Robert paused, appearing surprised by the question. Obviously, Christiana had not revealed Suzette’s plans or that she’d proposed to Daniel. Finally, he said, “I—Well, yes, as a matter of fact I do. We were at school together. He is good friends with Richard Fairgrave.”

Suzette shook her head at once. “No, he isn’t. In fact he doesn’t like Dicky at all.”

“Really?” Robert asked with interest, and then glanced meaningfully to Christiana and said, “They used to be the best of chums in school.”

Suzette hadn’t a clue what the silent message was, but was too concerned with finding out what she could about Daniel to worry about it for now, and said, “What can you tell me about him?”

“His family is an old and respected one. He was the only child. His father was a second son, but Woodrow’s uncle died about a year ago without issue and Daniel inherited the Woodrow estates and earldom.”

“Oh Suzy, he’s an earl!” Lisa squealed with excitement.

Suzette merely frowned, wondering why he hadn’t mentioned as much, and what that might mean for her. Noting the way Robert was now glancing from her to Lisa curiously, she grimaced and gestured for him to continue.

Robert shrugged. “What else do you want to know?”

“What do you think of him?” she asked at once. Langley was usually a very good judge of character, though he’d rather fallen short on Dicky. But then his father had been ill at the time, and had in fact died shortly after Christiana and Dicky’s wedding. Attending to his father, Robert hadn’t spent much time at Madison when Dicky was courting Christiana, and when he had been there he’d been distracted and anxious over his father’s health. Suzette suspected his father’s death was the reason he had suddenly taken himself off to London. It seemed likely he’d been avoiding the family home full of such sad memories.

“What do I think of him,” Robert murmured thoughtfully, his eyes slipping toward the ceiling briefly, before he glanced back and said with a small shrug, “I always liked him. He was smart, with a good sense of humor. He tended to stand up for the downtrodden, defending anyone some of the nastier fellows picked on. We do not move in the same crowds now, but I’ve never heard a bad word against him since that time either. He seems a fine fellow.” He paused and raised his eyebrows. “Now why do you ask?”

“Because Suzette is going to marry him,” Lisa announced with a grin.

Robert sat up straight, amazement on his face and Suzette scowled at Lisa and corrected, “We may marry. He will give me his answer today.”

“He will give his answer?” Robert asked with amazement. “You asked him?”