“Never been much our custom. The duchess has always enjoyed Town.” He chortled. “Too many bees in the country, she always says.” His smile slipped. He frowned then, presumably at the mention of his wife, as though the reminder of her troubled him greatly. Her mystery illness, no doubt.

The reason she was here. To prove herself.

The duke blinked and his somber mask slipped away. “Well, you must come dine with us and tell me all about yourself and what brings you to Town and how it is this village of Brambledon has so enamored Warrington that he eschews all of Society.”

“I believe my sister is the reason behind that. Warrington is quite enamored of her. They’re awaiting the arrival of their first child and quite content to stay where they are.”

“Ah. As should be the case.” He released a heavy breath. “A child . . . such a blessing. Such a gift.” The somber look returned to his face and Nora was reminded that he had lost his sons, thus making Sinclair his heir and bringing him home.

Home to her.

No, not to her. Simply . . . home. Yes, he ended up on her doorstep as a result of returning home, but he had not come home for her or because of her. She was an incidental.

The duke cleared his throat as though a lump was stuck there.

Sinclair gave her a look of rebuke. An awkward silence swelled among them.

She returned Sinclair’s look with a helpless one of her own. It had not been her intention to bring forth painful memories. She had mentioned the arrival of her sister’s and Warrington’s child only as a topic of conversation.

She opened and closed her mouth several times, searching for something to say to alleviate the sudden somber mood.

“Yes, well, I am what brought Miss Langley to London.”

The duke’s bowed head snapped up, his eyes bright beneath his stark white eyebrows. “What’s that?”

She gazed at Sinclair, equally at a loss. “Yes . . . what . . .”

Her words went unheard, or at least unacknowledged. Sinclair continued, “I’ve sent for Miss Langley and invited her to stay with us. She’s the daughter of the late Dr. Langley, who was a very talented physician. She trained at his feet and is an excellent healer in her own right with a particular forte for pain mitigation.”

“Oh.” The duke turned back to look at her, assessing her anew.

She valiantly tried to show no reaction to the praise . . . to not flinch or swallow or blink like an owl in astonishment that he should laud her in such a way.