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Lucian’s mouth thinned ‘No doubt in response to the fact that Sebastian has already infor with Viscount Rupert Enderby and Lord Gideon Grayson!’

‘That will be pleasant’ Grace kept her voice deliberately neutral

In truth she had veryht-hearted banter a distinct contrast to the ever-increasing darkness of Lucian’s mood

Lucian’s entle wo at Lucian’s side It had been this way since the two of the Unsurprisingly so, when Grace rode with an elegance and surety—even side-saddle—that was much to be admired

Grace’s appearance at Lady Huarnered her st them his own brother Sebastian, as well as Sir Rupert Enderby and Lord Gideon Grayson Those three young bucks had claile dance with her, and then remained within Grace’s circle of ad Much to Lucian’s annoyance

Grace’s slanced across at him ‘I am sure Sebastian has only decided to call in order to annoy you’

Lucian was absolutely positive that Sebastianjust that for most of his life! No, it was the presence of Rupert Enderby and Gideon Grayson that had irked Lucian

He could not in all honesty say that Grace’s behaviour towards the two entle the re, had been in the least fas of resenth completely unjustified, that mystified as well as irritated him

He eased the tension from his shoulders with an effort ‘As it happens, it was Sebastian’s friends Sir Rupert Enderby and Lord Gideon Grayson ere instru to my attention the subject I wished to discuss with you yesterday evening’

Grace frowned her puzzleentlemen at the time…’

‘You misunderstand me,’ Lucian rasped ‘It was a conversation I overheard between those two gentlemen that I wished to discuss with you’

Grace’s brows rose ‘You seery, My Lord?’

‘Not with you this tiist of the two young gentlemen’s conversation the previous afternoon ‘Such speculation was only to be expected, I suppose, when our betrothal happened so suddenly Although I intend to find out exactly as responsible for instigating such a rurimly

Grace looked troubled ‘Perhaps someone at the inn…?’

‘I find that highly unlikely, when I paid the innkeeper a vast ae for his silence on the subject of our first !’

Grace could not help agreeing with the unlikelihood of the innkeeper having broken his oath—not because of the money Lord Lucian had paid him, but because she seriously doubted that any man, innkeeper or duke, would deliberately choose to oppose a er as Lord Lucian!

She wrinkled her brow ‘Then perhaps my aunt’s maid?’ She trusted the silence of her own maid implicitly ‘Household servants very often do know ive theossip she had heard on her frequent visits to the kitchen in the sprawling manor house she had called home for the first nineteen years of her life And which she hoped to call hoain some day…

Lucian shot her a hard glance ‘I had Francis Wynter more in ossip yesterday evening that indicated you had rebuffed Francis’s proposal in favour of the second son of the Duke of Stourbridge rather than a third son of another!’

Grace’s initial denial froze on her lips as she realised that such an action sounded very like so Francis Wynter would do But ould he do such a thing? For spite? Because Grace had rebuffed all of his own advances towards her, both beforeLord Lucian and since? It seemed a distinct possibility!