Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,123
watch from his pocket, he opened the lid and held it out to her, displaying it in the palm of his hand, not certain why he didn’t detach the fob, why he wouldn’t relinquish his hold on it.
“She’s pretty,” his mother said. “What’s her name?”
“Thea. Althea, but to me, she’s always been Thea.”
“Have you known her long?”
He glanced at the portrait before once again snapping the lid closed and slipping the timepiece into its place. “Sometimes it seems like forever. Sometimes not long enough.”
“You’ve never mentioned her.”
“I’d only declared my feelings for her a couple of days before the duke came to call.” For some reason he found it easier to view the duchess as his mother than the duke as his father. Perhaps because the duke was almost larger than life, and he knew at some point he’d be called upon to fill his boots.
“Is she a commoner?”
He nodded. “But she was born and raised in the aristocracy. Her fortunes changed when her father was found guilty of plotting to assassinate the Queen.”
“Her father was the Duke of Wolfford?”
“You know of him?”
“Your father was called to London when the misdeed was thwarted. He serves in the House of Lords, you know.”
“I’m still striving to get used to that. Do you go to London for the Season?”
“Usually, although we don’t attend many balls. I’m not very skilled at the waltz.”
There were times when she broke his heart. Not intentionally. She accepted her limitations, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit responsible for them. If he hadn’t been born, if she hadn’t needed to hide him . . .
“Are you going to marry the lass?”
He turned his attention back to the rain, remembering how it had fallen the day he’d taken Thea to the dressmaker. He wondered if every aspect of his life would remind him of her. How could she have made such an impact in such a short time? “She thinks her father’s actions make her an unsuitable wife for a lord.”
“What do you think?”
“Bollocks.” With a grimace, he swung around to face her. “My apologies—”
“Benedict Campbell, never apologize to your mother for being who you are. Besides, do you not think I’ve heard your father use worse language?”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the window ledge. “It’s a man’s way, I suppose.”
She smiled at that. He liked making her smile but had quickly learned that no one could make her smile as the duke did. Her entire face lit up when he walked into the room.
“Tell me about her.”
He sighed. Where to even begin?
“She’s strong. You remind me of her, with all the strength you’ve had to exhibit over the years.” He gave her a gentle smile. “People fear me because of my size. That fear can be useful at times. But she was never afraid of me. Not from the first moment our paths crossed. She fairly told me to bugger off.
“I made her a proposition—it had to do with teaching some ladies I was striving to help find a better life. I laid out terms. She came back with a counter term. I agreed to it, even knowing I would never honor it. But I didn’t want her going elsewhere. I convinced myself I did it for the sake of the ladies, that they would benefit from her knowledge. But I did it for myself because I thought I’d benefit from her presence.”
“And you did.”
He nodded. “She’s clever, generous, and kind. She makes her decisions based on what she believes is better for someone else rather than herself.” She’d done it for her brothers, done it for him.
“When she laughs, my world is brighter. When she smiles, it is more colorful.”
“You miss her. You’re lonely here,” she said softly.
“Not lonely.” Yes, lonely. Not only was Thea not here, but neither were his siblings, his mum. How many times had he felt an urge to speak with one of them? To have a pint at the Mermaid and Unicorn? To purchase a book from the Fancy Book Emporium? “I’m accustomed to the noise and the bustling crowds. Sometimes it’s so quiet.”
Especially at night when he lay in his bed, without Thea in his arms, her breathing a soothing lullaby. He couldn’t sleep for the lack of noise.
“I rather enjoy the quiet. I spent years listening to the screams of the tormented day and night.”
“If my grandfather weren’t already dead, I’d kill him for his role in what happened to you.”