Tabitha smiled, feeling reassured that her two grandchildren were firmly on her side. “Thank you, my dear,” she said.
CHAPTERSIX
Deborah was relieved that she was seated next to Emma, who looked at her with a warm smile as everyone began to tuck into their food.
Directly across from her was the Duke, who was seated next to Peter and was already engaged in conversation. Nicholas sat next to Tabitha and Modesty, likely due to the drama, and winked at her as she spotted him from her seat.
“I hope you have been feeling at home here at Hopestyn Estate,” Emma said to her, pulling her attention back to where she was seated. “I had been waiting anxiously not just for Peter to arrive, but also for you. I am really looking forward to getting to know you better.”
Her tone sounded sincere.
“As am I.” Deborah smiled. “My brother has always been very picky when it comes to choosing anything. So, the fact that he seems so absolutely sure about you makes me think that you must be a wonderful person.”
A shade of scarlet tinted Emma’s cheeks. Deborah found it endearing how she got shy at the mention of Peter.
“I hope I can live up to those expectations,” Emma replied after a moment, biting her lower lip. “Peter has talked about you quite a great deal. In a way, I feel as though I know you already.”
“The three of us are quite close.” Deborah nodded. “We often quarrel like children, but at the end of the day, our bond is very strong. Both my brothers raised me, along with our grandmother.”
Emma nodded, listening intently, and then extended her hand to squeeze Deborah’s hand gently. “I am sorry. I cannot imagine how difficult the experience of losing your parents at such an early age must have been.”
Deborah shrugged, eager to change the conversation. It had been many years since her parents had passed away, but to this day, it was not a topic she felt comfortable speaking about openly.
“I am curious,” she said. “What has Peter been telling you about me?”
“All good things, I assure you.” Emma smiled.
Deborah felt relieved that she did not push on the topic of her parents, allowing her to move onto a new topic without making her feel awkward.
“He mentioned your love for books, and I must say, that is a hobby the both of us share.”
Deborah’s face lit up instantly. “Is that so?”
Emma nodded. “I must take you to the library to see my collection.”
Deborah held back her tongue, trying to not let it slip that she had already been there. “I would love to see it. It is so refreshing to find another person that enjoys reading. Even though I get along with my family very well, none of them share the hobby, and it can get quite lonely.”
“I feel the same way.” Emma nodded furiously. “I only really have my brother, and he only reads for business reasons, never for pleasure.”
Again, Deborah found herself holding back from letting Emma know she was privy to that information already.
“I see,” she said, keeping her comments on the matter short.
“But it’s not something he has ever made me feel different for,” Emma continued, to Deborah’s surprise. “In fact, he has always encouraged my hobby and asked me many questions whenever I finished reading a book.”
“Is that so?” Deborah sounded weary. She did not expect the Duke to be so thoughtful.
“Yes.” Emma nodded firmly. “And he is also my biggest help when it comes to sourcing books. All I have to do is tell him the name, and it will be on my desk in a few days, no matter how rare it is.”
“You sound very close to your brother,” Deborah remarked, still in shock to hear such good things about the Duke.
“Of course.” Emma smiled, sneaking a glance in her brother’s direction. “Henry gets a reputation for being stern, and a man of principle. But with me, he is very gentle and makes me feel very cared for.”
Deborah nodded. The new information sat at the base of her throat like an unswallowed bite, and she did not know what to do with it. In her own interactions with the Duke, she had found him to be quite insufferable.
“We are the same age.” Deborah changed the subject once again, not wanting to talk about the Duke. “Perhaps we have similar stories about what it feels like growing up as the youngest in the family.”
“Oh, I am sure that we do.” Emma nodded, leaning forward.
