She squeezed her eyes shut. Why was he being so stubborn, so doggedly determined to make this difficult? Why was she? She could find a willing gentleman elsewhere, one of his red-badged fellows. Only she didn’t want someone else. She wanted to see his features etched into those of her child, be it a girl or a boy. With a sigh, she opened her eyes. “It is one of the grandest estates in all of England.”

“All the more reason it’ll hold sway over my decision.”

Why can’t you simply do it for me? she wanted to ask. But they’d only known each other a handful of days. Why should he feel any allegiance or commitment to her? “Dawn,” she stated flatly.

She turned to the coach, surprised to find him nudging the footman aside and handing her up into the vehicle.

“Thank you, ladies, for helping my sister and for the kindness you showed my mother. I wish you the best.”

He slammed the door closed as though he had no intention of ever seeing any of them again, as though their business was completed, but she’d heard in his voice genuine gratitude, and if she were a wagering woman, she’d wager that her sisters had passed the test. Now if only the estate would.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

As Finn came to stand beside him, Aiden didn’t bother to turn around, but merely crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the carriage disappeared in the distance. “Odd warning from a man who married the daughter of an earl.”

“Lavinia has no interest in moving about within the upper echelons of Society. I have the impression the same can’t be said of your duchess.”

No, the same couldn’t be said of her. Everything Selena was doing was to ensure her place among that Society, to guarantee she maintained power and influence within it. “She’s not my duchess.”

“I’m not blind, Aiden. I saw the way you looked at her.”

“You might not be blind, but you’re obviously in need of spectacles.”

Finn chuckled low. “Just watch yourself, brother. A broken heart never fully mends. It will always have cracks.”

He didn’t doubt Finn’s words because he knew his brother was an expert when it came to shattered hearts. “Is it hard, Finn?” he asked somberly. “Is it hard not telling your daughter you’re her father?”

Finn had only recently learned he had a daughter. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it helps that the couple raising her are good people and don’t object to my spending time with her. As a matter of fact, of late, I’ve been helping her build a cottage in a tree. She’s an adventurous one, my little sprite.”