Then the Queen Mother set down her cup and smiled.
"I must say, Ranchy," she said lightly, "your household has improved. There was a time when you could not sit through a formal meal without looking for the nearest exit."
The Duke's expression froze for half a second.
The King exhaled through his nose. "Mother."
"What?" she asked, entirely unbothered. "I am paying a compliment. He used to abandon etiquette lessons the moment the tutor turned his back. One winter he even tried to hide in the grain stores. The poor man found him by following the trail of stolen bread."
A few of the lower nobles pretended not to hear. Vanessa lowered her eyes, though not quickly enough to hide the amusement there. Olivia covered her mouth with the rim of her cup. Liam looked as if he could not decide whether secondhand embarrassment was useful or merely irritating.
The Duke forced a civil smile. "Your Highness remembers more than is merciful."
