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‘Really?’ Sebastian looked noticeably cheered rather than nonplussed

‘Undoubtedly,’ Lucian reassured hi

The teasing between the two brothers set the tone for the rest of the evening, with Sebastian even h once or tith his outrageousness Deliberately so, Grace suspected, in order to conceal the fact that Grace and Lucian, despite their earlier agreement to the contrary, barely addressed a word to each other

Grace because she was still slightly annoyed with Lucian for not confiding in her And Lucian because— Well, she had no idea what Lucian’s reasons were for his silence towards her Which was part of the problem, of course These last few days Grace had si from one moment to the next

Instead she concentrated her attention on the interplay between the two brothers How different was the relationship between Lucian and Sebastian than that of the three Carlyne brothers, Grace acknowledged sadly She could not i together George had been affable and char, of course, and well liked by both his brothers But the relationship between Darius and Francis seemed to consist of contempt on Darius’s part and jealousy and dislike on Francis’s

Grace beca at this situation in quite the wrong way? Francis was jealous of Darius He had also made no effort to hide his dislike of Darius since the Duke of Carlyne had died—to the point where Francis had expressed that dislike when he talked to Grace and Lucian of Darius’s treatment of the Duchess since her husband’s death

Grace gave Lucian a briefly searching glance, knowing that, for all that the two of thereed constantly, Lucian was nevertheless athe evidence against Darius ht appear, Lucian insisted that the other man was innocent of any and all accusations Whilst at the sa very little to hide his contempt of Francis Wynter

If Darius was innocent, then perhaps that meant—

No…!

What Grace was now thinking simply could not be!

Could it…?

‘Is the beef not to your liking, Grace?’ her aunt pro that Grace had ceased eating and was si down at the food on her plate, her cheeks pale ‘I a else if it is not A little chicken, perhaps?’