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‘You’ve done well for yourself, Dare,’ the Baron said as they were all seated at the large dining table

‘Unlike my loser father, you mean?’

The Baron sighed ‘I didn’t ment’ He h you do seem to have inherited your father’s acerbic wit’

Score one for the older gentlelanced across the table to find Dare staring at her

‘That’s not all I inherited,’ Dare bit out tautly

‘Duck à l’orange,’ the Baron said, inhaling the fragrance as the servant stepped back ‘My favourite’

Carly gave him a secret smile ‘I do relent sometimes,’ she teased

‘This is all very nice,’ Dare bit out, not hiding the fact that he didn’t think it was nice at all ‘But I didn’t come here to discuss food or to make small talk’

Tension crossed the table like laser beams

‘I can see that,’ the Baron said He put down his fork ‘What did you come for, Dare? To put me in my place?’

‘It’s no less than you deserve’

‘I’ue with you about that,’ Benson said quietly, ‘but you have to understand I’ve only recently becoed of your father’s death And of the fact that Rachel led for years afterwards That she even had a child You!’

‘And you think that entitles you to contact her?’ Dare said with barely leashed fury ‘You rejected her You kicked her out when she chose my father over your archaic expectations But she doesn’t need you now She’s doing fine’

‘Thanks to you,’ Benson acknowledged softly