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“Your sister said it was your business and I should ask you if I wanted to know. And then she… distracted me.”

Now it was Sebastian’s turn to make a face. When Gregory said it like that, he knew exactly how Tiffany had distracted her husband, and he truly wished he did not.

“I am going to pretend I did not hear that,” he muttered.

“If you do not want to hear more, you will tell me what you are about with Miss Hu,” Gregory threatened, stalking over to one of the chairs and flopping into it. He somehow managed to glare and pout at the same time. “I do not like my wife knowing things that I do not.”

“Which only makes it more tempting not to tell you,” Sebastian said seriously, knowing Gregory would think he was joking, when truthfully he was halfway serious.

Telling his sister had been easier. He’d known Tiffany would support him, regardless. He was uncertain what Gregory would think, and he did not particularly want to argue with his friend about whether or not marrying the matchmaker was a wise decision. There were good, solid reasons it was a terrible idea.

But he didn’t care about those reasons.

Which was quite freeing, really.

He still didn’t want to argue with Gregory about it.

“Yes, well, you shall not be allowed to leave the room until you tell me your intentions toward Miss Hu.” Gregory studied Sebastian, an unusually serious expression on his face. “Because I am beginning to suspect you mean to ask her to marry you.”

The dubious manner in which he said it made it clear he wasn’t certain whether to believe such a ludicrous notion.

A duke marrying a matchmaker.

Ridiculous.

“And if I told you that your suspicions are correct?” Sebastian turned away to look in the mirror and straighten his cravat. He could still see Gregory’s reflection, and his friend looked poleaxed.

“I… they are?” Gregory’s voice went high, and he shook his head. “I… I was mostly jesting. I thought perhaps you had hired her and did not want to tell us⁠—”

“I did that as well,” Sebastian admitted, turning back around to face his friend and enjoy Gregory’s floundering. “My sister does not know that part.”

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait.” Gregory sat up in the chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and rubbing his face over his hands. “I… let me get this straight. You hired Miss Hu to be your matchmaker.”

“Technically, her grandmother, but yes, she’s the one who has been matching me.”

Gregory stared at him.

“Tiffany said Miss Hu was the one who suggested the ladies to invite to the house party.”

“She was. They were her first picks for me.”

“But Tiffany did not know that you’d hired Miss Hu.”

“No.”

“Let me make sure I have this correct… you hired a matchmaker, kept that information from your sister, but still finagled a way to have Tiffany invite the matchmaker’s matches to a house party, but now you want to marry the matchmaker instead of one of the matches.” Gregory stared at him.

“Ah… yes. That is an accurate summation of events.”

Gregory threw his hands up in the air, jumping to his feet.

“I knew there was a rebellious spirit somewhere in you!” Chortling, he came forward to embrace Sebastian, who hugged him back, relieved at having Gregory’s surprisingly enthusiastic support. Gregory clapped him on the back. “Congratulations.”

“It is a bit early for that,” Sebastian said as they pulled away from each other. Gregory’s eyebrow rose.

“What do you mean? You are a duke. Of course, she’ll say yes.”

“Will she?” Sebastian shook his head, reaching up to tug on his waistcoat, rubbing his fingers over the textured fabric. “I am not certain of it. She has agreed to be my lover at the house party⁠—”