Free Fate Is A Stranger: Regency Romance by Gloria Gay

her answer. He had absolutely no qualms about forcing her into complying. As a child three years younger than his sister, he had used the same tactics to make up for their difference in size and age.
     
    * * *
     
    "Your Grace, Lady Deckworth awaits you in the small parlor."
    "Yes, Brigg, thank you," said the duke and followed Brigg there. Hawk entered a sumptuous sitting room covered with Persian rugs and hung with powder blue damask and deep wine velvet drapes that were held back with heavy gold cords and tassels. The cathedral windows disclosed a nonpareil view of the park in the distance where greenery blended with the blue canopied sky like long paintings.
    "Well, Arabella?" The duke went right to the point.
    Lady Deckworth looked up at her brother. "Do sit down, Hawk, you tower over one so." The tremor was back again beneath her bad eye. Hawk knew she hated to give in, and being forced to do so was affecting her nerves.
    The duke sat down in front of his sister and gazed at her with interest. Why did he never give Arabella the slightest hint that he was very fond of her? They had always been close, since childhood, simply because their parents had been so distant and their home so vast.
    "I shall begin by saying it is very unsporting of you to offer to settle my vowel in exchange for a favor, Hawk. Surely this was not the way you were raised."
    "We were raised by wolves."
    "Mama was not a wolf."
    "I suppose you're right. But she caved in to father in everything."
    "You should not speak so of the dead," said Arabella.
    "Well," said Hawk with an exasperated sigh, "do stop making niceties and let's get to the point. Surely you aren't going to pretend now that the fourth duke was anything but a rascal."
    Hawk always referred to his father as the fourth duke, he being the fifth. He had had a contentious relationship with his father and resented it when his sister re-wrote history.
    "I’m afraid I have a condition to add," said Arabella, avoiding the duke's eye.
    "Out with it," said the duke impatiently. "And let's finish this business." The duke was anxious to seal the deal and direct his attention to other business, which he had neglected at present, as his entire attention was absorbed by his pursuit of Violet.
    "I have someone to add to the guest list, actually, two guests. Surely, as I am to hostess it, I have that right?"
    "And who may that be? Oh, let me guess—Souten?" asked the duke.
    "Yes. And believe me, Hawk, I am not going to budge. I am extremely fond of Cade and his devotion to me sustains me. I could not go through this life thinking that Cade was in disfavor with me."
    "'Cade…'" said the duke…"you should remove the "e" Arabella and it would better describe him. I know you are trying to restore that cad into society, my dear," he added, forming a steeple with his hands and sitting back, a scornful grin on his face, "but why in particular on this occasion ?"
    "Because he is in town only for a few days," responded Arabella with a frown. "And I want to spend some time with him. Surely you can understand? He was Elsidore's son, Hawk. I am extremely fond of him." Elsidore had been Arabella's first husband.
    "Yes, that much I wholeheartedly believe. How you can be so fond of a lowly creature like that does you no credit, Arabella, but then a woman's feelings or anything else about the gender is completely devoid of sense. The man butters you up like scone and cuts you up and then you just look up at him adoringly, and ask for more."
    "You malign our sex, Hawk, yet you are trying to restore into society two particularly undeserving creatures. You cannot succeed, you know; Lord Kelly tried to do just that and lost his standing in society with the attempt."
    "I’m not here to discuss Lord Kelly's standing in society or his lack thereof," said Hawk with a shake of the head. "And whatever ideas you have of my 'attempts to restore to society' anyone is purely conjectural on your part. I am merely giving a house