Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,112

his family remained the Trewloves. His letter had been L. He’d painted it in red. The first letter of love. Suddenly, it seemed significant. A letter tying him to a name, to a family, to an emotion.

They’d done it for Robin, but it was still part of him. He was still part of them.

Turning onto his side, facing her, he threaded his fingers through her hair. “Surely, you don’t think you fall into the category of worst?”

“I think you don’t yet know how they’ll react to you marrying a woman whose father was a traitor. At Christmas, you knew your siblings would accept me because you had a history with them, knew how they had handled other situations. Did you tell your parents about me?”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, avoiding her gaze. “The moment never seemed right. God, Thea, I don’t know why I didn’t. You’re the first thing I should have mentioned.”

Cradling his jaw, she pulled back and held his gaze. “I suspect right now you’re all treading very lightly as you come to know each other.”

She had the right of that. They still had so much to learn about each other. It wasn’t enough to share the stories. He had fewer than a dozen hours of memories with them.

Tonight had involved a few awkward moments of silence as they’d searched for stories to be shared, as he’d mined his memories for the kinder, gentler ones that wouldn’t leave them feeling guilty.

“Another time, then,” he said, and felt her go lax in his arms, hadn’t realized how tense she’d been. Was she dreading meeting them, learning their opinion of her? If they didn’t accept her, he’d be unable to accept them. He needed to pave the way, so it wouldn’t be difficult for her. He also knew none of the past would matter if his parents weren’t part of the aristocracy. Perhaps, more than anything, that was what Thea was striving to make him understand. So much more mattered now.

He skimmed his fingers over her bare shoulder. “I don’t know how to do it, Thea. How to be a lord.”

She offered him a small smile. “For one thing, you’re going to have to become a great deal more arrogant.”

He returned her smile in equal measure. “Will you still fancy me if I’m arrogant?”

“I will fancy you however you are.”

Yet, he was left with the distinct impression that something had shifted between them, and not necessarily for the good.

Chapter 26

Sitting in the library, having poured her own sherry, listening as the mantelpiece clock ticked away, Althea glanced over at it to see that only a minute had passed since she’d last looked. It was nearing the hour of ten, and Benedict had yet to return since leaving that morning.

He might not know how to be a lord but certainly knew how to dress like one. She didn’t know where he’d acquired the fine clothing—not the evening wear he’d worn for Christmas—but jacket, trousers, and waistcoat almost as posh. Possibly what he wore when meeting with the merchants or anytime he represented his shipping business. But he had most certainly given the impression of being a man comfortable in his own skin, a man who knew what he was about. A man upon whose shoulders a dukedom could securely rest.

She was relatively certain his parents would have been pleased by his appearance, by the knowledge their son displayed such confidence. The solicitor wouldn’t doubt his place among the aristocracy.

Whereas Althea had spent most of her day questioning her place in his life. She’d come to understand who she would be with Benedict Trewlove, that she belonged with him, would be his wife. But what was to be her role in the life of Benedict Campbell? Did she even have a part to play upon the stage that would now encompass his world?

She wondered if she would ever wake up one morning confident that everything would be the same as it had been the day before. It seemed every time she came to understand who she was, fate laughed at her confidence as it tossed an obstacle in her path.

The empty chair across from her creaked as it became occupied.

“He shouldn’t be much longer, I shouldn’t think,” Jewel said quietly.

She wondered if she’d ever have another night with him in this library. “They have years to catch up on.”

He’d told Jewel of his change in circumstance but hadn’t yet told Hester and Lottie. She didn’t think he’d told his family,