“That’s not a terrible thing.” He shrugged.

Joan gave a small sigh. “Anything excessive can be bad, Your Grace.”

He leaned forward. “Do I sense a challenge?”

“Challenge?”

“Yes, you postulate that anything in excess is bad, am I correct?”

“Ah, I should have remembered you’re a professor. Very well, do your worst.” She mimicked him, leaning in as well.

Mrs. Hiddleman came in with tea. She set the service on the side table and took up a seat in the corner, the perfect silent chaperone.

“Tea first or debate?” Joan asked, her tone cheeky.

The duke narrowed his eyes, then shifted his gaze from the tea to her and then back. “Trick question, but one I will answer. Tea first.”

“Excellent choice,” Joan replied. “Shall I pour for you?”

“Thank you.”

Joan served the tea and then sat back with her own teacup and waited. “Proceed, Professor.”

His expression froze for only a fraction of a second before he seemed to collect himself, and then a pleasing smile lifted his lips. “Very well. I agree that some excesses can be detrimental. Some examples would include whiskey, laudanum, greed, the famous seven deadly sins, if you will.”

“Agreed.” Joan nodded. “But it sounds as if you are proving rather than challenging my point.” She sipped her tea. “I’m waiting to be impressed, Your Grace.”

He smirked. “That’s ‘Professor,’ to you.”

“Ah, apologies.” She tilted her head and studied him through lowered lashes.

Good Lord, she’d flirted. With the Duke of Westmore. No. She was flirting with the Duke of Westmore. Her brother’s best friend, the one who had, by all evidence, had quite the altercation with her brother. His next words interrupted her internal revelation.

“I said ‘some.’ Now, I can agree with a fraction of your premise, but the whole is incorrect. As a wholly applicable statement, it’s false.”

“Why?” she asked, fascinated.

“What about kindness?” he asked, then grinned as if he knew he’d won the battle before the fight had even started.

Joan twisted her lips, then took a slow sip of tea, stalling and allowing herself time to come up with an intelligent reply. “Ah! Yes. Kindness in excess isn’t a good thing.”

“Defend.” He gestured to her and leaned back, sipping his tea. When he lowered the cup, a welcoming expression illuminated his face, adding a twinkling depth to his blue eyes. Even with his purple-ringed eye, he was handsome. Distractingly so.

Joan turned her attention down to her teacup to collect her thoughts. “If I am kind to my own detriment, then I might be kind to someone but not to myself, which, in fact, negates the kindness, does it not?”

The duke nodded, his expression thoughtful as if considering her words. “Indeed. However, would that be kindness? As it is defined? Or a lack of self-preservation?”