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“The poor girl saw the man she was supposed to marry confess his love to another. The whole ton was present. I can only imagine the mortification and the heartbreak she must have been through.”

Solomon’s eyes snapped to James’s. A true collision. The room grew smaller and smaller.

“A woman who has already been abandoned,” Solomon said coldly. “Not exactly a promising prospect, is she?”

“Funny,” James retorted in a way that conveyed that he found nothing in their conversation amusing. “You speak as if I ever asked for your opinion on this matter. Onanymatter.”

“I am merely stating the obvious. Why would you involve yourself with a woman who has a reputation? Even for a man of your… character, that is a bit too much.”

James’s pulse quickened, but his expression remained perfectly composed. He tilted his head slightly, a lazy smile curling at the edges of his mouth.

“And here I thought experience might have taught you not to judge a person by what Society thinks of them.”

The words fell in the space between them like a boulder that completely broke Solomon’s composure. Mainly because they were true, and everyone in the room knew that.

His eyes widened, and he had to gulp his tea the same way he would swallow poison. He swiftly recovered, though.

“I merely meant that there must have been a reason that she was rejected and abandoned.”

Even Euphemia was shocked to hear those words.

James slowly set his cup on the table and dipped his chin in a way that made him look like a predator ready to attack. “Interesting. Some might say you are an authority on abandoning one’s responsibilities.”

Solomon’s fingers tightened ever so slightly around his teacup, the fine porcelain straining under the pressure.

James watched with the same hard look as his father’s jaw twitched and his shoulders stiffened.

“Boys,” Euphemia cut in. “It’s such a lovely day to spoil it with harsh words over lukewarm tea.”

She rang for more tea, but James was already up.

“Are you leaving, my sweet boy?”

James buttoned up his coat, breathing deeply to remind himself that his grandmother was not the one to blame. She was merely trying to mend the unmendable.

“Yes, Grandmother. I am expected.”

“Expected?”

“Ah, yes. You see, I committed to five promenades with Lady Diana.”

He adjusted the cufflinks on his shirt and threw one last look at his father. A look that was a cross between dismissal and something far colder.

“And I never run away from my commitments.”

CHAPTER 10

Chinese Magnolia

Diana had expected that he would call on her today. Just not this way. The moment the butler announced him, she shifted nervously. And then he came into the room and simply said, “Good morning, Lady Diana.”

She frowned. His voice was polite. Nothing more. No teasing, no wicked gleam in his eyes. Sure, they were in the drawing room of her brother’s house, and Elizabeth was there. Still…

“Good morning, Lord Crawford. You seem well-rested,” she returned, trying to elicit a reaction.

“Uh… It was a quiet night.”

Diana smiled, though she was ready to get up and check his pulse. Was this the same man who had kissed her senseless? Was this the man who had kept her up at night?