Sorry, there was a bit of a delay on this one.

Out to Dinner With a Romantic

"Are you quite sure, Julius?" Lord Ramsey asked.

"Simply positive, my dear uncle," Julius Wotton answered, adjusting his bow tie before the mirror. "Gill's perfectly harmless."

The old man sighed. "Well, it'll be the skin off your nose, I suppose. You know how much your aunt Mira can't stand unexpected guests."

Lord Julius rolled his eyes, still gazing at himself. "Aunt Mira is the least of my worries. Give her ten minutes and she'll forget I brought an extra head and she'll be off on her anecdotes of the poor again. Really, uncle, you worry much too much."

Lord Ramsey stroked his grey beard. The two were both dressed to the nines, but when Ramsey had chosen a subtle black ensemble, his nephew chose deep reds and purples that looked rather obnoxious. Still, it suited him…

Uncle to Julius and related to Mira through him, Lord Ramsey was one of Castanet's highest financiers. King of the gold empire, Ramsey had settled on the island nation in his youth and come quickly into money through the Garmon mountain's rich mines of gemstones and precious metals. Because he was a rags-to-riches sort, Ramsey understood better the outside world and rarely thought of himself. In truth, he was often the only voice of reason. He was not born into money, so he knew how to respect it and use it wisely.

Unlike Lady Mira. The eccentric woman whose dinner party they were off to in the evening was the sole benefactor of her late husband's will. She was born into money. She grew up in money. She was married to money. Everything in Lady Mira's world sparkled and shined. Therefore, Lord Ramsey rightly fussed that Lady Mira would not approve of an unexpected visitor. Especially one like Gill.

"I may worry, but Mira will worry more; don't doubt me on that. I wouldn't be too worried about an uninvited person, but this is an uninvited person named Gill Gray."

"Hush, he'll hear you," Julius chastised half-heartedly. Gill was just down the hall in his room. He had taken one look at the pair on his doorstep and sped back to dress with more formality. Lord Ramsey and Lord Julius were waiting for him in the Gray living room. A jaunty swing record played behind one of the closed doors.

Ramsey lowered his voice. "Years ago, he was the talk of the town. He didn't just disappear for a reason, Julius."

"A romantic back story, eh?" Julius' eyes sparkled. "My, my, Mr. Gray continues to impress me."

Ramsey continued to look about the house as if they had broken in and weren't welcomed through the front door. Even the latter was a scandal that could very well be on the front page of The Island Times tomorrow. "Your aunt Mira won't have it."

"Don't think me so naïve, uncle," Wotton said. "I have a few ideas up my sleeve. Gill will be able to interest her with his educated ideas. Besides, isn't the Duchess of Monmouth going to be there? I'm sure Mr. Gray will entertain her fancies well enough. Aunt Mira won't be able to separate the two once she gets her hands on him."

"Is that such a good idea?" Ramsey sighed. "The Duchess is a very… determined girl. Suiting her up with someone like Gill Gray would be the last thing I'd expect out of you."

"Oh, but it'll be fun!" He laughed. "Come now, uncle, live a little. Experiment."

Lord Ramsey shook his head sadly. "You've always had too much fun 'experimenting' with others, Julius. Mind, this is real. It isn't some romance you create in your head. These are real lives with real outcomes."

"I know, I know," Julius said. "You fuss too much."

At that moment, Gill stepped out in full apparel. He was smoothing out the cuffs on his black dinner jacket when Ramsey stood and moved to the door. Julius Wotton gallantly picked up his cane and helped his friend with his coat sleeves. "Quite ready, Mr. Gray?"

"Yes, I'm terribly sorry I made you wait," Gill apologized.

"Think nothing of it," Julius brushed the issue away with a wave of his hand. The three stepped out into the night air. "We might have missed the Lady Mira's introduction, but consider it a blessing. We owe you our thanks."

"The Lady Mira?" Gill asked, shutting the front door and locking it behind him.

"Julius' aunt," Lord Ramsey supplied. He quickly added: "Though no relation to me, of course."

"His sister-in-law," Julius Wotton corrected. "A relationship he dreads to recount."

"Hardly a relationship. We share no blood."

Gill stared in wonder at the two as they politely argued down the street. They stopped outside a tall, white town house with a wrought iron gate and boxes full of flowers at each window. Gill hardly saw how Lord Ramsey should dread being related through a sibling marriage to someone sounding as noble and well-off as the Lady Mira if this lovely home was hers.

He was soon about to see why Ramsey disliked her after Julius rang the bell.