Page 172 of A Scandal for the Beastly Earl

"It's peaceful."

"It's suspicious. Thistle hasn't stolen anything in three days."

"Maybe he's reformed."

They both looked at the dog, who was sitting by the fire looking angelic.

"Now I'm worried," Lucien said.

"You should be. He's planning something."

"How can you tell?"

"Mother's intuition."

"You're not his mother."

"I'm his criminal mastermind's mother. Close enough."

"Our daughter is not a criminal mastermind."

"Not yet. But look at her influences."

Matilda, as if understanding, gurgled happily and grabbed her father's finger with surprising strength.

"She's going to be perfect," Lucien said with the blind devotion of a besotted father.

"She's going to be chaos."

"Organised chaos."

"Is there such a thing?"

"There will be. She'll invent it."

"Heaven help us all."

Julian arrived then, breezing in without knocking as had become his habit.

"Good morning, proud parents. Still pretending your child won't become a master thief?"

"She will not..." Lucien began.

They were interrupted by Cordelia bursting in, looking flushed and excited.

"He's here!"

"Who?" Lucien asked suspiciously.

"Lord Ashby's son. James. The one who breeds spaniels."

"I said no."

"You said no to him calling. You didn't say no to him accidentally encountering me in the village."

"Cordelia..."

"We've been accidentally encountering each other for weeks."