“Nay, my lady,” Miss Moyle replied in a very careful attempt at finer language. “‘Tis not a proper sort of gatherin’ for the likes of me.”

“I don’t see why not,” Adelaide retorted, taking a small bite and looking over at her. “Basset is your brother, and he claims you. Surely that counts for something.”

Miss Moyle gave her a confused look, her fair brow wrinkling. “It does not erase my birth, ma’am. And there are some only too pleased to remind me of it.”

“Well, we must have you.” Adelaide nodded as though it settled things. “Surely you would wish to celebrate our marriage.”

“Will ee be celebratin’ yer marriage, ma’am? Or simply gainin’ a title, a fortune, and Trevadden?”

There wasn’t much of an edge to Miss Moyle’s words, but there was certainly a lack of tact.

Basset coughed, likely to hide a laugh, but Adelaide did not spare a look for him.

She smiled a little at Miss Moyle, more for her directness than anything else. “Ah, there is the honesty Mrs. Roskelley told me about, and the spirit your brother warned me about. Touché, Miss Moyle. As you can see, this is a marriage of relative convenience.”

“Very relative,” Basset muttered as he sipped his drink.

“I warned my brother against tha’,” Miss Moyle told her, placing her hands in her lap. “I did not think t’would be right, nor fair.”

Adelaide made a small sound of acknowledgement at that, if not appreciation. “Well, my father did not see it that way either, so here we are. But I am well aware it could be worse. I could be married to a villain rather than a toad.”

Miss Moyle released another snort of laughter, but this one did not irk Adelaide in the least.

“Thank you, Emblyn, for defending me so staunchly,” Basset grumbled, shaking his head. “Really, it is too much.”

“Look,” Adelaide said, ignoring her husband again and turning toward Miss Moyle more fully. “I can understand feeling embarrassed in such company. You were once serving such people, and now you stand among them. It must be difficult to reconcile in your mind.”

Miss Moyle nodded slowly, looking almost wary now. “Aye, ‘tis. And not all mind their tongues.”

“I suffer from the same.” Adelaide shrugged, the closest thing to an apology she would manage for now. “But we are talking about your brother’s marriage. Like it or not, we are all bound together now. We do not have to like each other so much as… need to present a united front. Stand together and be the prominant family in the area. You need not come to anything else if you wish it, but for this one thing, I must ask that you do. Your brother had no family at his wedding.”