Page 68 of A Devious Secret

“Good,” Hugh responded. “Because I would ask Lady Haddington to be my second.”

“Not me?” Haddington asked.

Hugh shook his head. “Your wife is a much better shot than you.”

“He isn’t wrong,” Hawthorne remarked, giving Haddington a pointed look.

Lord Grenton approached the table and announced, “I just heard the news about Stephen getting attacked at the museum.”

Stephen shoved back his chair. “I have had enough. Good night, gentlemen.” He didn’t bother to wait for their replies before he headed towards the main door. He could only take so much of his newfound friends, and he had just reached his limit.

With the morning sun streaming into the tall windows, Gemma sat at the dining table as she ate her breakfast of an egg and a piece of toast. She hoped that Stephen would call upon her today. Her thoughts of him had increased as of late and she found herself smiling more times than not.

Dear heavens, she was acting like a love-craved debutante again. She loved Baldwin, and she always would, but she felt that it was time to start living her life again. Perhaps that meant she was to spend it with Stephen, but she didn’t want to get ahead of herself. He may hold her in high regard, but that was a far cry from courting her.

She wanted to proceed cautiously so as not to make a mistake. Her heart was still tender, and she didn’t want to risk having it broken all over again.

Nathaniel stepped into the room with Dinah on his arm. “Good morning, Cousin,” he greeted as he went to assist his wife onto her chair.

“Good morning,” she said.

Dinah gave her a weak smile as she glanced down at her cup of chocolate. “Would you mind terribly moving that?”

“The chocolate?”

“Yes, it has rather a strong smell to it,” Dinah said as she scrunched her nose.

Gemma picked up the cup and held it up for a footman to take. “Do you take issue with tea?” she asked.

“No, I do not,” Dinah said. “At least at this time.”

A footman accepted the cup and Gemma ordered, “Will you bring me a cup of tea?”

As the footman went to do her bidding, Nathaniel placed a plate of food in front of Dinah and said, “You should eat.”

Dinah pushed back her plate. “I’m not hungry.”

Nathaniel moved the plate back in front of her. “You have to try to eat something.”

“I will eat the toast,” Dinah responded, picking it up off her plate.

With a nod of approval, Nathaniel went to sit at the head of the table and picked up his fork. He met Gemma’s gaze and said, “I have been meaning to ask you about something.”

Gemma leaned to the side as the footman placed the teacup and saucer in front of her.

“Hugh overheard you telling Stephen that you believe it is possible your father or Lord Hawkinge sent that man to attack him in the museum,” Nathaniel stated.

“That is somewhat true,” Gemma said. “However, I do not believe either my father or Henry would be capable of such a thing.”

“I know your father does not approve of Stephen, but what of Lord Hawkinge?”

“Henry doesn’t know Stephen, nor would he ever attempt to get to know him since he is beneath him,” Gemma replied.

Nathaniel took a bite of his eggs and chewed them thoughtfully. Then he said, “My mother mentioned that Lord Hawkinge has an unnatural fascination towards you.”

“That is true,” Gemma admitted. “Henry flirts with me at every opportunity.”

“Does he ever make you uncomfortable?”