arranged,” Daisy said.“Would you and Priss be able to join us for dinner later in the week?”
“Name the day,” Charles said, “and we’ll be there.”
The earl’s dark brows rose speculatively when his daughter entered the drawing room with a young man close at her heels.
“There’s someone else you should meet,” Daisy said. “May I present Mr. Colin Calloway, the duke’s son. This is the countess’s husband, the Earl of Rotherham.”
Colin bowed. “How do I address you, sir?” he asked with a hesitant smile.
The earl ignored Colin’s inquiry. “Your name is Calloway? How is it you’re the duke’s son?”
“My father wasn’t married to my mother.”
The earl frowned as he looked from Colin to his fetchingly pretty daughter and back. “Have you two been out walking together?” he asked his daughter.
“Yes, Papa,” Roanna said. “I’ve been showing Mr. Calloway the gardens.”
Charles turned a stern eye on his countess. “And you allowed this?”
“But whyever not?” Priss said.
“I should think that would be perfectly clear,” the earl replied, eyeing Colin once more.
“It isn’t clear to me, sir,” Colin said, his color high.
“You aren’t a proper escort, let alone an eligible suitor, for my daughter. I’ll thank you not to come here again.”
“Charles!” Priss exclaimed.
“Papa!” Roanna cried.
“Oh, no, Charles,” Daisy said. “You can’t meansuch a thing. I won’t believe you would hold the boy’s birth against him.”
The earl turned flinty eyes on the duchess. “Where my daughter is concerned, I’ll do what I must.”
When Colin turned to Roanna, his face was bleached white. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Roanna.” He bowed formally to her before turning to Priss. “And you, Lady Rotherham.” He bowed again before turning to the earl, who got nothing faintly resembling a bow. “No one tells me where I can or can’t go. Good day, sir.”
A moment later he was gone from the drawing room. They could hear his hurried footsteps on the tiles in the hallway.
Daisy turned on the earl the instant Colin was gone. “How could you do such a thing! I would never have brought Colin here if I’d thought he would have to endure such an insult. I thought you were a better man, Charles.”
“A bastard, even the bastard son of a duke, isn’t what I have in mind for my daughter,” Charles said.
“He isn’t here to propose,” Daisy said in disgust. “He only came to keep me company. And so long as he’s unwelcome here, I won’t be darkening your doorstep. Don’t bother coming for dinner, either. You won’t be welcome!”
Daisy turned to her friend. “I’m sorry, Priss.”
“Daisy, don’t go like this!” Priss pleaded. She turned her eyes to her husband. “Oh, Charles. Please change your mind. Please.”
For a moment Daisy thought Priss might sway the earl. But he turned to Daisy and said, “We all do what we have to do, Your Grace.” He bowed, a gesture with not the least bit of condescension in it.
Daisy felt the tears welling in her eyes and fought them back. “Good-bye, Priss.”
Priss held herself aloof from both Daisy and the earl. “I won’t say good-bye, Daisy. Only
au revoir
. Charles will come to his senses. I’ll send a note when he does.”
Daisy wanted to laugh at the look of chagrin on the earl’s face at his young wife’s pronouncement. Daisy hugged Roanna and left the drawing room.
She hurried downstairs, anxious to speak with Colin, to apologize for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation. She found the young American already mounted and holding the reins of her horse.
“Do you need help mounting?” he asked.
Daisy accepted the assistance of the groom who stood waiting nearby. When she was settled she accepted the reins from Colin. “I’m sorry, Colin. Let’s go home.”
“Severn Manor isn’t home to me,” Colin said. “And the sooner I see the backside of this place, the
“Name the day,” Charles said, “and we’ll be there.”
The earl’s dark brows rose speculatively when his daughter entered the drawing room with a young man close at her heels.
“There’s someone else you should meet,” Daisy said. “May I present Mr. Colin Calloway, the duke’s son. This is the countess’s husband, the Earl of Rotherham.”
Colin bowed. “How do I address you, sir?” he asked with a hesitant smile.
The earl ignored Colin’s inquiry. “Your name is Calloway? How is it you’re the duke’s son?”
“My father wasn’t married to my mother.”
The earl frowned as he looked from Colin to his fetchingly pretty daughter and back. “Have you two been out walking together?” he asked his daughter.
“Yes, Papa,” Roanna said. “I’ve been showing Mr. Calloway the gardens.”
Charles turned a stern eye on his countess. “And you allowed this?”
“But whyever not?” Priss said.
“I should think that would be perfectly clear,” the earl replied, eyeing Colin once more.
“It isn’t clear to me, sir,” Colin said, his color high.
“You aren’t a proper escort, let alone an eligible suitor, for my daughter. I’ll thank you not to come here again.”
“Charles!” Priss exclaimed.
“Papa!” Roanna cried.
“Oh, no, Charles,” Daisy said. “You can’t meansuch a thing. I won’t believe you would hold the boy’s birth against him.”
The earl turned flinty eyes on the duchess. “Where my daughter is concerned, I’ll do what I must.”
When Colin turned to Roanna, his face was bleached white. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Roanna.” He bowed formally to her before turning to Priss. “And you, Lady Rotherham.” He bowed again before turning to the earl, who got nothing faintly resembling a bow. “No one tells me where I can or can’t go. Good day, sir.”
A moment later he was gone from the drawing room. They could hear his hurried footsteps on the tiles in the hallway.
Daisy turned on the earl the instant Colin was gone. “How could you do such a thing! I would never have brought Colin here if I’d thought he would have to endure such an insult. I thought you were a better man, Charles.”
“A bastard, even the bastard son of a duke, isn’t what I have in mind for my daughter,” Charles said.
“He isn’t here to propose,” Daisy said in disgust. “He only came to keep me company. And so long as he’s unwelcome here, I won’t be darkening your doorstep. Don’t bother coming for dinner, either. You won’t be welcome!”
Daisy turned to her friend. “I’m sorry, Priss.”
“Daisy, don’t go like this!” Priss pleaded. She turned her eyes to her husband. “Oh, Charles. Please change your mind. Please.”
For a moment Daisy thought Priss might sway the earl. But he turned to Daisy and said, “We all do what we have to do, Your Grace.” He bowed, a gesture with not the least bit of condescension in it.
Daisy felt the tears welling in her eyes and fought them back. “Good-bye, Priss.”
Priss held herself aloof from both Daisy and the earl. “I won’t say good-bye, Daisy. Only
au revoir
. Charles will come to his senses. I’ll send a note when he does.”
Daisy wanted to laugh at the look of chagrin on the earl’s face at his young wife’s pronouncement. Daisy hugged Roanna and left the drawing room.
She hurried downstairs, anxious to speak with Colin, to apologize for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation. She found the young American already mounted and holding the reins of her horse.
“Do you need help mounting?” he asked.
Daisy accepted the assistance of the groom who stood waiting nearby. When she was settled she accepted the reins from Colin. “I’m sorry, Colin. Let’s go home.”
“Severn Manor isn’t home to me,” Colin said. “And the sooner I see the backside of this place, the
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