In this week’s excerpt, my heroine’s son has been sent down from Cambridge for fighting, after a classmate shared some old gossip that insulted Regina. Her brother, the boy’s guardian, has received a letter from the chancellor and comes to growl, but changes his mind when he hears what provoked the fight.

William opened his mouth and then shut it again, finally saying, “Oh.” He then, the cad, turned to Regina and said, “I thought you were going to tell him?”

Regina glared. “We had that discussion three weeks ago, William. Did you expect me to tell him by letter? If Matthew Deffew had not seen fit to share his scurrilous version of the story with his son, we would have been having this discussion when I next visited Cambridge, and Geoffrey would not have an injured hand.”

“Hmm,” William said. “Broke your hand, did you?” He raised an eyebrow and attempted to remain stern, but a smile twitched the corners of his lips. “Broke young Deffew’s jaw with it, I gather. Must have been a good blow!”

“William!” Regina would never understand men. “I thought you agreed with me that this was not the way to quell gossip.”

William had the grace to look sheepish. “Yes, I suppose. But you have to admit that our boy was provoked.” Then he compounded his crime by adding, “Pity we can’t do the same for the little rat’s lying father.”

Regina threw her hands up in the air. “Men! Thinking that a fight solves anything. I am going up to get changed for an afternoon drive with a friend.”

“Anyone we know?” William asked.

Regina wanted to keep her escort’s identity from her menfolk. Which was silly. It was not as if Elijah was courting her. And even if he was, William and Geoffrey had no reason to object. And even if they did… What a ridiculous train of thought. “Elijah Ashby.”

“The travel writer that you and Father used to correspond with?” Geoffrey asked. He turned to William. “I have read all of his books, Unc… um…” He blushed over his own hesitation and then rushed on. “His and Lord Arthur Versey’s, that is.”

In a moment, the two men were exchanging views on the adventures recorded in Elijah’s books. Perfect amity was restored. Regina rolled her eyes and went up to change.