“Yes, yes, I know. To Lord Davenport’s son. It is a long-standing match, I understand.”
Gregory nodded. He couldn’t imagine that his mother knew the truth about Haselby. It was not a well-known fact. There were whispers, of course. There were always whispers. But none would dare repeat them in the presence of ladies.
“I received an invitation to the wedding,” Violet said.
“Did you?”
“It’s to be a very large affair, I understand.”
Gregory clenched his teeth a bit. “She is to be a countess.”
“Yes, I suppose. It’s not the sort of thing one can do up small.”
“No.”
Violet sighed. “I adore weddings.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” She sighed again, with even more drama, not that Gregory would have imagined it possible. “It is all so romantic,” she added. “The bride, the groom . . .”
“Both are considered standard in the ceremony, I understand.”
His mother shot him a peevish look. “How could I have raised a son who is so unromantic?”
Gregory decided there could not possibly be an answer to that.
“Fie on you, then,” Violet said, “I plan to attend. I almost never refuse an invitation to a wedding.”
And then came the voice. “Who is getting married?”
Gregory turned. It was his younger sister, Hyacinth. Dressed in blue and poking her nose into everyone else’s business as usual.
“Lord Haselby and Lady Lucinda Abernathy,” Violet answered.
“Oh yes.” Hyacinth frowned. “I received an invitation. At St. George’s, is it not?”
Violet nodded. “Followed by a reception at Fennsworth House.”
Hyacinth glanced around the room. She did that quite frequently, even when she was not searching for anyone in particular. “Isn’t it odd that I haven’t met her? She is sister to the Earl of Fennsworth, is she not?” She shrugged. “Odd that I have not met him, either.”
“I don’t believe Lady Lucinda is ‘out,’ ” Gregory said. “Not formally, at least.”
“Then tonight will be her debut,” his mother said. “How exciting for us all.”
Hyacinth turned to her brother with razor-sharp eyes. “And how is it that you are acquainted with Lady Lucinda, Gregory?”
He opened his mouth, but she was already saying, “And do not say that you are not, because Daphne has already told me everything.”
“Then why are you asking?”
Hyacinth scowled. “She did not tell me how you met.”
“You might wish to revisit your understanding of the word everything.” Gregory turned to his mother. “Vocabulary and comprehension were never her strong suits.”
Violet rolled her eyes. “Every day I marvel that the two of you managed to reach adulthood.”
“Afraid we’d kill each other?” Gregory quipped.