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“Although I should warn you, there
     is nothing a group of women like better than to discuss scandal of any sort. Dare
     I hope there was scandal involved?”
    “Camille.” Delilah slanted her sister a quelling look. Regardless of whether she wished
     Samuel to be here or not, this was no doubt something he didn’t want to talk about.
     At least not to virtual strangers. “I must agree with Mr.—Samuel, this is not the
     time.”
    “At this point, I can look back on it with a certain amount of amusement.” Samuel
     offered a wry smile. “And yes, Camille, I imagine there is always scandal when a wedding
     does not occur as planned.”
    “Have you met Grayson’s cousin yet?” A wicked twinkle shone in Camille’s eyes. “I
     suspect you and Winfield might have a great deal in common.”
    Grayson chuckled. “He was engaged three times before he finally made it to the altar.”
    “Those are footsteps I do not intend to follow.” Samuel shook his head. “No, I have
     learned my lesson and I try not to make the same mistake twice.” His gaze briefly
     flicked to Delilah. “But we all make mistakes, don’t we?”
    “I know I have.” Teddy wrinkled her nose.
    “Once is a mistake,” Delilah said primly. “Three times is nothing less than a habit.”
    “You strike me as the kind of woman who rarely makes mistakes,” Samuel said.
    “It is only human to make mistakes.” Delilah shrugged. And with any luck, those mistakes
     don’t return to sit across the table and make comments with underlying meanings. Although,
     given the mess with Phillip’s legacy, luck was apparently in short supply at the moment.
     “But I too never make the same mistake twice.”
    “I didn’t say I haven’t made the same mistake twice,” Samuel continued. “I simply
     said I try.”
    “Perhaps you need to try harder.” Delilah smiled pleasantly.
    “The problem with mistakes is that one doesn’t always realize they are mistakes at
     the time.” Samuel’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It isn’t until later reflection that
     one realizes one might have made a mistake.”
    Grayson nodded. “True enough.”
    “And then, as it happens, what one person sees as a mistake another might see as a
     stroke of good fortune.” Samuel’s gaze pinned hers. “Don’t you agree, Delilah? ”
    A shiver skated down her spine at his use of her name. She ignored it.
    “Not at all,” she said coolly.
    “Nonsense, I agree completely,” Camille said. “Why I should think that sort of thing
     happens all the time in business. One man’s mistake is to another man’s benefit.”
     She refilled her cup. “You do realize, Sam, you may have made a grave mistake arriving
     when the wedding is still nearly three weeks away.”
    “Have I?” Samuel’s brow rose.
    “Indeed.” Camille nodded. “You will most certainly be called upon to render your assistance
     should it be needed.”
    “There will be a great deal of decorating and rearranging to be accomplished.” Teddy
     thought for a moment. “Of course, none of that will need to be done until the days
     just before the wedding and I do have workers arranged for but another hand is always
     useful. In addition, there will be errands to be run—”
    “Quite a bit of fetching and delivering,” Camille added. “From the village and from
     London as well.”
    “And, as Camille has planned several events before the wedding,” Teddy began.
    “It’s not so much a wedding as a festival,” Grayson said in an aside to his friend.
    “You will be expected to do your part.” Teddy smiled at Samuel. “There are never enough
     gentlemen at these things, so we will count on you to converse with the ladies and
     charm the dowagers.”
    “That should be no problem.” Grayson chuckled. “I can attest to that.”
    “I’ll do my best.” Samuel grinned at Teddy. “I have been told I can be most charming.”
    Delilah choked on her tea.
    Camille’s forehead furrowed in concern. “Are you