Free A Forbidden Love by Alexandra Benedict Page B

escort her from the dining hall and into the nursery, where her meal awaited.
    “But I don’t want to go,” whined Edith, and promptly latched onto her uncle’s armrest to demonstrate her discontent. She refused to relinquish her hold, despite the persistent tugs of her governess.
    “Now, Edith, behave yourself like a proper young lady.”
    Anthony heard the child snort in response to her father’s command and withheld his grin. Daniel’s most authoritative voice, in fact, held no authority at all. The man didn’t have it in him to rule with a stern hand, and Edith was well aware of that truth. She stubbornly refused to give way, and an exasperated Daniel finally rose from his seat to pry the child’s fingers loose himself. But Anthony gestured for his brother-in-law to hold steady for a moment, then whispered into his niece’s ear.
    Edith listened patiently, and with a wide, crooked grin, surrendered her grip on the armrest, and contently skipped from the room, governess in tow.
    A dazzled Daniel sunk slowly into his seat. “Pray, what did you say to her?”
    Anthony shrugged. “Just a few magical words.”
    “Well, out with them. There’s been many a’times I’ve needed some magical words to handle that child, so don’t keep them to yourself.”
    “I simply told her, if she behaved like a good little girl, her father would give her Guenevere for her upcoming birthday.”
    Reginald Kennington, the earl of Wenhem, seated at the head of the long rosewood table, let out a hoot of husky laughter at his son-in-law’s plummeting jaw. “My boy’s fixed you but good, hasn’t he, Winthrop?”
    Daniel continued to gawk. “But that pony will cost me in excess of three hundred pounds!”
    Anthony only grinned. “A small price to pay for a child’s happiness.”
    “I’m glad to hear her uncle thinks so, because he’s going to pay for half the expense.”
    “Agreed.”
    The men reached over the table to clink glasses and cement the deal.
    The old earl shook his head in light amusement. “That chit has you two gents coiled around her little finger.”
    Two sets of brows raised at the aging earl.
    “I’m well aware of the irony,” Reginald remarked curtly, his humor abating at the thought of the pending ball he was forced to finance. “But in my defense, Cecilia is much older and more skillful at manipulation.”
    It was unanimous. They were all docile when it came to the wishes of the females in their lives. No one was immune from tears, smiles, or batting eyelashes.
    But warm memories soon faded, as a grousing Reginald interposed, “Speaking of the demands of ladies, I haven’t had a moment’s peace in days. There’s a knock on my study door every two minutes. Something is always missing, or has yet to arrive, or has yet to be bought. I hate this blasted ball.”
    Daniel chuckled. “By tomorrow evening it will all be over.”
    The old man scoffed. “A veritable eternity for someone my age.”
    “You have many years left in you,” said Anthony.
    The seventy-two-year-old Reginald cast his son a dubious glance. “Humph. If this ball doesn’t kill me, then we’ll just see about your prediction. Your sister Ashley’s début was decent, but Cecilia’s will be a monstrosity.”
    A monstrosity indeed, making Anthony’s attempts to veil Sabrina all the more intricate. But not impossible. With a little help from Ashley, he’d continue to keep his gypsy safely stowed away. Thus far, all was progressing as planned. His estrangement from the household, for instance, hadn’t garnered much attention from his kin. The male members of the family, not surprisingly, thought nothing of his absence during the last two meals, quite envious, in fact, that he’d managed to escape the grueling ordeals, which consisted of little more than prolonged discussions over decorations, menus, and last-minute alterations to guest lists. As for the female members, his vacant chair had brought about a single demand before