“Yes, minx, and I can tell you that she is none too happy about it.”
“I know. I heard her rustling skirts and hid myself behind the urn until she flounced upstairs.” Cassie walked to her brother and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, my love, for bearding the lion. You do not really believe that she wanted me to marry some paunchy old German duke, do you?”
“Lord knows. Perhaps she wanted the London Season for herself.” He looked down at his shapely white hands. “Unfortunately, I let slip that you and Edward have been corresponding for the past three years.”
Cassie tugged at the long, thick curl that fell habitually over her shoulder. “Well, I shall just have to let her batter at me for a while. Then we shall send in Edward and let him charm her out of her sullens.”
“She’s convinced that Edward dazzled you with all of his military exploits.”
“I shall have to tell her that rather than dazzle me, Edward refuses to tell me much of anything about his experiences. It is too bad of him.”
Eliott thought of some of the more gruesome tales Edward had recounted, and held his tongue. He looked up to see Cassie chewing on her lower lip, a habit from childhood.
“I suppose,” she said, “that I will have sufficient years to convince him that our sons belong in the Royal Navy and not in the army. It would seem to me to be a far more exciting career. Can you imagine anyone preferring the land to the sea?”
Eliott laughed and gave her a light buffet on her shoulder. “Take care, Cass, for Edward is a man of strong principles and even stronger notions of what is
proper for young English ladies. He might well beach your sailboat and clip your mermaid’s tail.”
Cassie tossed her head. “That is nonsense, Eliott. Edward knows my love for the sea, and I cannot imagine that once we are married he will try to give me orders.”
Eliott imagined that Edward would not only give her orders, he would also expect them to be obeyed, but, for now, he merely smiled and said, more to himself than to his sister, “I suppose that Becky will live with you at Delford Manor.”
“If you would not miss her too much, Eliott. She has been much like a mother to both of us. I, for one, cannot imagine her not sitting across the breakfast table from me, tutoring me in darning sheets and ensuring that the pantry has enough haunches of ham.”
Eliott gave her a rather sad, resigned smile. “I will lose both you and Becky. Hemphill Hall will hardly seem the same.”
“I shall feel its loss sadly, my love, but do not think that just because I shall reside at Delford Manor, I shall never darken your door again.” She gave him a quick hug. “Oh, Eliott, I am so happy. And not just because of Edward. We shall all be together—even our children will grow up together.”
“Viscount Delford, my lord.”
Brother and sister turned at Menkle’s announcement.
Edward Lyndhurst stepped into the drawing room and stood for a moment, staring at Cassie. It was not her face and figure that held him, but the joyful expression that lit her eyes as she looked at him. She took a quick step toward him, as if impatient of any distance between them.
Eliott cleared his throat. “Lord, Edward, you’ll have all your life to stare at her.”
“Wretch. Don’t mind Eliott—he has so little in his head that he must needs forever tease me.”
“Do come in, Edward. Cass and I were just discussing the advantages of the Royal Navy over the army. I suppose the two of you want to be alone, so I’ll take my leave.”
“To see Miss Pennworthy, Eliott?”
“I don’t know why the devil not. With you and Edward staring at each other with sheep’s eyes, I have a fancy to try it myself.”
“Miss Pennworthy has such great brown eyes, I think she will do it quite nicely. Eliza already hangs on his every word, Edward, as if he were some sort of Greek god, bestowing gems of wisdom on us mortals.”
Eliott gave his sister a crooked grin and Edward a quick salute. “Beat her, my lord, that’s my advice.”
Once they were alone, Edward held out his hand to her. “Come here, love.”
“Will you beat me, my lord?”
“There are too many other things to do with you that first require my attention.”
She shyly took his hand. “I trust that we will always be in such perfect agreement. I do not believe, my lord, that I have told you how much I love you since last evening.”
“Do you mean you love me today as well?” he asked, his fingers tracing over her parted lips.