Leonard clicked his tongue. “I have known you since we were children, Kenneth. Do not try to tell me paradiddles.”
Kenneth looked away and focused on the rolling hills ahead. In the distance, his estate rose, the distinct Tudor design drawing one’s eye. His eyebrows rose when he spotted his mother’s carriage in the driveway, and he groaned.
“I was not telling paradiddles, but my mind was elsewhere,” he said, nodding his chin toward the house.
Following his gaze, Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Your mother is here? Is this another ambush?”
“No,” Kenneth replied. “She is here to prepare for dinner with Lady Joanna tonight.”
Leonard studied his expression. “Are you certain this is a good idea? I know you said Lady Joanna agreed, but you have not known her for long, and your mother can be insistent.” He cringed as he spoke, familiar with the Dowager Duchess’s sometimes stern temperament.
Kenneth sighed, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Honestly, Lenny, I’m not entirely sure. I wrote Lady Joanna a list of possible topics to prepare her, but I fear my mother might interrogate her like her father did me when I called on them.”
Leonard whistled lowly. “You sound like a man who cares about a lady.”
Kenneth hesitated, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. “I don’t want her to feel humiliated. That’s all.”
Leonard pressed further, a knowing glint in his eyes. “The way you spoke about the fun you had at the opera leads me to think that it’s more than just avoiding humiliation. Pray, tell me the truth. You enjoy her company, do you not?”
Kenneth’s lips curled into a subtle smile as he recalled their playful challenge. Surely there was nothing wrong with admitting that he enjoyed Joanna’s company?
“She is far less combative and abrasive, now that I know her better. Indeed, she is rather more playful and thoughtful than I imagined.”
Leonard chuckled. “Maybe this arrangement isn’t as fake as you make it out to be, Kenny.”
Kenneth shook his head, denying the possibility more to himself than Leonard. “It is not. We have an understanding. Rules.”
“Rules?” Leonard echoed, his suppressed laughter betraying his amusement.
“Yes, rules. Such as not falling in love with one another—it would complicate things.”
This time, Leonard let out a chuckle. “Because love always plays by the rules. Oh, Kenny, I foresee complications of the heart in your future.”
“No, never,” Kenneth said more forcefully than he had expected. “I will not fall in love or marry. My parents’ disastrous union has taught me enough about the pitfalls of marriage. It is foolish, and anyone silly enough to engage in the idea of romantic love is setting himself up for disaster. The same is true for arranged marriages.”
Leonard’s face darkened. “I know your opinions on the matter, my friend, but I fear you are wrong, and you might deprive yourself of the opportunity to find genuine love.”
Kenneth clenched his teeth and shook his head as they rode through the main gate, unwilling to prolong the conversation, and then he dismounted as soon as his horse came to a halt. He was already uncomfortable with the warmth Joanna’s presence stirred within him. The last thing he needed was more confusion.
“I cannot debate the matter, Lenny. If you feel love is what you desire in life, I shall support you, but I’d request you do the same and support my choices.”
Leonard took a deep breath. “Very well,” he said, shrugging. “I shall do so, even if I think you are wrong. Now, as much as I respect your mother, I shall not bid her a good day today.” He then winked and grabbed his horse’s reins. “I am eager to hear all about the dinner, however.”
“And I will be certain to spare you no details,” Kenneth said, a little uncomfortable with the way his conversation with his friend had ended.
As Leonard rode back into the fading light, Kenneth couldn’t shake the unspoken truth that lingered in the air—there was more truth to Leonard’s words than he was willing to admit.
But for the sake of his sanity and the success of the evening, he had to push these thoughts aside, for now.
For the second time in a fortnight, Kenneth’s rarely-used dining room looked befitting of a dinner with the Prince Regent.
The best china sat atop a silk tablecloth, while beeswax candles sat on freshly polished silver candelabras. The scent of freshly baked bread filled the air, and a warm fire crackled in the hearth. Footmen and maids rushed about the room, placing plates, goblets, and cutlery on the table. Amidst it all, the Dowager Duchess hurried about, barking orders as if she was still the lady of the house.
She’d donned her best mauve gown, while a matching turban hid her graying hair. Pearl earrings dangled from her ears, and a matching necklace and bracelet completed the look.
Kenneth stood in the doorway and watched her when a knock at the front door announced Joanna’s arrival. He spun around and dashed for the front door, where the butler had already admitted his guest.
Kenneth stopped when he saw Joanna, for she looked breathtaking that night. Her hair was pulled up, except for the single strands that hung on either side of her face. Her lips, naturally red, shimmered with a touch of lip pomade, and her pale blue gown accentuated her curves. She was a true diamond of the first water.