Mrs. Price curtsied politely. “How nice to see you Your Grace and…Your Grace.”
“It’s very nice to see you as well, Mrs. Price,” Lily said. “The duke and I need to have a word with your son.”
“I’m afraid I’m busy,” Cameron said dryly.
“Cameron!” Mrs. Price turned to Lily. “Do excuse him, Your Grace. The girls and I will leave you alone. Come, Tricia, Kat.” She ushered them out of the office.
“My mother needn’t make apologies for me,” Cameron said. “I honestly am busy.”
“Congratulations on your post, Price,” Daniel said. “The music was inspiring.”
“I’m glad it pleased you, Your Grace. I wouldn’t have gotten this position if you hadn’t sent my waltz to Newland. I owe you my gratitude.”
Daniel arched his eyebrow. “Perhaps there’s a way for you to repay me.”
Cameron groaned softly. Of course. Now the payback. No such thing as a free ride and all that. He took a deep breath. “I doubt there’s anything I can do that is of value to you, Your Grace, but I’ll certainly do what I can.”
“You can come home with the duchess and me tonight,” Daniel said.
“Pardon me?”
“He didn’t stutter, Mr. Price,” Lily said. “You must come with us. Rose is suffering. She needs to see you.”
Cameron closed his eyes, his heart breaking yet again. Rose was suffering. He could hardly bear the thought. “I have nothing to offer her,” he said, opening his eyes. “She’s better off with Xavier. Hasn’t he proposed yet?”
“Yes, he did,” Lily said. “She turned him down.”
“She what?” Cameron shook his head in disbelief.
“You heard me.”
“But why?”
“Because she doesn’t love him, Mr. Price. She loves you.”
“Dear God.” That Rose might not marry Xavier had never occurred to him. Yet his heart leaped at the thought that she was still, in some small way, his.
“She loves you. And you love her, do you not?”
Cameron didn’t reply.
“Do you love my sister or do you not?” Lily demanded again.
“My feelings don’t matter,” Cameron said. “I have nothing to offer her.”
“Don’t be silly. Look at what you’ve done tonight. You have plenty to offer her.”
“No,” Cameron said. “She deserves better. Perhaps I’m not a pauper anymore, but I will never be able to give her the kind of wealth she was raised with. And I’m responsible for my mother and sisters as well. I can never give her what she deserves.”
“You can give her one thing that no one else can,” Lily said.
“And that would be?”
“Your love.”
“I…c-can’t,” Cameron stammered.
“Nonsense,” Lily said. “You are absolutely not going to stand there and tell me that you do not love my sister. You do. I can see