Yes

, of course. She rose, met his gaze as he came to his feet. Ill see you at dinner.
Retford bowed and withdrew.
Royce looked at iner!a. Its nearly time to dress for dinner. Ill see "ollier, and
arrange for him to read the will after dinner. If you can organize with #effers to show him to a
room, and to ha!e him fed$%

She turned and walked to the door& Royce watched while she o'ened it, then went out,
then he e(haled and sank back into his chair.
obsession with her, all com'ounded by his need to rely on her, to kee' her near and
interact with her daily$
)is sisters, by com'arison, were a minor irritation.
iner!a was$a serious 'roblem.
*s'ecially as e!erything she said, e!erything she urged, e!erything she was, a''ealed
to him+
not the cold, calm, calculating, and risk,a!erse duke, but the other side of him+the
side that rode young stallions -ust broken to the saddle o!er hill and dale at a madmans 'ace.
.he side that was neither cold, nor risk,a!erse.
)e didnt know what to do with her, how he could safely manage her.
)e glanced at the clock on a bureau by the wall, then looked at Retford. Show
"ollier u'.


/inner was consumed in a ci!il but restrained atmos'here. argaret and 0urelia had
decided to be careful& both a!oided sub-ects likely to irritate him, and, in the main, held their
tongues.
Susannah made u' for their silence by relating a number of the latest on,dits, censored
in deference to their fathers death. 1e!ertheless, she added a welcome touch of li!eliness to
which his brothers,in,law res'onded with easy good humor.
.hey dined in the family dining room. 0lthough much smaller than the one in the
main dining salon, the table still sat fourteen& with only eight of them s'read along the board,
there remained 'lenty of s'ace between each 'lace, further assisting Royces hold on his
tem'er.
.he meal, the first hed shared with his sisters for si(teen years, 'assed better than
hed ho'ed.
0s the co!ers were drawn, he announced that the reading of the will would take 'lace
in the library.
argaret frowned. .he drawing room would be more con!enient.
)e raised his brows, set his na'kin beside his 'late. If you wish you may re'air to
the drawing room. I, howe!er, am going to the library.
She com'ressed her li's, but rose and followed.
"ollier, a neat indi!idual in his late fifties, bes'ectacled, brushed, and burnished, was
waiting, a trifle ner!ous, but once theyd settled on the chaise and chairs, he cleared his
throat, and started to read. )is diction was clear and 'recise enough for e!eryone to hear as
he read through clause after clause