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Alarms rang louder than the church bells on Sunday morning.

Flora was without a doubt a target for fortune hunters, or worse.

He glanced over to Great-Aunt Lucy, who had the same faraway look in her eyes.

Titus could not live with himself if his cousin fell victim to some rake or a chancer. He inwardly sighed. He had no choice.

“I will go,” he said with reluctance.

“Oh! Thank you, thank you!” Flora exclaimed as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms about his neck. “You are the best cousin ever!”

Titus didn’t know about that, but he would ensure her happiness.

“I will write to Adeline and let her know that you finally came to your senses,” Great-Aunt Lucy said with a wink. Titus could not help but wonder if the women in his life had been plotting against him.

T itus enjoyed the journey to London with Flora. Her conversation and commentary about the scenery, their accommodations each evening, and about the world in general were most entertaining. Although Flora was no match for Portia in that arena.

Portia .

Why was she creeping into his thoughts?

It was true that Portia was, without a doubt, the most intelligent woman he’d ever known—besides Aunt Adeline—and she had offered comfort after his mother had deserted him, but that was no reason for her to intrude on his thoughts.

Ever since he’d tried to visit her eight years ago, and was turned away by Lord Oaks, who’d stated that Portia didn’t want to see or hear from him again, and that she was on the cusp of a proposal, he’d buried his anger and emotions.

He didn’t understand what had changed. When his last and final letter to her received no response, he’d resigned himself to a different sort of life, one where there was no emotional attachment, no let-down, no disappointment, and that suited him just fine.

There was less at stake in bedding an actress or singer, or having a mistress for a brief time, and then moving on.

And so, he embarked on a path of rakish behavior, and never looked back.

That’s not true .

Although he’d buried his feelings for her deep within, Portia was never far from his thoughts. How could she not be when…

No . He would not allow his heart to speak. That time had passed.

Damn . Why were the women of his past plaguing his present of late?

T itus and Flora arrived at their aunt’s home in the most desirable part of Town on the appointed day, not having endured any delays.

In this part of the city, the homes were large, well-appointed, and the residents seemingly wanted for nothing.

Titus knew better. It was all a facade. Wealth, title, and status did not make for a happy life.

The problem was, at eight and twenty, he still did not know what did make for a happy life, or even a contented one.

All his previous notions had been mistaken.

“Good afternoon, Lord Ravensworth, Miss Beaumont,” Gilbert said. “Lady Whitby is in her parlor.”

“Thank you, Gilbert,” Titus said as he followed his cousin toward where their aunt was awaiting their arrival.

Dozens of steps later, they entered the simple, yet elegant room.

His aunt did not believe in overdecorating a residence.

To her mind, a home should reflect a person’s interests.

And by looking around, one would know that Aunt Adeline’s passion was flowers.

For as long as he could remember, mirrors had hung on the walls of her private rooms, not for her to gaze upon herself, but to reflect the elaborate displays of hothouse flowers that always seemed to be in abundance.

“Aunt Adeline!” Flora exclaimed with excitement as she rushed into the older woman’s open arms.

“It is wonderful to see you again, Flora,” she said with much affection as she returned the embrace.

Flora turned in Aunt Adeline’s embrace, and looked directly at Titus, and then with a wink said, “I brought Titus with me, just as you instructed.”

So, his relatives had been plotting against him. The question remained: why?

Aunt Adeline held out her hand, indicating that she wished for him to join their embrace.

And as always, he obliged. Family was a precious luxury, and over the past few years that luxury had been dwindling with the passing of too many relatives, and sadly, not all from old age.

Aunt Adeline was the only one left of her four siblings.

“Thank you for joining us,” Aunt Adeline said with a hint of disbelief that he was actually attending the Season.

“As if I had much of a choice.” The words slipped from Titus’s mouth in a murmur, but unfortunately, still loud enough for his relatives to hear.

Flora winced for a moment before Aunt Adeline dictated their next course of action. “Flora, go upstairs and get settled while I have a word with your cousin.”

“Only one?” Titus responded, his words heavy with sarcasm. Although he did his best in tending to his responsibilities as an earl, there was one area of his life that he’d neglected. On purpose.

“Titus, don’t make the situation worse,” Flora pleaded.

“Dearest cousin, I am a full-grown man in control of my life and future. There is no worse situation, I can assure you.”

“We will see about that,” his aunt said, before she waved off Flora to her task.

Aunt Adeline waited for Flora to leave the room before she unleashed her displeasure.

