“Rayne told me his oldest nephew is twelve and the youngest is four,” Madeline observed, disregarding the tension between the two sisters.
“Yes,” was Penelope’s brusque answer, but Daphne unbent even further, going so far as to laugh. “Trust me, Lady Haviland, you don’t want to encourage me to discuss my children unless you have all day. I can sing their praises endlessly.”
“You sound very fond of them.”
“I am indeed, and so is Penny, to be truthful—”
Cutting her sister off abruptly, Penelope focused her haughty gaze on Madeline. “Mention of our sons brings us to the point of our visit.”
“And what is that?” Madeline asked more politely.
“Shall we deal in plain speaking?”
“By all means.”
“It is our hope,” Penelope said, looking uncomfortable for the first time, “that you will not cause a rift in our family that can never be mended.”
“Yes,” Daphne chimed in. “It would not be fair to Rayne if Grandmama disowned him, but it would be even more unfair to our sons. Although we might be pleased if she were to leave her immense fortune to us, our sons would not be permitted to see their Uncle Rayne then, and they are excessively fond of him.”
Madeline’s brow furrowed. “You allow your grandmother to rule all your lives?”
Daphne wrinkled her nose. “I fear so. Grandmama controls the purse strings, you see, and we don’t want to deprive our sons of their rightful inheritance, so we dance to her tune.”
Madeline paused a long moment before replying. “So what is it you wish from me?”
“Well …” Daphne grimaced. “I am not certain there is anything to be done at this
point, even if you could bring yourself to beg Grandmama’s forgiveness for standing up to her. I doubt that even an abject apology would work.”
“Did your grandmother sanction your coming here?”
“No, she doesn’t know. But Rayne is our brother after all, and we are concerned for his welfare, as well as that of our sons. Besides, we wanted to see what manner of bride Rayne had chosen.”
“I am surprised Lady Haviland did not forbid you outright.”
“Oh, she did. She was extremely upset to learn of his marriage—livid is the word. She positively raged about the way you spoke to her.”
“I suppose I did not show her proper obeisance,” Madeline remarked lightly.
“You most certainly did not,” Penelope interjected as she rose to her feet. “Come, Daphne, this visit is at an end.”
“I suppose we should go,” Daphne agreed rather irreverently, “since we have stayed longer than the requisite fifteen minutes.”
It seemed irrational that they had traveled all the way from London only to stay for such a short time, Madeline mused, but then they had never intended their visit to be an offer of friendship, even though they were her sisters by marriage now.
“Good day,” Penelope said in that same cold tone, confirming Madeline’s assumption.
Penelope was striding purposefully toward the drawing room door when Daphne lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “To be honest, Penny refused to call on you until I convinced her I was coming with or without her. She dislikes it immensely when I can lord it over her.”
Daphne started to follow her sister when she suddenly paused. “By the by, has Rayne given you the Haviland jewels yet?”
The question caught Madeline off guard, since she wasn’t aware of such a thing. “Not yet, no.”
“You should ask him for the jewels. It hardly seems fair that they will go to you,” she added good-naturedly, “since Pen and I have more right to them. But they are entailed along with the title. That is another reason Grandmama is so furious at you. She will be loath to give them up.”
“She may keep them as far as I am concerned.”
Daphne stared at her. “You are far more generous than I could be in your shoes.”