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Lord Thorpe nodded. “That is an apt description of it. I believe the patronesses find a delight in promoting suffering at supper. I imagine they see it as their members proving they are willing to be inconvenienced by the institution.”

Serenity could not care less what was on the patronesses’ minds. She was determined to see if the marquess really was as unsympathetic as his brother made him out to be.

“Lord Charles told me of his tragedy,” Serenity said.

“His tragedy?” Lord Thorpe asked. “Is he calling being a second son a tragedy now?”

“A second son? No, he did not speak of that at all. He spoke about the loss of Nero.”

“Nero? Who is Nero?” Lord Thorpe asked.

Serenity took in a little breath. Could it be true that Lord Thorpe did not even remember the name of his brother’s so dearly loved dog? It did not seem possible.

“His dog, Lord Thorpe.”

“He has a dog?”

“Had a dog,” she corrected. “Poor Nero sadly died of old age last year.”

“Did he?” Lord Thorpe said in a rather dismissive tone.

She could hardly believe it. It seemed that Lord Thorpe recalled nothing about the beloved dog. She did not know what to make of it.

“Lady Serenity, though you do not know either of us particularly well, I will caution you that my brother may…exaggerate, I suppose would describe it politely. If he ever had such a dog, I know nothing about it.”

This was disheartening indeed. What was she to do?

As for looks, she was so drawn to him. But was his temperament suited to her?

Could she love a man who’d forgotten all about a beloved dog?

What did that say about how such a man would treat Nelson?

Though Nelson lived as a family dog, he was very much her dog and would come with her when such time came to leave the house.

“Lord Thorpe, do you dislike dogs?” she asked. “I understand that not everybody is enamored with them.”

“Dislike dogs? Certainly not. I am in possession of a great beast of a slobbering dog named Havoc. We get on very well.”

That was encouraging, of course. But she had not seen him walking a dog. How did he treat him? Did he only have a great beast of a dog because a marquess ought to have one? Did he have him locked up somewhere?

“I have been thinking that Havoc might like a walk round the square. Do you often take Nelson out?”

“Indeed, yes,” Serenity said. “My aunt does not like it, she thinks he should be hidden from view on account of his missing leg and his being not very showy.”

Her father tapped her on the shoulder. “Guess whose brandy flask is empty?”

Serenity laughed. “I will guess it is yours, Papa, as you would be the only gentleman to have brought one.”

“As far as we know. Now, Thorpe, your brother is a shameless opportunist. He went out of his way to inform me that he would have me to dinner if he had the space for entertaining properly. Apparently, he is in an apartment somewhere or other. Then he executed a long pause heavy with suggestion. I can ignore a hint as well as the next man, but then I thought it might be amusing to have both of you to dine. Thursday, if you can clear your calendar to attend us.”

A look of consternation had flashed on the lord’s features but he quickly recovered an appearance of equanimity. “Consider my calendar cleared, Your Grace.”

Goodness, both brothers were to come to dine. Serenity was not at all certain her father realized how clever that was. It would be something to see them both in close quarters. She would receive clarity on who Lord Thorpe really was.

He must be as she hoped he was, despite not remembering anything about poor Nero. She was so drawn to him that she did not want to look away, she could not look away.

“Well, my girl? Can we be off from this den of dullness? Who knows what’s happened at the house since we left it. With any luck, Mr. Cremble has run out of it to get away from my devil of a housekeeper!”

They left Lord Thorpe a bit wide-eyed and set off for home. As the carriage horses clip-clopped through the quiet streets of the early morning, the duke said, “I probably should not bother asking.”

“Asking what, Papa?”

“Three times over three seasons I have looked at one of my daughters in this very carriage and said, ‘So is this to be it? Have you settled on him?’ Each time I am told no, certainly not, when in retrospect, I ought to have been told yes.”

“Oh, I see, you mean in regard to Lord Thorpe.”

“Of course in regard to Lord Thorpe.”

“Well, then, I will not say no. I will say I hope so. I hope he proves to be everything I have imagined.”

The duke snorted. “Nobody in the wide world could be everything you will have imagined.”

Serenity ignored her father’s teasing. “You see, it’s just that, well…”

“Out with it, my girl.”

“It’s just that when I look at Lord Thorpe I cannot look away.

He really is perfect, Papa. But then, it was Lord Charles who said things that I wish Lord Thorpe had said.

Lord Charles lost a beloved dog and was devastated, but Lord Thorpe claimed he did not even remember the dog.

Could a gentleman be right for me who does not remember a dog? ”

“Not when you remember every dead bee you’ve ever hunted down in the garden.”

Serenity nodded, though she did not mention that said bees were currently in her bedchamber in their crypt.

“So one looks right and the other one talks right,” the duke said. “Is that the size of it?”

“That is the size of it.”

“Well, no matter. These things have a way of clearing themselves up over time.”

Serenity leaned back in her seat. She supposed her father was right. Though she’d really prefer if they would clear themselves up this instant.