Guessing she wanted to speak with his aunt alone, Lucas said, “Uncle William, I trust you have carrots so I can bribe my lady mule to remember me?”

His uncle laughed. “Even better, I have apples. But no need to bribe her. You’re still her favorite.”

“She and I traveled many long miles together.” Happy to stretch his legs, Lucas accompanied his uncle outside to the stable area behind the house. Since the weather was mild, his white mule was grazing in a small paddock. She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and gave a happy little bray as she joined them at the fence.

As the Magdalene had her neck scratched from two directions and daintily accepted half an apple, Lucas’s uncle said, “Your lovely lady friend looked more cheerful than she did two days ago.”

“Her journey turned out much better than expected,” Lucas replied. “I imagine she’s telling Aunt Anna about it now. I’ll leave it to Kendra to explain to you.”

Uncle William looked curious, but didn’t pursue the point. “Now that the weather is really spring, we’ll be coming up to London in a fortnight or so to get our annual dose of social frivolity. Do you want to join us at Foxton House?”

“Thank you, but I’m settled with Simon and Suzanne.” Lucas smiled. “And they have a most excellent French cook.”

His uncle chuckled. “Hard to argue with that.” He fed another half apple to the mule. “Are you in love with Kendra?”

Lucas froze. “As a divorced woman, she is legally forbidden to marry.”

“That wasn’t my question.” His uncle looked up from the mule to catch Lucas’s gaze. “She’s a fine young woman who is handling a difficult situation with grace and determination. The two of you seem very close.”

Lucas wondered if his uncle suspected that he and Kendra had become lovers. He’d always been uncannily perceptive. “The fact that we’re both dishonored has proved a surprisingly strong bond.”

“I can see that would make a good foundation, but there seems to be more between you than that. We’d like to see you settled down with the right woman, and we both like your Kendra.” William grinned. “So does the Magdalene.”

Lucas’s face tightened. “Unless something changes, marriage will be impossible.”

“Things often do change,” his uncle observed.

Deciding it was time for a change of subject, Lucas said, “In Lower Dauntrey, we met a very impressive young curate, a Mr. Hutton, at the parish church of St. Mary of the Fields. He was especially helpful to us, and he and his wife both seemed very caring. I think he’d be a good choice when the next Camden Keep living becomes available.”