“Whoa.” Everton held both hands out in front of him. “I won’t be staying if you continue in that vein. I’m far from a saint, and I won’t have my reputation tarnished with such accusations.”

Mr. Barton ignored him, instead sighing with frustration at his sister. “Fine, he can stay. But, Diana, you know what he is. I beg you to proceed with caution.”

Diana patted her brother’s arm. “Don’t worry, Nate. I’m not a fool. No sane woman would desire an attachment to Lord Bryant. He flits from one woman to another as if they mean no more to him than his cravat. I’m not a romantic, nor am I dull-witted. Lord Bryant and I were very clear about our relationship from the beginning. Isn’t that right, Lord Bryant?”

Everton nodded. He put one hand on his hip, taking a page out of the Barton family book and raising his chin in the air. “Of course.”

No sane woman would desire an attachment to Lord Bryant.

A dinner at the Barton home suddenly felt a lot less appealing. There would be riveting conversation and jests thrown about, but none of it would involve him. He would be watching from the outside. The prospect sounded much lonelier than eating alone at his desk.

“You two go about your work. Feel free to pretend I’m not here.” A newspaper lay on the small desk that had taken over the spot where his chair had been. “Do you mind if I read this?”

Mr. Barton shook his head. Everton snatched up the paper and strode over to his corner. He wasn’t ready to go back to his empty house quite yet.

Chapter 18

If Lord Bryant weren’t such a devil, he might be considered a saint. Had Diana really said that to her brother? Lord Bryant’s newspaper rattled, marking another turning of the page. He settled deeper into his chair, the wooden legs’ slight squeak giving him away. She should have gotten him a more comfortable chair, a club chair or even a small settee. He had come often enough that she should have made certain he was comfortable while he was here. A larger chair would have been more difficult to place by her side, though. Nate shifted uncomfortably beneath his little desk. Exactly how long did he plan on being in London? Did she need to think about finding him something more comfortable as well? She couldn’t imagine him staying away from Grace for long. Not in her condition.

Diana shrugged her shoulders and started sorting through the mail. Nate owned the larger portion of Barton Rail. If he wanted to buy himself a desk, he could do it himself. No one talked for the course of ten minutes. That had often happened before Nate returned, but today it was a much more uncomfortable silence. She placed a pressing letter in a pile to her right.

The silence was broken by a string of curses erupting from Lord Bryant’s mouth. Diana dropped her letter, and her head jerked up. Lord Bryant snarled and threw the paper he had been reading to the floor.