FOREVER KNIGHTS: #6 Malevolent Attentions
In Need of a Suitor

The next morning found Meralee sitting at the breakfast table with her family.

Father blinked blearily. Incoherent from the opiates he favored.

“I had the dream again.” Meralee murmured. Averting her attention to her brothers to await their reaction.

“Mum died having you, Mers. You know this.” Drake dismissed, sipping a spoonful of oats. Reassuring her they were senseless dreams. As he always did.

But there was a look in Noran’s eyes that made Meralee level him with a lengthy stare. “We don’t know anything about a bell tower.” He blew on cooked wheat. Evading her gaze. “Just you being crazy again.”

She waited for their attention to avert back to their breakfast and tried again.

“Are you sure?” Shrewd brown eyes slipped from one brother to the other.

Noran looked to Drake who compressed his lips. They returned their attention to her, and together, they nodded.

They were lying.

“I can’t take much more of Meadowbrook.” Meralee murmured.

“You promised.” Drake tossed his spoon into his bowl to give her a chastising look. His curling brown hair jerked at his rough movements.

She ran a hand through long mahogany tresses. “I told you I’d come here, play lady and see about a suitable match. But it’s proven impossible.”

“Like in LandingTown.” Drake slapped a palm to the wooden table. “Where Miss Carter had ‘quite the reputation’.”

“I wasn’t as bad as they said.”

“Perhaps not.” Noran’s expression was sympathetic. “But you weren’t good.”

Drake, the older of the two, rolled his eyes Heavenward.

“The only friends you’ve managed to make is that terrifying young widow, Anna. Which doesn’t have an ideal reputation herself.” Drake reprimanded.

“Yet you seemed quite fond of her when we first got to the country house…”

Noran grimaced.

Drake dropped his spoon to give her a black look.

“I’m friends with Nora Bishop as well.”

“Yes, and that’s far better.” Drake said sarcastically. “Beautiful as she is, she’s no connections.”

Meralee rose quickly. “If you see fit only to speak poorly of my friends why are we having this discussion?”

“Yes, why are we?” Drake was spooning his oats again.

“They’re my friends!” Meralee spat. Sounding very much the irate child.

“Widow Valentine is incessantly outrageous and her off-hand comments are quite scandalous, as you well know.”

“I replace her lively. Far better than the dull wits here!” She tossed down her napkin and stalked from the room.

“Come now, Mers.” Noran contributed softly. “Even you must admit all she discusses is the appeal of whichever gentleman has struck her fancy for the moment.”

“Yes, well Miss Bishop does not.” Meralee tossed over her shoulder. “And she’s kindred to me. More so than any in this house.”

“We aren’t foolish, Meralee.” Noran said softly.

Meralee paused and was tempted to apologize to him but knew he’d continue to take their eldest brother’s side. Despite his closeness with her.