“Which wouldn’t have given Robert the chance to realize his feelings,” Daniel pointed out calmly, and then returned his glance to Lisa and added, “And, no, Richard and I haven’t been watching out for you. We trusted that to Robert. In fact, we’ve been keeping Suzette and Christiana away as much as possible to leave him here alone with you.” He paused and raised an eyebrow. “How has that been going?”

Lisa scowled at her brother-in-law. “Not all that well, thank you very much. He’s stubborn and stupid and . . . male,” she finished with disgust.

“Has he kissed you or anything?” Suzette asked.

Lisa snapped her mouth closed, but could feel the heat of the blush that bloomed on her face.

“He has, hasn’t he?” Suzette crowed.

“Once,” she acknowledged shortly. “But he’s also been a horrible ogre, nasty and short-tempered and most unpleasant.”

“He’s jealous that all your suitors are fawning all over you,” Daniel said with a shrug. “That’s a good sign.”

Lisa peered at him uncertainly. She’d come to the sad conclusion that Robert simply didn’t love her and that explained his lack of interest in marriage. That if the right girl had come along, one he did actually love, he would change his mind. But Daniel was suggesting that Robert did love her. Biting her lip, she asked. “Why do you think he loves me?”

When Daniel merely burst out laughing at the question, it was Richard who said gently, “Lisa, every other word out of his mouth is your name when we are with him. Lisa likes these almond pastries too. Lisa is coming to town next month, next week, tomorrow. Lisa would have enjoyed this play. Lisa would have liked that.” He smiled gently. “We have known he cared for you for quite some time, and had hoped he would get over his worries about the supposed Langley curse on his own.”

“What curse?” Suzette interrupted with surprise.

“Surely you know about his father’s marriage? The rumors floating around about Lady Langley’s affair with Gower?”

“Oh, well yes,” Suzette admitted with a frown, and then added, “But that is just gossip.”

“I’m afraid it’s not,” Daniel said solemnly. “Gower has been bragging for years about his long-standing affair with Lady Langley.”

“Oh dear,” Christiana murmured.

“Hmm.” Richard nodded and squeezed her shoulder. “But she is only the latest in a long line of unfaithful wives to the Lords of Langley. Robert’s father raised him on the belief that it was a curse on the Langley men and told him he may as well get used to the idea that one day he would find his own wife grunting in a stall with his stable master.”

“Oh my,” Christiana said with distaste. “What a horrid thing to tell him.”

“Why did he never tell us any of this?” Suzette asked with a frown.