Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) by DeAnne Cherry Page A
Authors: DeAnne Cherry
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think, because they are the friends of my betrothed," a slow deep voice cut in from behind, startling them both.
Evan and Nathan stopped walking and watched as Viscount Ravenbrook approached them. "Mr. Carter," he greeted with a polite nod. "On your way to Mother's, I take it?" he asked, addressing Evan.
Evan stared at Edward like he had lost his mind, asking his destination after giving such news, as if nothing important was revealed, it was unimaginable. "Betrothed? Since when? And to whom? Has this entire day gone mad?" he yelled in disbelief.
Not even showing a bit of surprise at his outburst, so used to Evan's moods as he was, Edward continued. "Lady Osborne," he answered, watching him carefully.
Evan stared disbelievingly up into his brother's dark eyes, unable to move. "Lady Fleur Osborne?"
Edward winced. "Yes."
Clenching his jaw, Evan turned abruptly and continued walking to his mother's house without so much as a word of disagreement or congratulations.
Nathan looked at his friend and then gave Edward a quizzical look before he followed Evan and clapped him on the back. "Come now, Evan, don't be like that to the poor viscount," he said brightly. "Better him than you."
Evan shook free of Nathan and quickly ascended the steps of his parents' home. Once he reached the door, instead of knocking he quickly whipped around to face his brother. "When was this decided? I did not know you were courting the lady."
Edward reared back slightly when he saw the tight angry look on his Evan's face. "I'm not, courting her, that is. It's a rather delicate situation I would prefer not to discuss here on the stoop," he said, looking around.
"I see," said Evan. "And the lady said yes? She must have, or you would not have called her your betrothed."
"She did, though it was a near thing. I admit it wasn't one of my finer moments."
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked when Evan failed to.
"I ended up ..."
"Yes?" Evan asked impatiently.
"Well I ... I sort of swore at her," said Edward, wondering why he was telling his brother the embarrassing details.
"You swore at her? As you were proposing marriage?" Evan asked, a look of complete doubt on his face. "How is that possible? You don't even swear!"
"I became flustered. She was looking at me like she was about to faint, and before I knew it ... it doesn't matter."
"Right, about to faint, was she?" Evan said, rolling his eyes skyward before turning and throwing open the door to slam on the wall, startling the poor butler.
"Mr. Woolf? My apologies, sir, I didn't hear the bell or I would have —"
"Calm yourself, Higgins, you know my little brother never rings when coming home," Edward said, closing the door behind him.
"Higgins? Did I hear the door?" Lady Blackburn smiled and came rushing out of the side drawing room. "Edward? Evan? Why did no one tell me you had arrived, and with Mr. Carter here as well, really, where has Higgins run off to?"
"Mother," Edward leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Don't be too hard on Higgins. Evan scared him off, as usual."
"Really, with the commotion you all were making, is it any wonder?" she asked. "I'd run too if I hadn't been married to the most maddening man in all of London for the last thirty-two years. As it is I'm used to it."
Evan watched as his mother's ever-discerning gaze found him, and he felt himself shrink under her scrutiny. "Really Evan, look at the state of your coats," she scolded. "Do I need to speak to your valet?"
"You know I don't keep one," said Evan, tired of the same old argument.
She eyed him again, and he stood his ground. "It is most improper for a man of your stature not to keep a valet, or at the very least a butler."
"Father doesn't keep one," he protested.
"No, your father can't keep one, there's a difference," she said, thinking back to how Higgins disappeared each time Evan came for a visit. "Though I am beginning to notice a startling sense of familiarity about the situation."
Evan sighed,
Evan and Nathan stopped walking and watched as Viscount Ravenbrook approached them. "Mr. Carter," he greeted with a polite nod. "On your way to Mother's, I take it?" he asked, addressing Evan.
Evan stared at Edward like he had lost his mind, asking his destination after giving such news, as if nothing important was revealed, it was unimaginable. "Betrothed? Since when? And to whom? Has this entire day gone mad?" he yelled in disbelief.
Not even showing a bit of surprise at his outburst, so used to Evan's moods as he was, Edward continued. "Lady Osborne," he answered, watching him carefully.
Evan stared disbelievingly up into his brother's dark eyes, unable to move. "Lady Fleur Osborne?"
Edward winced. "Yes."
Clenching his jaw, Evan turned abruptly and continued walking to his mother's house without so much as a word of disagreement or congratulations.
Nathan looked at his friend and then gave Edward a quizzical look before he followed Evan and clapped him on the back. "Come now, Evan, don't be like that to the poor viscount," he said brightly. "Better him than you."
Evan shook free of Nathan and quickly ascended the steps of his parents' home. Once he reached the door, instead of knocking he quickly whipped around to face his brother. "When was this decided? I did not know you were courting the lady."
Edward reared back slightly when he saw the tight angry look on his Evan's face. "I'm not, courting her, that is. It's a rather delicate situation I would prefer not to discuss here on the stoop," he said, looking around.
"I see," said Evan. "And the lady said yes? She must have, or you would not have called her your betrothed."
"She did, though it was a near thing. I admit it wasn't one of my finer moments."
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked when Evan failed to.
"I ended up ..."
"Yes?" Evan asked impatiently.
"Well I ... I sort of swore at her," said Edward, wondering why he was telling his brother the embarrassing details.
"You swore at her? As you were proposing marriage?" Evan asked, a look of complete doubt on his face. "How is that possible? You don't even swear!"
"I became flustered. She was looking at me like she was about to faint, and before I knew it ... it doesn't matter."
"Right, about to faint, was she?" Evan said, rolling his eyes skyward before turning and throwing open the door to slam on the wall, startling the poor butler.
"Mr. Woolf? My apologies, sir, I didn't hear the bell or I would have —"
"Calm yourself, Higgins, you know my little brother never rings when coming home," Edward said, closing the door behind him.
"Higgins? Did I hear the door?" Lady Blackburn smiled and came rushing out of the side drawing room. "Edward? Evan? Why did no one tell me you had arrived, and with Mr. Carter here as well, really, where has Higgins run off to?"
"Mother," Edward leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Don't be too hard on Higgins. Evan scared him off, as usual."
"Really, with the commotion you all were making, is it any wonder?" she asked. "I'd run too if I hadn't been married to the most maddening man in all of London for the last thirty-two years. As it is I'm used to it."
Evan watched as his mother's ever-discerning gaze found him, and he felt himself shrink under her scrutiny. "Really Evan, look at the state of your coats," she scolded. "Do I need to speak to your valet?"
"You know I don't keep one," said Evan, tired of the same old argument.
She eyed him again, and he stood his ground. "It is most improper for a man of your stature not to keep a valet, or at the very least a butler."
"Father doesn't keep one," he protested.
"No, your father can't keep one, there's a difference," she said, thinking back to how Higgins disappeared each time Evan came for a visit. "Though I am beginning to notice a startling sense of familiarity about the situation."
Evan sighed,
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