Page 19 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

“I’m a marquis with two brothers,” Alex replied with a grin. “Who will happily take on the title should anything happen to me. And thenyoucan worry about marrying and securing the line of inheritance.”

Adam shook his head. “If I ever marry, you can be certain someone has kidnapped me and replaced me with a long-lost twin.”

“I could say the same about me,” Leo agreed. “I’ll never marry.”

“Not after Rebecca,” Adam murmured, garnering a scowl from Leo.

Alex held up both hands. The last thing they needed to do was to remind Leo of his young love. “Leo is not wrong. This would be resolved if one of us married the woman.” He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. “God knows, I have sympathy for the lady but she’s not carrying my child and I can hardly pass the title down to someone not of my blood, can I?”

“Well, what if you die and I have to make the child my heir?” Adam pointed out. “None of us are careless or heartless enough to leave a woman in such a situation but none of us is the father or even had the enjoyment of making the child.” He twisted to eye Leo. “Unless there’s something you are not telling us?”

He shook his head vigorously. “Never even met the woman.”

“There,” Adam declared. “It’s settled. None of us shall marry her and we shall remain here until it is figured out exactly who the bloody hell the father is.”

Alex grimaced. “I hope for her sake someone makes a decision. I doubt the poor woman can escape the gossip like we have.”

“Let us think of nicer things.” Leo gestured to the group of women who had paused on the path and were making furtive looks at them.

Headed by an older lady, the group consisted of two other young ladies, both fair-haired and dressed in pale colors with a flush of innocence on their cheeks. Their sideways glances toward Alex and his brothers, however, said differently.

“Have you forgotten the part where we avoid scandal at all costs?” Alex reminded his brother.

“Talking to some pretty young ladies?” Adam squeezed his shoulder. “What can be the scandal in that?”

“As I said, knowing you, it could turn into scandal in minutes.”

Adam flashed a smile. “I learned all I know from my older brother.”

Alex inhaled deeply. He wasn’t wrong. After his wife passed, Alex had certainly taken it upon himself to enjoy all that life had to offer. Why would he not when he’d seen firsthand how short and miserable it could be? However, for once in his damned life, he was going to do as his mother asked. If that meant somehow wrangling his brothers too, he would.

Oh yes and avoiding that pretty redhead Lucy.

Which was going to prove harder than keeping his brothers in check apparently.

∞∞∞

THERE WERE SO many things to distract in Cumbria. Beautiful, glistening lakes, impressive mountains, sweet village stores and cafes offering delicious cakes.

It should be quite easy for Lucinda to find her gaze wandering about the town and avoiding Lord Kirbeck entirely.

Oh so easy.

And yet it was not. Her darned traitorous gaze insisted on flitting over to him while half-listening to Mrs. Beaton discuss some sort of trip with their mother.

“You will be quite well, will you not, Lucinda?” Mama said. “She is such a sensible girl.”

“Hmm?” Lucinda blinked a few times. “Oh yes. Quite well.”

She glanced over again as Alex, his brother and another man she now knew to be his other brother approached the Lonsdale sisters and their mother. All three brothers were similar in appearance and according to Mrs. Barker, who had arranged the garden visit, they were close in age—the dowager marchioness having had three successive pregnancies in a row.

Lucinda had tried her best not to listen to the talk of the three brothers returning home, but it had been difficult. They were well-known in London for enjoying themselves—known as the Lords of Scandal Row, according to their mother—and apparently all three had rakish reputations. She could have surmised that herself but at least she could be confident her assumptions had been correct.

Of course, the assumption everyone had made about their sudden appearance in Langmere was that they had also heard of the book feature on the town and cleverly realized young ladies would be descending on the place with their ageing relatives.

Mrs. Barker even decided they were looking to marry.

Lucinda snorted. She doubted a man like Alex would ever marry, regardless of duty or if he did, he would continue on as normal, keeping mistresses wherever he went. Clearly he enjoyed flirtations. She saw as much as he spoke to the Lonsdale sisters.

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