to him in surprise. “You know about my dog?”

He nodded. “Your mother talks a lot. Mostly about herself, but she did manage to tell me a little about you when I asked.”

“Why did you bother?”

“Eden, I like you. Is it not obvious? I meant it sincerely when I said that I would like to get to know you better. Was I too presumptuous? I will take it slower, if this makes you feel more comfortable. But I have only a few more days here and would like to spend as much time with you as I can.”

Oh, yes. He wanted to worm his way into her heart and then drop her like a stone as soon as his sister had succeeded in her purpose. Was it mean of her to be glad Connor did not like Persephone? Was it mean to hope the girl would break out in hives and be confined to her bedchamber for the remainder of the house party?

She hated to wish ill on anyone, but jealousy did this to a person. Not even she was immune.

“Thank you for the little dog,” she said, smiling sincerely because it was a perfect gift even if he was a liar and a hound himself.

“My pleasure.”

They caught up to the others, who were making their way through the fair. She showed the little group what Lord Aubrey had purchased for her, trying not to wince as everyone gushed over it, especially Priscilla, who assured her it was as beautiful as her swan.

The men volunteered for several more games, including an arm-wrestling competition between Lord Aubrey and Connor. “Do not hurt him, Trajan,” Persephone called out to her brother. “His Grace needs to dance with me tonight.”

“Papa can beat you,” Alex assured Lord Aubrey.

“I’m not so sure,” young Connor exclaimed. “Papa’s getting on in years.”

“I’m what !” Connor growled at his son.

Young Connor grinned. “Gotcha!” He laughed heartily and playfully poked his father, something no other duke would have accepted from a son, because few of high rank had such open and easy relations with their children.

Connor took it all in stride and ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’ll take you on after I defeat Aubrey, you smug whelp.”

“My bet’s on Papa,” Alex declared.

Connor ruffled his youngest son’s hair, too. “At least one of my boys appreciates me.”

“I appreciate you too,” Priscilla said, and pushed aside her brothers to hug him.

Connor bent to hug her back. “Thank you, my sweetheart.”

Yes, Eden thought, that little girl was the only female who would ever claim his heart. Well, he loved his mother, too. But he was not going to give his heart to any other woman. The sooner Eden accepted it, the sooner she might fall out of love with him.

Perhaps this was what made Lord Aubrey’s deception all the worse, this knowledge that no man wanted her. Not a young man. Not an older man.

No man.

Connor ultimately won the arm-wrestling competition, but these two were very closely matched in strength.

Teatime had long since come and gone by the time all the guests scrambled into the carriages and returned to Lynton Grange. Eden hopped into Connor’s carriage with Priscilla, while Lord Aubrey and the boys rode in the carriage behind theirs, along with Lord Aubrey’s mother and sister.

Eden did her best to pretend all was well, but she was not certain she had fooled Connor, because he kept glancing her way and frowning. She breathed a sigh of relief when his magnificent manor house came into view. The house was enormous, yet the stone facade was as warm as the gold stone of the Cotswolds, and the door was an inviting sea blue framed in white trim. Bright red flowers abounded along the courtyard’s borders, adding to the charm of his home. She ran inside, ignored her mother as she approached and began unloading yet another complaint—something about shoe buckles—and hurried upstairs to her bedchamber. “No time to talk now, Mama.”

“But Eden, this is urgent! I am bereft! I haven’t a suitable pair of slippers to wear to—”

“Then go barefoot, Mama!”

“Eden!”

She dashed into her room, shut the door, and then leaned against it while letting out a sob. Her entire body was shaking from the strain of having to hide her anguish. She did not care about her mother’s shoes or her wardrobe, all of which were perfectly fine.

How could she care about these trivial complaints while her heart was tearing in half? Nor was her wrenching sorrow about Lord Aubrey, as nice as he had seemed. He was handsome and titled and everything she should love, but she was not in love with him. That he had so convincingly lied to her was the painful part. For one bright moment, he had given her hope that not all men considered her an unwanted object collecting dust on a shelf.

But that little glimmer was quickly extinguished. She was nothing but an aging spinster, and this was how everyone viewed her.

How everyone used her.

Connor himself had only wanted her as a governess for his children. She recalled his shock when she had made the mistaken assumption he was asking her to be his wife, when all he wanted was to have her care for his children during the house party.

Her tears were for Connor and the impossibility of his ever loving her.

It felt as though the entire world was laughing at her.

Yes, quite the jest.

One man who was pretending to adore her for the sake of his sister’s schemes to trap a duke into marriage. And said Silver Duke remained firmly determined never to marry.

Add two incompetent parents. A dozen missed opportunities for happiness. And here she was.

Closer to thirty years of age than twenty, and doomed to a loneliness that would only deepen as time wore on.

She set aside the little glass dog that really was a nice gift, even if the viscount who gave it to her was a bounder, threw herself onto her bed, and cried in despair for a heart— her heart—that would never know love.