Page 68 of An Earl to Remember
Lizzie grinned, and ignoring her, Georgianna swept from the room, hoping she was not making a most egregious mistake.
…
Daniel leaned back in his high wingback chair, reading over the points he wanted to argue in the commons for the reformation of the marriage act, especially as it concerned giving married women full autonomy over their personal assets and property. Lowering the sheaf of papers, he rubbed the back of his neck.
Inevitably, his thoughts turned to Miss Heyford. He’d sent the first class ticket to Georgianna a few days ago now, and he wondered if she would take up his challenge and attend to him in London. What he wanted was to offer her a job catering for his grandmother’s birthday dinner to be hosted a week from today.
A knock sounded, then his butler entered to announce the grand dowager duchess had arrived along with his younger brother. Setting down his drink on the mantel, Daniel made his way from the library to the drawing room where his nana waited with his brother. A fierce rush of love filled him upon seeing her, and Daniel shook his head, wondering how he had ever forgotten, even for a moment, this indomitable woman.
His grandmother was garbed in a dark purple gown with a matching turban decorated with small white feathers. Her ears and neck dripped with diamonds, and she did not own the appearance of a lady approaching her seventieth birthday. She still gave the allure of a handsome and quite formidable woman, confident in her societal power. Daniel must have made a sound, for she looked up, her gaze narrowing.
“So you’ve returned, have you?”
“Ah, my great love has visited me,” he murmured, walking over to press a kiss to his grandmother’s cheek. “I heard you did not mourn my missing.”
A very decided glint entered his nan’s dark green eyes. “And I heard that you lost your memory and was cuckolded into believing you were a husband to some chit. Is there any truth to that story or is it some outlandish tale to cover up a debauchery you know will likely send me to the grave?”
He chuckled, even as he sent his brother a narrowed glance of retribution over Nana’s shoulders. Stephen grinned before bowing and melting from the drawing room. They had never been able to lie to their nana, and ever since they were lads, only with one gimlet stare, she’d always been able to pull the truth out of them.
“It is the truth, Nana.”
Her jaw slackened, and her fingers curled over the ebony head of her cane. “Someonepretendedthat you were her husband? For what purpose would such a scheme be conceived, Stannis?”
“Revenge,” he murmured caustically.
His nana’s eyes narrowed even further. “I am not sure if I should be outraged at this woman or admire her gumption.”
“Do not admire the wretch.”
His grandmother lifted a brow at his uncharacteristic show of ire, green eyes very much like his own richly gleaming. “How interesting.”
“I was away for three weeks, madam, missing our weekly chess matches, and walking along the Serpentine. Were you truly not at all worried about my whereabouts?” he teased.
“You’ve gone missing longer, knee deep in your debauchery and whatnot,” his mother, the Countess of Stannis, retorted scathingly as she entered the drawing room.
Bloody hell.His nana and mother had planned this ambush. It was already hard enough dealing with one, but both of them and their machinations was likely to drive him to bedlam.
His nana fairly cackled and pressed a kiss to his cheek before hugging him, and in that hug he felt the echoes of her worry. Daniel rested his chin atop her head for a few moments before releasing her.
“I missed you, my boy.”
Truly, only his nana, who could barely wrap her arms around him, would call him“boy.”
“Let me see you,” his mother demanded quite imperiously.
His grandmother released him, and he turned to his mother. Her gray eyes were somber as she ran her assessing gaze over him.
“You seem to have survived the ordeal.”
Daniel kissed her cheek in greeting, and when he made to move away, she held onto him and hugged him rather fiercely. Sighing, he returned the hug and murmured, “I am quite well, Mother.”
She released him, sauntered over to his grandmother, and sat on the well-cushioned sofa. His mother then sent for tea and a few pastries. Daniel took the lone wingback chair by the fire, crossing his leg at the knee, a move that was ungentlemanly and one he had picked up at Crandell.
His nana spluttered. “Are you aware of the uncouth manner in which you are sitting, Stannis?”
Bloody hell. The infernal rules that govern the aristocracy had not lived within his thoughts for the entirety of his time in Crandell. Gentlemen were never to sit in this indolent manner, especially in the presence of ladies. He lifted a brow, amused at her outrage. “I find it comfortable.”
She huffed, then a very decided glint entered his nan’s eyes. “In the time you were gone, your mother and I had to suffer the distress at thinking you were without an heir.”
