“Fiddle! He isn’t accustomed to owning even a fraction of that. He’s a sweet, unselfish boy, and I shudder to think of him growing up spoiled. No one should require so many things to make them happy. You yourself spoke to your mother about the benefits of austerity.”

Hadrian stood listening to her tirade, a faint frown on his brow. “Are we quarreling about toys—or about your gowns?”

“Toys! Oh, blast.” Natalie bit off her words at the astuteness of his observation. The tension inside her did have a deal to do with him wanting to array her in fashionable garb. “Now that you mention it, I find that expenditure appalling, too. Though it’s kind of your sister to offer the gowns, it’s a tremendously costly gift—and from someone I only met this very day.”

“Lizzy can be very generous, and so can my mother. You saw how happy it made them.”

Natalie couldn’t dispute that. The ladies had been delighted to be given the task of replenishing her wardrobe. And she couldn’t deny, either, that in the depths of her soul she harbored the same covetous desire as any woman for new clothes. But not when those items must have cost a king’s ransom.

“I’ve never accepted charity, and I don’t wish to start now,” she explained. “I’d sooner go without than feel beholden to someone else. And don’t try to tell me there’s no expense involved. Your sister could sell those gowns back to the shop and recoup at least a portion of their cost.”

He leaned his shoulder against the bedpost and watched her pace back and forth. “That’s very practical-minded of you,” he said with a slight smile. “But it’s also practical to spruce up your apparel for those times when we’ll be taking Leo out and about town to see the sights. It’s likely we’ll encounter acquaintances of mine, and you’ll want to look your best when meeting the fashion plates of society.”

She stopped in her tracks, glaring at him. “Are you saying you’re ashamed to be seen in the company of a dowdy mongrel from America?”

His smile vanished, his dark eyebrows clashing in a frown. “Of course not. You couldn’t be more mistaken.”

“Oh? It sounds as if you believe the upper crust won’t accept me as I am. Never fear, I’ll borrow a few of the gowns and make myself presentable enough to pass muster with your friends.”

He strode forward to fasten his hands to her shoulders. “Listen to me, Natalie. You’ve taken this all wrong. I could never be ashamed of you even if you were garbed in sackcloth and ashes. You’re a beautiful woman, inside and out, and should anyone in society dare to scorn you, they will know my wrath.”

The ringing sincerity in his words went a long way toward easing her wounded pride. He looked fierce and formidable, a nobleman who would use his power to protect those who mattered to him. The knowledge that he would do so on her behalf burrowed deeply into Natalie’s heart, dissolving the rest of her anger and leaving her vulnerable to the rise of an unruly warmth.