“Who did this?” Austin asked, wandering over to the nearest wall. He brushed his fingers against it, marveling at how smooth it was.
“The wallpaper, my lord?” The butler sounded confused. “The workmen took care of it while you were gone. I ensured that everything was put back in its rightful place before you returned home.”
“Was it your idea?” Austin asked, looking back at it. “Replacing the wallpaper with exactly the same one?”
“No, my lord.” The butler seemed anxious. “Miss Lavender made the suggestion when she visited this afternoon. I thought that it would be good to pay the suggestion heed seeing that she will soon become the lady of this house.”
“Lavender did this?” he murmured to himself.
“Y-yes, my lord. Was it a mistake?”
“No.” Austin cleared his throat. “You may go. Thank you.”
“Very well, my lord.” The butler all but scampered away.
Austin made his way to the sideboard and poured himself a much needed glass of scotch. How did she know about the wallpaper? He’d been so caught up in this betrothal and all that was expected of him that he’d forgotten to tell the workmen to leave the wallpaper be. His mother had loved it. And because she had, he loved it too.
How had she known?
No, she didn’t know, he told himself. She didn’t know a thing about him, other than the fact that he was a bastard, and yet she’d made such an important decision such as this.
Perhaps Lady Lively was right about one thing. Even though theirs was far from a love match, perhaps they were good for each other.
Chapter Twelve
“My dear sister, it has been far too long since I have seen you resting.”
Lavender looked up at Vincent as he approached, lowering her book to her lap. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
He sank into the couch next to her, slinging his arm along the back of it. “You are usually doing something, these days. Writing in that little book of yours, planning something. Going from event to event.”
“Oh heavens it has only been a few days. Otherwise, I am usually here in the library with my nose buried in a book. Which you are interrupting by the way.”
Vincent laughed. When she attempted to ignore him by lifting her book again, he took it from her hands.
“How is Lord Derby?” he asked.
Lavender kept her face impassive even though her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know how to answer that. After they’d parted ways yesterday, things had felt different between them. Less like she was forcing a horse to drink water and more like the horse was fine with taking a few sips now and again. She couldn’t fathom the thought that they’d bonded over the horrible interaction with Lady Lively.
Because she didn’t know how to explain any of that to her brother, she said, “He is the Earl of Derby. The very same man I met that day.”
“I see. That bad?” Vincent chuckled to himself. “Perhaps you two need to spend more time with each other then.”
Lavender snatched the book from him and pretended to refocus her attention on the pages, even though the only thing she could think about now was the earl. “We spent the last two days together, however unwillingly. There’s no need for me to see him again until the next time I need him.”
“That is no way to treat your betrothed, Lavender,” he chastised lightly.
“Oh, you and I both know that our marriage is one of convenience, Vincent.”
“What is the status of his house’s renovations then? Perhaps it would be nice for you to give it a woman’s touch.”
She sighed, closing her book. “You seem quite determined to get me out of the house, don’t you?”
“Am I being obvious?” her brother asked with a cheeky grin.
Lavender rolled her eyes at him, getting to her feet. “Very well. I shall check in on the status of the workers and then return home. I shall be back within the hour.”
“You may take more time—”
