“If I did, I wouldn’t be likely to tell you, now would I?”

Mrs. Oliver was much more pleasant when she had considered him an upstanding young man. He would have to go about fixing that. Rakes were perfectly respectable figures at times. At least when one required their assistance, as Diana so desperately had. “Now, Mrs. Oliver, don’t let Mr. Barton persuade you to think less of me. Diana came to me for help, and I was happy to assist her. I have never done her any harm.”

Mrs. Oliver blew a puff of air upward, lifting the curls under her cap. “You consistently tried to get her alone.”

Is that how Mrs. Oliver remembered it? He raised an eyebrow. “I did have some help.”

She cleared her throat and busied herself, straightening the few well-organized papers on her desk. “How was I supposed to know all those wonderful things Miss Barton had said about you were falsehoods? You should have heard the way she went on and on.”

“I would like to have heard them.” Everything she had said was untrue, yet the thought of Diana singing his praises to nearly every man who crossed the threshold to this office brought a warm feeling of pleasure. After all, it was only natural for friends to compliment one another. “When will they return?”

Mrs. Oliver straightened in her seat. “Not for hours.” Her eyes flashed to the window behind him, and her brave, stiff back softened. Her face drooped into a frown. Not two seconds later, the bell jingled.

He didn’t have to turn around to know that his favorite brother and sister duo had walked through the door. The look of disappointment on Mrs. Oliver’s face made it clear that he would need to apologize to her soon but not quite yet, not while Mr. Barton was in the room. It was finally time to enjoy a little sport at the serious man’s expense. He turned and said, “Ah, Mr. Barton, Diana, I’m so glad I didn’t miss you.”

The siblings had walked in arm in arm. Everton found Diana’s eyes first. Mr. Barton pulled Diana tighter to his side. Mr. Barton’s brown eyes were hooded, a darker version of his sister’s coppery ones. “That makes one of us.”

“You speak for your sister?” Everton frowned. “Perhaps she is of my mind, not yours.”

Mr. Barton stiffened. “I highly doubt that.”

Interesting. It seemed that Mr. Barton could raise his chin just as high as his lovely sister could.

“I suppose we will have to ask the lady then. Diana?” He still loved the sound of her name on his lips. His relationship with her no longer made his stomach tighten and his neck sweat. She was his friend. It was perfectly understandable to be excited to see your friend. “What is your opinion on the matter? Aren’t you glad I didn’t miss you and Mr. Barton?”

Diana curled one side of her ambrosial mouth. Her arm was wrapped around her brother’s in a casual, light manner. There was neither clinging nor an effort to move away. She cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. “I believe you did miss us.”