Read Online The Birthday Scandal by Leigh Michaels - Free Book Online

turned from Dr. Mason to Maxwell, sitting on her other side, her gaze caught once more on Gavin Waring, and she wondered what was going through his mind. Was he feeling overwhelmed by his surroundings? Or thinking of the day when all this would be his? Or wishing he was in the village instead—with the woman who waited at the inn?
    His mistress, he had called her—but somehow, the words hadn’t rung true.
    Come to think of it, surely even a barbarous American would know better than to bring his newly acquired lightskirt to the very doorstep of a duke, especially when that duke had the power to make his life easy—or very, very difficult.
     

     
    Gavin couldn’t honestly say that he enjoyed his first dinner at Weybridge Castle, but at least the duke’s insistence on formal dress and informal manners kept the evening entertaining. With the numbers of men and women so uneven that all rules of etiquette were suspended, he found himself seated between Chiswick, who talked urbanely of things Gavin knew nothing about, and Lucien, who said almost nothing—still seemingly in shock over the announcement his father had made before dinner.
    Isabel, sitting at the end of the table in the hostess’s chair, seemed to have received no relief from her headache powder, for she was pale and jumpy and now and then her brows crinkled up as if she was in pain. Mostly she frowned whenever she happened to look down the length of the table to where her husband was sitting. There was a story, Gavin would wager.
    Directly across from him, Emily chattered to the doctor—about nothing, as far as Gavin could tell. If that was what passed for conversation in this society, he’d die of boredom before the week was out. And on Emily’s other side, the Earl of Maxwell chatted easily with the duke and showed not a hint of concern about the dark looks cast at him by his wife…
    The whole thing was as good as a play. Gavin was almost sorry when the port was brought in and the ladies rose to leave the dining room. He watched Emily study her sister’s face and then turn to the duke. “If you do not object, Uncle Josiah, Isabel and I will retire directly to our rooms.”
    “An excellent idea to seek your beds early, after the long journey,” Maxwell said. “You must get your rest, my dear wife.”
    Isabel turned brick red.
    Gavin made a small wager with himself about how long it would be before Maxwell found an excuse to join her, while Emily looked at her sister in shock.
    Now there’s a virgin’s reaction.
    So much for his intention to catch Emily away from the rest and apologize for making that remark in her hearing about his mistress. Tomorrow would have to do—though when he wished her a pleasant rest and got only a stiff nod in return, he wasn’t so certain he wanted to apologize.
    After the ladies left and the port was on its way around, Chiswick looked down the table at his son. “Oh, do get it off your chest, Hartford. Whatever is bothering you, if you keep swallowing your fury you’ll explode.”
    “ Whatever is bothering me? What are you thinking of, to make a cake of yourself by marrying a lady young enough to be your daughter?”
    “On numerous occasions, Hartford, you have suggested that I mind my own business—so that is what I’m doing. The continuance of the line is my concern, and since you have shown no initiative in that direction—”
    “There’s plenty of time!”
    The earl snorted. “I’m tired of waiting for you to stop acting as if you’re still in the nursery and get around to setting up one of your own.”
    “If you didn’t treat me like a stripling—”
    “What would it take for you to stop acting like one?”
    “Enough!” The duke pushed his wheeled chair back from the table and waved a hand at his doctor. “Mason, you’ll come along and see me settled?” His gaze came to rest on Gavin. “I’ll expect you tomorrow morning, nine o’clock, in my room. Time we put some matters in