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“Do you think he will want to join us?” Hannah asked, her voice filled with hushed excitement. “I have not been able to sketch a male subject in some time.”

Catherine clenched her jaw. She suspected that he had come to yell at them, and even if he had not, she would prefer that he not join them. Doubtlessly, any potential enjoyment would be ruined by his presence, for it seemed to Catherine as though William’s chief delight was in finding new errors in her.

He tipped his hat to them. “Good evening, my wife and sweet sisters.”

“Good evening,” Catherine said, making certain that her tone expressed the depths of displeasure she felt at his presence.

William grinned. A more generous person might believe that he had not noticed her displeasure, but Catherine did not feel particularly gracious toward him at the moment. She had an inkling that heenjoyedbeing unwanted and sought to torment her with his presence.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Taking a boat,” Catherine replied. “I hope that is not too dangerous for us?”

“It is not,” he said, “as long as you have a man to accompany you. I shall do quite nicely.”

Heat washed over Catherine’s face. “Jonathan has agreed to accompany us.”

She gestured to the groundskeeper, an elderly man with wisps of white hair and brown eyes. He bowed stiffly at the acknowledgement.

“That is kind of him,” William said. “He can accompany Hannah and Hester, and I will accompany you. There are two boats, after all.”

She curled her hands into fists at her sides. “I am certain that you are too busy for such frivolities.”

“Oh, yes!” Hannah exclaimed, her face brightening. “Please, join us!”

Hester nodded vigorously. “It has been so long since we have been on the lake together.”

Catherine smiled tightly at William’s smug expression. The detestable man knew that she would not wish to upset Hester and Hannah, and it was obvious that he hoped to force her agreement.

“Very well,” Catherine said. “You should ride in the boat with Hester and Hannah, and I will join Jonathan.”

William’s smile broadened. “The boat shall be much too full then.”

That did not remotely make sense!

“Jonathan will accompany my sisters, and I shall get in a boat with you. If we row alongside one another, we shall all be together.”

“An excellent plan, Your Grace,” Jonathan said.

Catherine sent the man a silent glare. How dare he choose William’s side so quickly and without even being asked to? Something like fury coursed through her veins. She might be the duchess of this estate, but it was obvious who held the real power.

“Fine,” Catherine said through gritted teeth. “I suppose that is an excellent plan.”

With a shriek of delight, Hester clambered into one of the boats. Hannah followed silently, but once she had joined her sister, the pair whispered excitedly together. Jonathan ambled over and climbed in with them. Then, he took the oars and pushed against the bank until the boat bobbed into the water.

“Shall we?” William asked.

Catherine deliberately did not look at him. She couldfeelhis pleasure at having gotten what he wanted, and if she argued—no matter how justified her fury—he would use it as an opportunity to tell her that she was not a proper lady.

She gathered her skirts in one hand and gingerly lowered herself into the boat, aware that William hovered nearby. If it was any other man, she might have found it endearing the way that he sought to catch her if she fell.

She managed to sit in the boat without issue, drawing herself up as primly as she could. Maybe she was approaching this all wrong. If William desired a proper lady, maybe she ought to bethemost proper lady who ever lived. She would see how well he liked her then!

William deftly seated himself beside her and pushed away from the bank. She had anticipated no issues with this, and indeed, there were none. The fact that William did not encounter difficulties nevertheless vexed her. He might have at least slipped or faltered a little.

“This is quite lovely,” William said, rowing the boat into the lake.

He stayed near his sisters, but not directly on top of them. Catherine spied Hannah gazing at her sketchbook, her pencil working furiously on the page. Hester’s book was open, but she had not yet drawn anything. Instead, she bent her head and peered into the water.