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Madeleine had nothing to say to that that would not be perceived as rude. She searched her mind for an answer. “We are not often in London. We prefer the country air.” It was weak but it was the best that she could do.

“Ah, yes. I, too, enjoy a day in the country. The hunt is most enjoyable. I often hunt with the Marquess of Newburgh. He has excellent birds.”

Madeleine had never been allowed to hunt. “Ladies of the ton are not allowed to join in the hunt,” she reminded him. “Perhaps someday soon that will change.”

Mowbray snorted. “The hunt is no place for a lady of worth. The fairer sex are too delicate a species to endure such wildness.”

Madeleine fought the urge to stomp on his foot for his offensive words. “And yet we are not too delicate to bear children.”

Mowbray blushed red at her brazen speech. “My word, Lady Madeleine, does your father know of your tongue?”

“He does,” she confirmed.

“If you were my daughter, I would put a stop to such talk with all haste.”

“It is fortunate, then, that I am not yours.”

“Not yet.” He gave her a possessive look mixed with desperate longing as his eyes took in her form.

Not ever!

Madeleine was afraid that she might punch him in the face at any moment. Fortunately, her composure held until the end of the dance, but it was a close thing.

The moment that the song concluded, Madeleine quickly disengaged herself from her unwanted dance partner. She searched the ballroom for Cecil and swiftly made her way through the crowd to his side. “Cecil you would not believe what…”

“Yes, yes, all very well and good,” Cecil replied hastily, not even hearing Madeleine’s words. “You can spare me the details of your blooming romance.”

Madeleine’s cheeks grew red. Anger coursed through her veins as she looked up at her brother with a withering glare, but she quickly saw that he was not even looking at her. Following his gaze, she spotted a crowd of finely dressed gentlemen and ladies hovering around someone she could not make out.

“He finally arrived,” Cecil stated, a smile growing on his face.

Madeleine took a calming breath as she realized that she was a woman apart with her own frustrations.

“He, who, brother?” she asked, rising on her toes in an attempt to see.”

“You know who,” was all Cecil replied before he took her hand and started walking. “Come along; I’m sure he will want to say hello to you too.”

Before she could stop him, Cecil began pulling her along with him, making a beeline for the crowd.

“Brother, I do not care that your nitwit childhood friend is in attendance, I want to talk to you about what Mowbray just said to?—”

“Greyhall!” Cecil called out at the edge of the crowd, once more cutting Madeleine off.

She attempted to pull her hand from his grasp as the crowed turned to look at him with curious eyes and ceased immediately when it parted to reveal Percival Hardy, Duke of Greyhall. In the place of the gangly boy with an overly large Adam’s apple and wicked grin stood a devastatingly handsome man wrapped in muscle and a well-tailored black suit. His dark green eyes narrowed in on her and Cecil as he caught sight of them, and a wide, genuine smile showing perfectly straight, white teeth formed on his face.

“Cecil Gillet,” Percy replied, his tone full of wonder as the crowd obediently moved away to make room for Percy to walk toward Madeleine and Cecil.

“As I live and breathe, old boy, it is about time we have seen each other again!”

As Cecil and Percy folded into one another in a manly hug slash handshake fashion, Madeleine pulled her gaze away from the now handsome man that used to taunt her and took a look at the crowd. They were all watching her brother and Percy closely, their whispers barely contained at having the latter back in society.

“Look how handsome he’s become,” she heard one woman whisper.

“Handsome, yes, but have you heard of his fortune?” another whispered.

“Pshhh, who needs looks and fortune when you have the power he does?” a man’s voice stated, entering the conversation.

“He is an unofficial member of the King’s consort. Rumor has it that he is a dear friend to many Royals across the world. India. Austria. Italy. The man’s reach goes as far as the King’s!”