“Well? Is the babe all right?”
“I assume so. The doctor examined her. She’s just to stay in bed for two days.”
“Congratulations. On your marriage and on the coming birth of your son or daughter.”
Marcus grunted.
North raised an eyebrow. “There’s more here than just someone trying to murder your wife, find a buried treasure, and steal it from you, I gather.”
“Damnation, it’s none of your bloody business, North.”
“Fine. I believe I’ll go wash up before luncheon. I’m tired, my blood’s thinned out from being scared out of my skin, and I want to recover my strength to meet this Aunt Wilhelmina of yours. Do you think she’ll poison my soup because I saved the Duchess?”
Marcus laughed. “One never knows with Aunt Wilhelmina. It’s true she has not a whit of liking for my wife.”
“Your pregnant wife.”
“Damn you, North, go away.”
North just grinned, then looked thoughtful as he tossed the empty snifter to Marcus and strode from the room.
“Marcus said you were silent and brooding and ever so mysterious. He said you were dangerous.”
“I did not, Ursula. At least not mysterious. He’s about as mysterious as a toad on a lily pad.”
“Well, you said other things very romantic like that. Are you, my lord?”
“Yes, I am. I’m a melancholy fellow with little wit, a gloomy sense of humor, and a shadow on my soul.”
Aunt Wilhelmina announced to the table at large, “Gentlemen, particularly noblemen, Ursula, can be as surly as it pleases them to be. They believe it becomes them. The ruder they are the more romantic to ladies they think it makes them.”
“Oh no, surely not, Mama. Surely rude and surly aren’t at all like silent and dangerous and brooding.”
“It’s boring behavior, quite uncomfortable for those having to suffer it, and thus it is even more than surly. It is petulance and it is choleric. It is, as I remarked, a very manly thing to be.”
So saying, Aunt Wilhelmina went back to her ham slices, covering each one carefully and thoroughly with Badger’s special apricot jam.
Trevor was laughing. “Taken down by a lady from the Colonies, my lord.”
“Do call me North. If I allow Marcus to be so familiar I might as well allow the same courtesy to his cousin.”
Trevor nodded and raised his glass of wine. “Marcus, I have decided as the head of the American branch of the Wyndham family to remove all of us from Chase Park on Friday. Yes, old fellow, that’s only four days away. Then you will have only North here to get rid of so th
at you may enjoy the company of the Duchess alone.”
“Oh no,” Aunt Gweneth said. “Willie, you didn’t tell me you were going to leave so soon.”
“If she would but die I could stay.”
“Oh no! What did you say, Mama?”
“My dear girl, I said only that if she would but be willing to share dear Marcus with us, we could remain.”
North stared at her, mouth agape. This was far more promising than mere poisoning. “That was astounding, truly marvelous,” he said to Aunt Wilhelmina.
She stared at him. “You are supposed to be silent. You are supposed to brood. See to it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” North said and fell to his spiced pears, tangy with cinnamon.