he here?”
Sebastian cleared his throat. Because Shay already thinks I’m interested in the chit wouldn’t suffice; he wanted an unbiased opinion of the entire situation, not his…insanity where it came to Josefina. “I want eyes, not diplomacy.”
“You’re being obtuse, and I think it’s deliberate. But since you’ve dragged me along, I shall do my utmost to fulfill my duty at whatever it is I’m doing.”
The duke nodded. “That is all I ask.”
Ten minutes later as they left the carriage, Colonel Branbury’s butler opened the front door for them. “Your Grace, His Majesty awaits your pleasure in the drawing room. This way.”
“Thank you.”
With Valentine on his heels, Sebastian followed the butler upstairs. The house was well-kept, if small by his standards, and he guessed that Branbury had been a compatriotof the rey’s when Embry had served in the British army. “Where is Colonel Branbury, if I might ask?”
“The colonel has given over his house to the Costa Habichuela delegation,” the butler returned, “though he has been called back to the Peninsula. He hopes to return before the end of the Season.”
Did Branbury’s absence mean something? Bonaparte had been creating havoc on the Peninsula, so the timing of the colonel’s trip might well have been mere coincidence.
Stopping before a set of double doors, the butler knocked and then pushed them both open. “His Grace the Duke of Melbourne and guest, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”
Princess Josefina sat in one of the chairs beside the fire. Sebastian tried to steel his expression, the effort hampered by Valentine elbowing him in the back and muttering “‘And guest’? Since when am I ‘and guest’?”
Sebastian bowed, deliberately keeping his gaze on the seated rey rather than the princess. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, may I present my brother-in-law, the Marquis of Deverill? Valentine, this is Stephen Embry, the Rey of Costa Habichuela, and his daughter, Princess Josefina.”
They both remained seated. Recently crowned or not, neither the rey nor his daughter seemed to require any schooling in social rankings. Sebastian rubbed his left eye to cover the jump of his muscles.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Lord Deverill.”
“And I you, Your Majesty,” Valentine returned with one of his charming smiles. “Sebastian mentioned something about brandy.”
“Yes, indeed.” Finally the rey rose, gesturing to the footman who stood beside the liquor cabinet. “Three brandies and a glass of red wine, if you please, lad.”
“Very good, Your Majesty.”
As Valentine wandered over to collect his drink, Sebastian finally turned his gaze to Princess Josefina. For thebarest of moments his breath caught. Tonight her silk gown was violet, dotted with silver to look like starlight.
“Join me, Melbourne,” she said, gesturing at the chair her father had vacated.
“Of course.” She smelled like lilacs, he decided as he moved past her to sit, though the scent was more likely deadly nightshade.
“So, Your Grace,” she continued in a lower voice, while behind them Valentine and the rey chatted about boots, “have you finally decided to mind your manners?”
“I’m searching for the most diplomatic way to offer you another piece of advice,” he countered, focusing on the emeralds dangling from her ears, sparkling against the midnight of her hair. The ear bobs jangled as she shifted, and he blinked, refocusing in time to see her gaze on his mouth.
“I don’t expect diplomacy from you. Say what you will.”
Even if she wanted to begin an argument, he would not play along. He’d learned that strategy. “I only wanted to advise you that it is the custom here for young ladies making their first appearance at Almack’s to wear white for their presentation to the patronesses.”
Josefina looked down at her dress. “Don’t you like my gown?”
He swallowed, his cock twitching. “It’s very nice. But that’s not the
Sebastian cleared his throat. Because Shay already thinks I’m interested in the chit wouldn’t suffice; he wanted an unbiased opinion of the entire situation, not his…insanity where it came to Josefina. “I want eyes, not diplomacy.”
“You’re being obtuse, and I think it’s deliberate. But since you’ve dragged me along, I shall do my utmost to fulfill my duty at whatever it is I’m doing.”
The duke nodded. “That is all I ask.”
Ten minutes later as they left the carriage, Colonel Branbury’s butler opened the front door for them. “Your Grace, His Majesty awaits your pleasure in the drawing room. This way.”
“Thank you.”
With Valentine on his heels, Sebastian followed the butler upstairs. The house was well-kept, if small by his standards, and he guessed that Branbury had been a compatriotof the rey’s when Embry had served in the British army. “Where is Colonel Branbury, if I might ask?”
“The colonel has given over his house to the Costa Habichuela delegation,” the butler returned, “though he has been called back to the Peninsula. He hopes to return before the end of the Season.”
Did Branbury’s absence mean something? Bonaparte had been creating havoc on the Peninsula, so the timing of the colonel’s trip might well have been mere coincidence.
Stopping before a set of double doors, the butler knocked and then pushed them both open. “His Grace the Duke of Melbourne and guest, Your Majesty, Your Highness.”
Princess Josefina sat in one of the chairs beside the fire. Sebastian tried to steel his expression, the effort hampered by Valentine elbowing him in the back and muttering “‘And guest’? Since when am I ‘and guest’?”
Sebastian bowed, deliberately keeping his gaze on the seated rey rather than the princess. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, may I present my brother-in-law, the Marquis of Deverill? Valentine, this is Stephen Embry, the Rey of Costa Habichuela, and his daughter, Princess Josefina.”
They both remained seated. Recently crowned or not, neither the rey nor his daughter seemed to require any schooling in social rankings. Sebastian rubbed his left eye to cover the jump of his muscles.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Lord Deverill.”
“And I you, Your Majesty,” Valentine returned with one of his charming smiles. “Sebastian mentioned something about brandy.”
“Yes, indeed.” Finally the rey rose, gesturing to the footman who stood beside the liquor cabinet. “Three brandies and a glass of red wine, if you please, lad.”
“Very good, Your Majesty.”
As Valentine wandered over to collect his drink, Sebastian finally turned his gaze to Princess Josefina. For thebarest of moments his breath caught. Tonight her silk gown was violet, dotted with silver to look like starlight.
“Join me, Melbourne,” she said, gesturing at the chair her father had vacated.
“Of course.” She smelled like lilacs, he decided as he moved past her to sit, though the scent was more likely deadly nightshade.
“So, Your Grace,” she continued in a lower voice, while behind them Valentine and the rey chatted about boots, “have you finally decided to mind your manners?”
“I’m searching for the most diplomatic way to offer you another piece of advice,” he countered, focusing on the emeralds dangling from her ears, sparkling against the midnight of her hair. The ear bobs jangled as she shifted, and he blinked, refocusing in time to see her gaze on his mouth.
“I don’t expect diplomacy from you. Say what you will.”
Even if she wanted to begin an argument, he would not play along. He’d learned that strategy. “I only wanted to advise you that it is the custom here for young ladies making their first appearance at Almack’s to wear white for their presentation to the patronesses.”
Josefina looked down at her dress. “Don’t you like my gown?”
He swallowed, his cock twitching. “It’s very nice. But that’s not the
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