Page 42 of Desperately Seeking Seduction

Stratford frowned. “Not to me.”

Algernon leaned close. “The man adores his wife, even though she obviously loathes him still. He’d do anything to win her favor. If I wanted to cause trouble for him, all I’d have to do is befriend his bride. Melody Sweet quite obviously wants nothing more than to be important to the family, the center of attention, and a leader of our little society. The one everyone turns to in these difficult times. George alone cannot give her that.”

“No, he cannot,” Stratford murmured, and then he chuckled evilly. “I can’t wait to see him try and fail.”

“She won’t wait for his excuses. Melody has already offered to act as my hostess, for instance, during the season.”

Stratford choked. “Please don’t allow that.”

“I cannot, of course, as I had already asked Mrs. Crawford to do the honors when we return to Town.”

“Thank God for sensible decisions,” Jasper exclaimed loudly.

“Amity is the only one in the family I trust not to attempt matchmaking me with one of her more ambitious friends,” the duke murmured.

“On that, I think you are correct,” Crawford drawled. “Unless you want her help with that as well.”

“No.” Algernon scowled and turned away. “Come along, little brothers, and Crawford, too. There’s much to be done and endured.”

He hurried to follow after the duke. “That’s right. You’re having a meeting with Aston today, aren’t you?”

“Yes, unfortunately,” the duke said with a heavy sigh. “We returned late enough yesterday that I could put him off without seeming rude, but he will be waiting when we return.”

Stratford worried about the outcome of the interview. There was not enough money to repay the man in full. He would not be happy about that and might say so out loud. With George and Edwin seemingly the best of friends, everyone at the palace could hear about the estate’s financial problems soon after. Aware that Crawford was near, and left out of the secret, he lowered his voice. “What will you do?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea. I had hoped to speak with his son, but with George whispering in his ear all morning, I thought better of making the attempt.”

“I never would have imagined that pair striking up a friendship,” Stratford said.

“Why wouldn’t they be the best of friends? They are mirror images of each other. Ambitious. Gluttonous. Bloodthirsty, when not drinking to excess.”

Stratford shook his head. “Edwin Aston used to be so different.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know,” Stratford said, shrugging. “He’s certainly not the little fellow I once knew.”

Algernon turned to him, a frown on his face. “Explain.”

“When I was younger, Father took me with him on a visit to Aston’s estate. I got to know Edwin a bit then, although Edwin now claims no memory of the occasion.”

“You must have had a gag in your mouth for your whole visit if he doesn’t recall how often you would have chattered on,” Jasper teased, interrupting. “Lord, all those nights you went on about one thing or another when we were boys, preventing us all from getting any sleep at all.”

Stratford thumped his brother’s arm. “I don’t talk that much.”

“Not now, but as a child, the questions and opinions spilling out of your mouth never seemed to end,” Algernon added with a slight smile.

Stratford bristled a little. “I like talking.”

“We all know that,” Nash promised, although it did not sound as much of a complaint from him as usual.

“So, what bothers you about Edwin Aston? That he doesn’t remember the visit or your conversations? I suppose it is possible to forget such a momentous event as meeting you, and the slightly less important visit by the Duke of Ravenswood. I’m sure Aston has had many such important visitors over the years, too. He’s always curried favor among the aristocracy.”

“All of it is wrong.” Stratford scratched his head. “It’s not the only oddity about him. He…feels different.”

“Feels?”

“When we talk, I get a nagging sense he’s not the same person I knew,” he complained.