Page 27 of The Earl’s Marriage of Convenience

Yet there she stood, achieving in a matter of days what often required weeks—if not longer.

Efficient, intentional, and effective.

And—if he were being precise—unexpected.

For a brief, unguarded instant, he felt something shift—not in his plan, but in his understanding of the board upon which he played.

He had assumed predictability.

He found, instead, something far less easily categorized. The sensation passed almost as quickly as it had come. He exhaled softly and turned his attention back to Lady Molly. Careful. If his attention lingered where it ought not, it would not go unnoticed—and Lady Molly was not a woman to overlook such things.

More importantly, it would serve no purpose.

He adjusted his focus accordingly, offering her a comment that drew her neatly back into their earlier discussion, reestablishing the rhythm of their exchange.

“Have you attended Almack’s yet this season?” he asked, her nose scrunching up slightly as she gave him a teasing expression.

Yes.

This was proceeding precisely as it should.

*

It was not specifically curiosity that brought Edwin to call upon his sister the following morning.

But it was something uncomfortably close to it.

The events of the previous evening lingered more persistently than they ought, and though he might have attributed that to the natural progression of his plans, he suspected—if only faintly—that something else had begun to intrude upon them.

He chose not to examine that too closely.

As the butler showed him into the parlor at Hawthorne House, he noted at once that he was not the first to arrive.

Henley was already seated comfortably upon the sofa, a teacup in hand.

“What brings you here, brother?” Henley asked, lifting the cup for a measured sip.

Edwin narrowed his eyes slightly as he crossed the room and poured himself tea. “Am I no longer permitted to call upon my own sister without explanation?”

“Of course you are,” Henley replied mildly. “It was merely a question.”

“The same might be asked of you.”

Henley gave a small, satisfied nod. “Indeed. However, I am here because Anna insisted upon seeing her friend, and I am unwilling to let her out of my sight in her current condition.”

“That seems wise,” Edwin said dryly. “Though I imagine she does not make it easy.”

“She does not,” Henley agreed.

Edwin chuckled. “Some things never change.”

Henley raised his cup in salute. “Quite.”

“And why do I have the distinct impression we are being discussed?” Pere’s voice cut in as she entered, Anna beside her.

“Because you are,” Henley replied smoothly. “Though only in the most flattering terms.”

“As if you would dare anything less,” Anna said with a grin, easing herself carefully onto the sofa beside him.