“If anyone should have remembered, it is Joanna. She and His Grace are courting, after all,” the Earl pointed out and then shoveled a large spoonful in his mouth.
“I did not know, Your Grace,” Joanna said, sounding miserable. “Please, forgive me.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” Kenneth assured her, though he felt sick to his stomach.
“I can have cheese and fruit brought up,” the Countess offered and rose from her seat before Kenneth could decline.
“I suppose if you knew one another better, such things would not have happened.” The Earl shrugged. “I know that Lord Worcester made a concerted effort to find out what you like and dislike, Joanna.”
Joanna’s head snapped toward him. “That hardly matters now,” she hissed.
Her father was about to reply when the Countess returned and sat down, shooting him a glare.
The Earl sat back in his chair and drummed his finger against the glass containing the contentious dessert. “Anyhow, since the subject has been raised, let me ask you, Your Grace. How did you and Joanna decide to court?” he inquired, his tone laced with skepticism.
Kenneth, still recovering from the unexpected reminder of his unpleasant past, tried to navigate the conversational minefield. “Well, it happened rather quickly. We met at Hyde Park, as you know, and it just felt right.”
The Earl raised an eyebrow, a subtle challenge in his gaze. “I see. Well, it is fortunate for you that you were able to discover thissudden interest before I had a chance to make it known to the world that my daughter was to be betrothed.”
“I do believe you made it known to me,” Kenneth pointed out and folded his hands on his lap, aware that this would not be a pleasant conversation.
The Earl, not satisfied, continued to press him. “Ah, yes. I recall I did. Pray, how is it that you so quickly decided to court my daughter?”
Joanna, sensing the discomfort and frustration building up, tried to interject, “Father, it’s?—”
But her father cut her off. “Let His Grace answer, Joanna.”
Kenneth, realizing the need to navigate this situation carefully, attempted to deflect. “Well, I will say that I was taken by Lady Joanna the first time we met, even though it was a rather unexpected meeting. But I saw something in her, and when we met again in the park, I realized that there was much more to her, and I was intrigued.” He smiled at her, and for the first time this evening, he didn’t feel like a liar, for every word he’d spoken was true. “Had it not been for your announcement that she is to marry Lord Worcester, I would not have acted as quickly. You see, when one sees something special, one must make a move and not dally, lest it slip through one’s fingers.”
The flush on Joanna’s face deepened, and he had to admit that she looked rather adorable.
Not appeased, the Earl grimaced. “You do not know one another well at all. How can you court someone if you don’t understand their preferences?”
“I’m eager to learn more about Lady Joanna, to understand her better,” Kenneth replied, and he found he meant it. Not just because of the little play they were engaged in but because he really wanted to get to know her better.
“Well, what if you decide you do not like her after you get to know her?”
“Are you trying to tell me that your daughter is not likable?” Kenneth asked, tired of the questioning. “For I think she is rather fascinating and kind-hearted.” He looked at Joanna again, who smiled as though she could tell he was being genuine.
“I am not speaking ill of my daughter, of course. But you do not know her, and?—”
“Father, please, that’s enough,” Joanna implored, a hint of exasperation in her tone.
The Earl’s stern gaze turned to Joanna. “Watch your tone, Joanna. We’re having a civil conversation.”
“It is hardly civil when every question is a thinly veiled attack,” Joanna fired back.
Kenneth found himself admiring her bravery, although he knew that in their society, a lady should not speak to her father in such a way.
“I think that is quite enough.” The Countess inserted herself into the conversation once more. “I dare say, a little air would be nice. Your Grace, didn’t you say that you’d like to sit outside and see the gardens? Perhaps Joanna can show you around while we arrange for a different dish to be brought up.”
Kenneth had never been more grateful or relieved in his life. He nodded.
No sooner had he done so than Joanna had risen from her seat and hurried out of the room, stopping only to ensure he was following her. As he left to follow his supposed love interest, he felt the Earl’s eyes boring into his back, his anger palpable in the air.
This, Kenneth knew, would be a much harder undertaking than he’d thought. Yet, somehow, he felt invigorated by the challenge, for the dislike he felt for the Earl ran deep, and he had a feeling that this was something else he and Joanna had in common.
CHAPTER 9