The moment came as soon as the door clicked shut.

“You’re acting like a petulant little boy, and I will not allow this behavior to continue. ”

“What behavior? I’ve only just arrived, and—” he started to defend himself, but a moment later was interrupted.

“I know all about your raking across the country, the actresses, and your last mistress.” His aunt tsked her displeasure several times.

“You’ve been spying on me,” Titus said. Through the years, he’d often wondered if his steward or one of the many butlers he employed at his various estates were reporting back to his aunt. Ever since Father died, she’d expressed much concern for Titus’s well-being.

“No,” Aunt Adeline said with a shake of her head. “That would imply I’m being secretive or underhanded. I am quite open with my intentions. You could have asked any one of your staff. They were instructed not to hide the truth when questioned.”

Annoyance and frustration rose from his chest. So, she had been spying on him. “But still, you should not have?—”

“There is no but still . You run in the opposite direction any time I ask you how you’re faring, and you won’t discuss your feelings or thoughts, so I had to take matters into my own hands. I made a promise to your father. Well, not just to your father, but to all my siblings, actually.”

Her confession caught him off guard. He knew she, his father and his uncles had got on well, but… “What sort of promise?”

“My three brothers and I were inseparable while growing up, always guarding one another’s interests, and that continued into adulthood. While some families grow apart with age and distance, we all remained very close. When your father married?—”

“Do not say her name,” he growled. His aunt’s brown eyes went wide with shock. He softened his tone. “Please don’t.” The hurt and pain that woman had caused him and his father continued to haunt him.

Seventeen years had passed—but who else was counting—and he still remembered the day she left as if it were yesterday. Still felt the pain as if it were yesterday.

Titus had snuck away from his tutor—who had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly—in search of something more exciting than mathematics. He’d just reached the bottom of the stairs when he heard his parents, not quite arguing, but not engaged in a pleasant conversation either.

With great care, he tiptoed to be able to hear better. That was his first mistake.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot stay, not even for Titus.

” His mother’s words had been like a knife to his heart.

What she’d said shouldn’t have hurt him, but it had.

She’d rarely spent much time with him, always stating she was busy with her duties, but even so, he’d wanted her to be proud of him, to notice his achievements.

Father’s response was low, inaudible.

A moment later, his mother emerged from the study. Her brown eyes locked with his. Her features were firm, void of emotion.

“Mama?”

She sucked in her breath, turned, and walked away from him.

“Please stay, Mama! I promise to be a better boy. Please, Mama!” His cries echoed through the vast house, but they were ignored.

Without so much as a second glance, she walked out of his life, twisting the knife she’d just jabbed into his heart, inflicting pain no eleven-year-old boy should experience from his mother.

Begging her had been his second mistake. From that day forth, he vowed to never ask a woman for anything. He never wanted to endure such heartache again. But you did, and it nearly destroyed you.

“Come and sit with me,” Aunt Adeline offered gently, breaking through the bitter memories.

They moved to the pink damask settee. A couple of silent moments passed before she continued, choosing her words carefully, “Perhaps I should explain. My brothers and I made a pact to not only watch over each other, but our nieces and nephews. You and Flora are all that remain of our immediate family, and I fully intend to honor my brothers’ wishes for their children. ”

“You still haven’t said what that promise entails,” he reminded her. He did not enjoy these cryptic games she often played.

“That I would aid you in finding true love.”

A cynical laugh escaped his lips. “It doesn’t exist. And besides, I do not intend to ever marry.”

He could tell his aunt was about to argue when Gilbert entered the room. “Pardon the interruption, Lady Whitby. Her Grace has arrived.”

“Thank you, Gilbert.” Aunt Adeline stood and looked directly into Titus’s eyes, saying, “We will continue this discussion later.” She started to leave the room, then stopped and turned back, her determined gaze meeting his once again. “When you least expect it.”

Titus knew with absolute certainty that his aunt would address this topic at a later date. Aunt Adeline had a knack for not letting things go, and it was even worse when she got an idea in her head. He felt as if he was treading on thin ice this Season—and this was only Day One.

T hat boy is so infuriating! Adeline thought as she walked toward the drawing room. She’d made a promise to her brothers, and she fully intended on seeing it through.

Titus never wanted to talk about his mother, never referred to her.

It was almost as if he’d erased her from his mind.

Without a doubt, she knew her nephew was still hurting from Josepha’s abandonment.

William had tried to fill the void, and had been a wonderful father, but Adeline suspected there was more to the story and she would get to the bottom of it.