still upset with me, are you?” Regina’s mother asked the next morning during breakfast.
Regina glanced at her father who was buttering his biscuit. Why didn’t he ever take measures to restrain her mother’s tongue in the twenty-three years of their marriage?
“Regina?” her mother pressed, leaning toward her. “Are you really going to ignore me?”
Regina set the fork next to the fruit on her plate and sighed. “Are you not aware the butler’s in the room?” she whispered.
Her mother looked over her shoulder. “Harold, will you please leave us for a few moments?”
The butler left the room and closed the door to ensure their privacy.
“Now, will you please talk to me?” her mother asked, turning back to her.
“Fine,” Regina finally relented. “You want me to tell you the truth? The truth is you embarrassed me yesterday.”
Her mother’s eyes grew wide , and she glanced at her father who shrugged. “Regina, the last thing I want to do is embarrass you.”
“Then in the future, don’t tell any gentleman who comes to see me that you want grandchildren.”
Her father nearly choked on the biscuit he’d just put in his mouth.
“You see?” Regina motioned to him. “Even he knows such talk is inappropriate.”
“Inappropriate?” Her mother had the audacity to appear surprised. “Lady Seyton told me to do it.”
“She did no such thing.”
“She said we should get the gentlemen to think of having an heir.”
“I’m sure she meant to be subtle about it.”
“There was nothing wrong with the way I brought up the subject.”
“You practically offered my services as a brood mare.”
Her mother gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. “I did no such thing.”
Glancing at her father, Regina said, “She said I came from good stock and could give him many sons.”
Her father winced. “That was a little too bold, my dear,” he told her mother.
“Well, gentlemen aren’t known for taking hints. They require boldness,” her mother insisted. “I recall having to tell you it was time for you to get married since you were in your late thirties.”
“That was different,” he said. “The gentlemen coming to see Regina want to get married. There’s no need to convince them.”
“But they need to be convinced that they’re better off marrying her,” she gestured to Regina, “than someone else.”
Regina almost said she already knew which gentleman she wanted to marry but held her tongue. Who knew what her mother would do with such information?
“Camilla, you know I don’t often come down on you about these things,” her father gently said. “But in this case, I must insist you refrain from saying such things in the future.”
With a sigh, her mother nodded. “Fine. I won’t speak of children or grandchildren anymore.”
“Thank you, Father,” Regina told him.
“Why are you thanking him?” her mother asked. “I’m the one who promised not to do it.”
When Regina looked heavenward, her father chuckled. “Why don’t you two go shopping?”
“What a lovely idea!” Standing up from her half-eaten meal, her mother gestured to Regina. “I saw the most beautiful gold dress the other day. It’s absolutely divine. It’ll be perfect for Lord Toplyn’s ball.”
Regina’s ears perked up. Lord Davenport would be at the ball. Without bothering to finish her own meal, she jumped up and followed her mother out of the room.
***
A loud cheer rose from the gaming room at White’s as Toby walked through the front door. Catching Orlando lounging by the window, he went over to him. “What’s the big commotion in the other room?”
Orlando forced his gaze off the window so he could look at him. “They’re betting on which one of you will get two dances with Miss Giles at Lord Toplyn’s ball.”
Feeling a smile tugging at his lips, he sat by his friend and leaned toward him. “That’s an easy one. I will.”
Orlando’s eyebrow arched. “You’re not so
Regina glanced at her father who was buttering his biscuit. Why didn’t he ever take measures to restrain her mother’s tongue in the twenty-three years of their marriage?
“Regina?” her mother pressed, leaning toward her. “Are you really going to ignore me?”
Regina set the fork next to the fruit on her plate and sighed. “Are you not aware the butler’s in the room?” she whispered.
Her mother looked over her shoulder. “Harold, will you please leave us for a few moments?”
The butler left the room and closed the door to ensure their privacy.
“Now, will you please talk to me?” her mother asked, turning back to her.
“Fine,” Regina finally relented. “You want me to tell you the truth? The truth is you embarrassed me yesterday.”
Her mother’s eyes grew wide , and she glanced at her father who shrugged. “Regina, the last thing I want to do is embarrass you.”
“Then in the future, don’t tell any gentleman who comes to see me that you want grandchildren.”
Her father nearly choked on the biscuit he’d just put in his mouth.
“You see?” Regina motioned to him. “Even he knows such talk is inappropriate.”
“Inappropriate?” Her mother had the audacity to appear surprised. “Lady Seyton told me to do it.”
“She did no such thing.”
“She said we should get the gentlemen to think of having an heir.”
“I’m sure she meant to be subtle about it.”
“There was nothing wrong with the way I brought up the subject.”
“You practically offered my services as a brood mare.”
Her mother gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. “I did no such thing.”
Glancing at her father, Regina said, “She said I came from good stock and could give him many sons.”
Her father winced. “That was a little too bold, my dear,” he told her mother.
“Well, gentlemen aren’t known for taking hints. They require boldness,” her mother insisted. “I recall having to tell you it was time for you to get married since you were in your late thirties.”
“That was different,” he said. “The gentlemen coming to see Regina want to get married. There’s no need to convince them.”
“But they need to be convinced that they’re better off marrying her,” she gestured to Regina, “than someone else.”
Regina almost said she already knew which gentleman she wanted to marry but held her tongue. Who knew what her mother would do with such information?
“Camilla, you know I don’t often come down on you about these things,” her father gently said. “But in this case, I must insist you refrain from saying such things in the future.”
With a sigh, her mother nodded. “Fine. I won’t speak of children or grandchildren anymore.”
“Thank you, Father,” Regina told him.
“Why are you thanking him?” her mother asked. “I’m the one who promised not to do it.”
When Regina looked heavenward, her father chuckled. “Why don’t you two go shopping?”
“What a lovely idea!” Standing up from her half-eaten meal, her mother gestured to Regina. “I saw the most beautiful gold dress the other day. It’s absolutely divine. It’ll be perfect for Lord Toplyn’s ball.”
Regina’s ears perked up. Lord Davenport would be at the ball. Without bothering to finish her own meal, she jumped up and followed her mother out of the room.
***
A loud cheer rose from the gaming room at White’s as Toby walked through the front door. Catching Orlando lounging by the window, he went over to him. “What’s the big commotion in the other room?”
Orlando forced his gaze off the window so he could look at him. “They’re betting on which one of you will get two dances with Miss Giles at Lord Toplyn’s ball.”
Feeling a smile tugging at his lips, he sat by his friend and leaned toward him. “That’s an easy one. I will.”
Orlando’s eyebrow arched. “You’re not so
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