believe that is the last clue they’re after,” Lucian said, his tone dry. “They’ll descend on the breakfast parlour with the appetites of ravening beasts within the half hour, I promise you.”
There was a soft huff of laughter as Max turned back to him. “Ah, do you think I’ll have more appeal at the breakfast table?”
“Well, if you look like a rasher of bacon, you’ll certainly grab her attention.”
Max returned a rueful smile. “I’m almost desperate enough to try it.”
Lucian laughed as he was supposed to, but heard the bleak edge to the words, light-hearted though they were.
“She has turned down ten marriage proposals to date, Max. Believe me, you are not alone.” He hesitated as they fell into step, retracing the path back to the house. “Do you still mean to offer for her?”
There was a long, heavy silence before Max answered.
“No.”
Lucian looked at him, and Max shrugged.
“She doesn’t know I exist, at least not as a suitor. I’ve no wish to make her uncomfortable and, to be honest, I’m not certain my ego could stand the blow of her astonishment at being asked. No. The truth is, I’m too old for her. We both know it.”
“You’re eight and twenty,” Lucian retorted, laughing. “And believe me, I’m in no hurry to see her married off. If you were to give her time—”
“Of course I would,” Max replied at once. “I’d wait as long as she wished. Only I don’t think it will make the slightest difference. I’m simply not what she is looking for. Sooner or later she’ll fall head over ears for some handsome young poet, or an artist, and that’s how it should be. I’m far too sensible a catch to appeal to her adventurous spirit.”
Lucian glowered at the idea and Max laughed.
“You only approve of me begrudgingly, Lucian. No one will ever be good enough for her.”
“Not true. It’s not the least bit begrudging. It’s only that I don’t want to see her go too quickly. You are a good man, a kind one, and one whose values are aligned with my own. You’d move heaven and earth to make her happy and, what’s more, you have seen enough of life to understand what is important and what is not, and to recognise when you have something precious in your hands.”
“Oh, I recognise it,” Max replied, his tone wistful. “But it is far from in my grasp. I may as well be staring at the moon.”
Lucian frowned, but could add nothing further. He was not about to push Phoebe into a marriage she did not want. Her happiness was the only thing he had ever desired, but he did fear her reckless nature would lead her down a path there was no coming back from, and the idea made his chest tight with worry. A man like Max would protect her, keep her safe, and Lucian knew that, above all, he’d do anything to make her happy.
It was painful to see the way the fellow’s eyes lit up whenever Phoebe came into the room, but there was nothing to be done about it. Ultimately, Phoebe would make her choice, and all they could do was pray she would be happy with it.
***
Max watched as Phoebe organised everyone into playing parlour games. The children were rummaging through drawers, trying to find enough counters to play with. God, but she was lovely. Dressed in a pale blue silk gown that hugged her lithe figure, he was hard pressed to look anywhere else. He wasn’t entirely certain what she’d done to her hair tonight. It was some mad complication of braids and ringlets, and part of it had somehow even been wrangled into a bow. It was utterly bizarre, though Max found a great deal about lady’s fashion bizarre, and yet somehow she made it appear perfectly charming. To him, she was a breath of fresh air in a life that had been far too stultifying.
Max’s father had died when he was a young man, leaving his estate close to ruins and his family in jeopardy. Max had done his duty, he’d worked all hours to save what he could, and he’d married well at the tender age of twenty. The same age that Phoebe was now. It had not been a happy marriage, though he’d tried his best. When his wife had died, three years later, along with the child she’d been trying to bring into the world, he’d been numb with too many emotions, chief among them