He swallowed back his annoyance. Gwen managed to rub along okay in the Five Points even though it wasn’t natural for her, and he would try to do the same here.

He wandered toward Joshua, the young college student from Yale, and invited him for a stroll along the beach. Joshua looked momentarily puzzled but agreed.

They walked on a path through the sea oats. They were close enough to the water to feel the spray from the surf as it rolled onto the beach, and sea gulls wheeled overhead.

Patrick scrambled for common ground. “I’m curious why you decided to go to Yale instead of Blackstone College,” he asked the younger man.

“Blackstone College still has the reek of new money,” Joshua said.

Patrick quirked a brow. “Really? I think it reeks of science and hope for the future.”

“You sound like Gwen,” Joshua said with a note of humor.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

Joshua glanced at Gwen, who was scavenging on the shore amidst a cluster of children. Now she wore a seaweed necklace in addition to her crown of flowers, and Patrick thought she’d never looked prettier.

“She’s always been a bit of an odd duck,” Joshua said. “And that husband of hers—everyone knew he was after her money. We all felt sorry for her. Bertie tried to warn her about Jasper before the wedding, but there was no talking to her. Like I said, she’s an odd duck.”

Patrick said nothing. Gwen had more decency in her pinky finger than any of these men of leisure who lounged on the seashore while the rest of the world worked.

“What sort of plans do you have for after college?” he asked.

“I don’t want anything to do with the bank, that’s for sure,” Joshua said. “I like art. I spent last summer studying landscape painting in France and won third prize at an exhibition. Did you see the watercolor of the estate that’s hanging in the common room?”

Patrick nodded. It was a nice painting of the house and the cliffside, but nothing special.

“I painted that,” Joshua said in satisfaction. “I’d like to open an art gallery someday. Uncle Oscar said he would stake me in the business, but lately he’s been less free with the wallet. Poppy spends money by the fistful, and he won’t rein her in. Personally, I think it’s embarrassing for a man to be so besotted over a woman half his age, but he works hard to keep dumping money all over her.”

A group of younger cousins came meandering toward them, asking Joshua to join in a game of poker. “Edwin brought the poker chips, and we need a fourth player.”

“Right,” Joshua readily agreed.