another."
Evan glanced to Nathan and growled. "Who else then?"
Nathan's grin was wide, his mirth apparent. "Oh, you'll love this. Andrew Osborne was invited as well." He could see the annoyance in every inch of Evan's manner. He waited just a few more seconds, watching his friend work himself up into a full on fit, then he continued to wait until Evan opened his mouth to explode. "Of course Andrew can't make it, off fighting the good fight and all that."
"Thank God for that," Evan said, letting out a puff of air. "If he had agreed there wouldn't be any peace at Blackburn Hall between any of us. What was my mother thinking?"
"I was astonished as well, seeing as how you two despise one another. Though you were friends once, were you not?"
Evan nodded. "Yes, when we were children. He's the nephew of the Duke of Norfield, and he and his daughters spent many holidays at my father's country home. Sometimes Andrew would accompany them, though the last time I saw him ..." Evan trailed off laughing. "The last time we argued and I hid all his shoes in various places around the house, my favorite being inside a set of matching chamber pots."
Nathan blanched and shuddered. "No wonder he despises you."
Evan only shrugged, smiling.
"Perhaps it's time you made more of an effort, Evan. You're the only person of my acquaintance who rejects friendship and conversation at every turn, acting like everyone else who doesn't take your bleak line of thought should be in a ward. Perhaps it's time to stop shuttering yourself up in your library, or that horrid country manor you just acquired."
Evan side stepped a group of older ladies, nodding slightly to them before walking on. "The manor was a brilliant investment, and in fact I had planned to return there the day after tomorrow until all this house party nonsense interrupted my plans," said Evan. "But don't change the subject, there must be more. What about the ladies? This is all a damned matchmaking scheme, I tell you. Why else would she organize such an affair last minute? I know I rarely say it, Nathan, but I do look upon you like a brother, so I have to say, with utter devotion, that you and Oliver are both mad for accepting."
"Is that something you would say to a beloved brother?"
Evan shook his head. "You both should have run when you had the chance. My mother will be pushing the latest debutantes at your heads, mark my words.
"I'm not at all worried. All I'll have to do is give your dazzling mother one of my winning smiles and she'll let me get away with anything." Nathan laughed at Evan's disgusted look.
He growled between clenched teeth. "Your remarks about my mother are out of line, Carter, now tell me who else."
"Fine, if you insist. You're so dull sometimes. Both the Osborne girls, Lady Julia and, oh what is it, the elder girl, what is her name? Fleur, that's it, Lady Fleur." Nathan skidded to a stop, nearly bumping into Evan when the latter stopped dead cold in the middle of the sidewalk, staring directly ahead with his jaw clenched.
Evan slowly reached into his waist coat pocket and felt the cool metal, smooth on one side, elaborately engraved on the other.
"Who else?" Evan asked, his voice rough, his eyes focused on something in the distance.
Nathan, looked at him oddly but continued. "The Wilson girl, I've only met her once or twice, can't remember her first name, other than that, Miss Phoebe Simmons, of course, and Lady Charity Preston."
"Lady Charity?" Evan asked, surprised to hear the name. "You see, I warned you, it's all a damned matchmaking scheme. I'm going to refuse," he said and began to walk faster, not admitting to himself that the pace of his heart had also quickened at the mention of Fleur's name.
Nathan matched his stride. "You can't refuse your mother's invitation when your own friends will be in attendance."
"Use your head, Nathan, why else would my mother invite three women with whom she has little to do —"
"Most likely, I would
Evan glanced to Nathan and growled. "Who else then?"
Nathan's grin was wide, his mirth apparent. "Oh, you'll love this. Andrew Osborne was invited as well." He could see the annoyance in every inch of Evan's manner. He waited just a few more seconds, watching his friend work himself up into a full on fit, then he continued to wait until Evan opened his mouth to explode. "Of course Andrew can't make it, off fighting the good fight and all that."
"Thank God for that," Evan said, letting out a puff of air. "If he had agreed there wouldn't be any peace at Blackburn Hall between any of us. What was my mother thinking?"
"I was astonished as well, seeing as how you two despise one another. Though you were friends once, were you not?"
Evan nodded. "Yes, when we were children. He's the nephew of the Duke of Norfield, and he and his daughters spent many holidays at my father's country home. Sometimes Andrew would accompany them, though the last time I saw him ..." Evan trailed off laughing. "The last time we argued and I hid all his shoes in various places around the house, my favorite being inside a set of matching chamber pots."
Nathan blanched and shuddered. "No wonder he despises you."
Evan only shrugged, smiling.
"Perhaps it's time you made more of an effort, Evan. You're the only person of my acquaintance who rejects friendship and conversation at every turn, acting like everyone else who doesn't take your bleak line of thought should be in a ward. Perhaps it's time to stop shuttering yourself up in your library, or that horrid country manor you just acquired."
Evan side stepped a group of older ladies, nodding slightly to them before walking on. "The manor was a brilliant investment, and in fact I had planned to return there the day after tomorrow until all this house party nonsense interrupted my plans," said Evan. "But don't change the subject, there must be more. What about the ladies? This is all a damned matchmaking scheme, I tell you. Why else would she organize such an affair last minute? I know I rarely say it, Nathan, but I do look upon you like a brother, so I have to say, with utter devotion, that you and Oliver are both mad for accepting."
"Is that something you would say to a beloved brother?"
Evan shook his head. "You both should have run when you had the chance. My mother will be pushing the latest debutantes at your heads, mark my words.
"I'm not at all worried. All I'll have to do is give your dazzling mother one of my winning smiles and she'll let me get away with anything." Nathan laughed at Evan's disgusted look.
He growled between clenched teeth. "Your remarks about my mother are out of line, Carter, now tell me who else."
"Fine, if you insist. You're so dull sometimes. Both the Osborne girls, Lady Julia and, oh what is it, the elder girl, what is her name? Fleur, that's it, Lady Fleur." Nathan skidded to a stop, nearly bumping into Evan when the latter stopped dead cold in the middle of the sidewalk, staring directly ahead with his jaw clenched.
Evan slowly reached into his waist coat pocket and felt the cool metal, smooth on one side, elaborately engraved on the other.
"Who else?" Evan asked, his voice rough, his eyes focused on something in the distance.
Nathan, looked at him oddly but continued. "The Wilson girl, I've only met her once or twice, can't remember her first name, other than that, Miss Phoebe Simmons, of course, and Lady Charity Preston."
"Lady Charity?" Evan asked, surprised to hear the name. "You see, I warned you, it's all a damned matchmaking scheme. I'm going to refuse," he said and began to walk faster, not admitting to himself that the pace of his heart had also quickened at the mention of Fleur's name.
Nathan matched his stride. "You can't refuse your mother's invitation when your own friends will be in attendance."
"Use your head, Nathan, why else would my mother invite three women with whom she has little to do —"
"Most likely, I would
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