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“The trip to the village was quite refreshing,” Olivia took a sip of her drink. “I am sure you had a good time. Miss Lovell is quite the pleasant company,” she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Indeed,” George found himself distracted once again by thoughts of Emma. He wondered if she’d found the trip as rejuvenating as Olivia had. Not with the way her mother watched her like a hawk with those disapproving eyes, he doubted.

A thought occurred to him just then. Perhaps Emma wasn’t the problem to her mother, but her association withhim. After all, he knew only too well what reputation he had in society.

“George?” Olivia’s voice broke into his thoughts. She was regarding him expectantly.

“So?” She prodded when he didn’t speak. And he realized that she might have asked him a question. He asked her what it was, and she repeated, “Do you intend to court Miss Lovell?”

A little laugh escaped him at this. And Olivia quirked an inquisitive brow.

“What doyouthink?” he returned.

She pursed her lips in thought. “I cannot tell with you, George,” she said. “You may have a reputation in society, but I never met a more unpredictable person,” she added.

And he couldn’t help his mirth once again. “Well thought,” he winked.

“Well, I personally like Miss Lovell. Her honesty and confidence are admirable. Society needs more people like her,” Olivia gushed with much enthusiasm.

George could tell that she liked Emma. But there was still a bit of dust he needed to clear up where she was concerned.

“Those are admirable qualities, yes,” George said. “But people aren’t always as they seem, Olivia,” he added.

“What do you mean?” Her good humor faltered.

“Merely that you should be careful to protect your boundaries and evaluate what company you keep,” he advised.

“Oh, Alex always says you’re more cynical than an old woman, George,” She laughed now, clearly not taking him seriously. And he shrugged, his mind still partly on Emma and the complexities she brought into his otherwise predictable life.

Lady Amberton handed Emma the cards along with instructions on what to write. They were alone in the drawing room, the soft afternoon light casting warm hues across the plush furniture.

“Oh, the children quite loved treasure hunts growing up,” Jane Amberton wore a nostalgic expression on her face as she sighed. “I used to organize these games for the children even back then, you know. And George always loved to pretend he was a knight on a mysterious quest whenever they played. Olivia was always his little princess,” she continued. Her voice carried such fondness; it was palpable and made the room feel smaller, more intimate.

“The Duke must be quite close to the family,” Emma observed as she organized the cards before her according to their colors.

“Why, George is like their older brother. The accident which claimed the former Duke and Duchess’s lives was most tragic. But we gained an additional family member,” Jane said fondly. “He’d been so young. Too young to be orphaned,” she added with a rueful sigh.

“Fate can be cruel,” Emma remarked, her voice soft, reflecting the somber mood Jane’s memories had evoked.

“Most certainly,” the woman agreed, nodding slowly as if weighing the truth of their words against her own experiences.

“I suppose the Duke spends more time here than at his own estate?” Emma tried not to appear too obvious in her curiosity, but her interest in George’s life was genuine.

“Oh, that boy is as busy as a bee, I tell you. He is always traveling back and forth. Managing his own affairs, and helping Alexander run estate and business matters here too,” Lady Amberton responded. She spoke with such maternal pride about George; it was clear he held a special place in her heart.

“They have quite the rare friendship,” Emma observed, thinking of her own dear friends and the different but equally strong bond they shared.

“It is the most precious brotherhood,” Lady Amberton affirmed. “My late brother and sister-in-law adored him just as much too,” she added.

In a way, Emma envied the Duke. She may have Frances and Agnes, but she’d always wished she’d had a sibling growing up—someone to share the most intimate moments with. The Duke had been an only child too. And albeit tragic his circumstances, fate had compensated him somehow by giving him Alexander and Olivia, and the most adoring family too.

“Why, you seem more interested in George than Alexander, dear,” Lady Amberton cut into her thoughts suddenly.

Emma sputtered, caught utterly off guard by her insinuation. She felt her cheeks warm as she shook her head and said, “Oh, it is nothing but idle curiosity, Lady Amberton.”

“Idle curiosity which has you blushing like a debutante now, eh?” Lady Amberton teased, her tone light but pointed, causing Emma to flush even deeper.

Emma tried to convince her otherwise, but Lady Amberton remained skeptical, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “I tell you what, Emma,” she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper even though they were alone in the drawing room. “Even if you want Seymore as your suitor, your secret is safe with me,” she added, clearly enjoying the possibility of a little romantic intrigue under her roof.