Warrick arched a brow. “Why would you say that?”
“You’ve been staring at it as though it might burst into flames any moment.”
Well, yes, he supposed that was true. “It’s a bloody sore sight.”
“I agree with you there.” Mortimer motioned for a server to bring him his usual drink of choice. “Some men, some establishments, never learn.”
Warrick cast another moody look in the direction the book. “In this case, there is no entertainment to be had in learning from what happened here.”
Mortimer nodded. “One would think that as advanced beings we could find better pastimes, but alas.” He nodded to the blank sheet of paper. “You seem stuck.”
“I am,” Warrick said, a new idea taking shape in his mind. “Now that you’re here, you can help me with something,”
Mortimer arched a brow. “Certainly, what do you need help with?”
“Who are the top reigning eligible bachelors in London?”
Mortimer’s second brow joined the first. “The top reigning bachelors in London? Eligible?” He gave a thoughtful tap on the table with his finger. “Off the top of my head, I’d say it would be you, me, Saville, Dare, Wrath, Cassidy, and Mandeville.”
Warrick scribbled down the names and drew lines for columns.
The duke murmured his thanks when a server brought over a bottle of cognac and two glasses. He poured them each one. He pushed a glass to Warrick, who nodded. “What are you doing?”
“Creating a list.”
“A list? Why does this scene feel familiar?” Mortimer’s normally calm voice held a note of amusement.
“If you are going to nag me,” Warrick lifted his head to him, “leave.” He’d had enough nagging the past two days from his own friends to last him a lifetime. He didn’t need it from others.
“I don’t nag.”
“Good,” Warrick said, paused, and shot the man a speculative look. “What would you say is your biggest flaw?”
“You should ask my mother.”
Warrick’s lips quirked, watching as the duke swirled the drink in his hand, almost lazily. “I’m asking you.”
“Well,” the duke gave a moment of thought, “my mother claims that I am too obstinate.”
Warrick nodded, jotting downmulish.
“What about you?” Mortimer asked.
“Receding hairline.”
Mortimer chuckled. “The plight of many a gentleman.”
“Now...” Warrick wrote downtitledbeside all the names in the column he labeled “Best Trait.” All except one. Next tothatname he wrote another.Selena. Next he jotted down Saville’s worst trait.
The duke peered over. “Infantile?”
“It’s a recurring theme these days.” He paused in his scribbling to think, staring at the names of the men in his bold scrawl. “We all know Dare is a libertine. Wrath is, well he is...”
“Cold.”
Warrick nodded as he continued writing. “Mandeville has an aggressive nature.”
“Cassidy is in love with himself.”
