The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,42
things. As for Ida, whatever good opinion she might have had of him would now be shattered. There was no way in hell she’d approve of his failure to make sure his brother stood by the woman he’d ruined, and somehow, having her condemnation was the worst part of all.
He moved to rise, to expel the negative energy coursing through him, but before he could complete the action, she stood, rounded the table between them, and claimed the spot beside him on the sofa. Her hand found his in a hard clasp. Blue eyes, sparkling like diamond shards, pierced him to his core. “You are not to blame for your brother’s wrongdoing. Do you hear me, Simon? What happened to Melanie wasn’t your fault and neither is anything else.”
Dazed and somewhat mesmerized by Ida’s fierceness, Simon said, “I was the earl, the head of the family. I should have done more.”
“How? If he was determined to go to the lengths you have just described in order to shirk his duty, I don’t know what more you could have done.” Her gaze softened, “Simon, you were a new earl, inexperienced and with a massive problem on your hands. You did what any reasonable person would do. You prevented a duel which could have resulted in death and instead attempted to reason with your brother.”
“I never imagined he’d be such a cad,” Simon said with self-loathing. “I trusted him to come around and do the right thing.”
“His actions do not reflect poorly on you, Simon. When it comes to other people, there’s only so much one can do. After that, it’s up to them.”
All he could do was stare at her while blood pumped rapidly through his veins. “I’m sorry for what happened, for what you and the Heathmores went through, but you’re not the one to blame. Jack is.”
“He could have had any woman he wanted,” Simon muttered.
“Forget him, Simon. Forget what he did so you can move past it.”
He dropped his gaze to her hand, so small it struggled to encompass his. “How?”
“Well, I think a good beginning has to involve a visit to Coventry House.” When he jerked his chin up to meet her eyes, she hastened to say, “I can come with you if you like. For support. But what matters here is offering Jeremy a chance to get to know his uncle.”
“Coventry despises me.”
“And?”
Simon stared at her, at this remarkable woman who’d entered his life by chance – a woman who cared nothing for what people might think or say but rather for what was right. He wished he could see the world through her eyes and that he could approach the Duke of Coventry without concern for how he’d react.
“I reached out to him once. After Melanie died and I learned about Jeremy, I offered to help but Coventry never responded. I doubt he will let me anywhere near the boy.”
“I suppose that’s his prerogative given the circumstances, but making another attempt now could help clear your conscience.”
God, how he wanted to kiss her, more now than ever before. He wanted to blot out the stain on his soul with her sweetness, bask in the feel of her lips on his own, and explore her gorgeous body until they were both left gasping for breath.
Twelve days. That was how long it had been since he’d met her. In the days since, he’d forced his mind to remain on task, to think of her as nothing more than a temporary fixture in his life. It hadn’t been easy. She was a flesh and blood woman after all, not a table or a chair to be tossed out when he desired another. Hell. He was starting to worry he’d never desire another woman again. They would all be measured against Ida from now on and fall short in the process.
“I’ll have tried,” he murmured, no longer thinking of Coventry but of something far more enticing. His hand moved. He leaned in, unable to stop the inevitable kiss that had been in the cards since the moment they’d met.
The gap between them decreased and—
Ida shot to her feet and smoothed out her skirts while he tried to stop his head from spinning. Christ! She must have sensed his intent. And she hadn’t wanted any part of it.
Well. That was like a cold bucket of ice water over his head.
He stood, cleared his throat. “It’s getting late. I should probably head home.”