Love Is a Rogue (Wallflowers vs. Rogues #1) - Lenora Bell Page 0,82

from a friend.”

“I agree with you there, Wright,” said Lord Rafe. “Mayhew’s rotten, and that’s putting it mildly. Wouldn’t allow Beatrice to marry him.”

“I’ll have a chat with our mother,” said Thorndon. “Tell her to set some other poor fellow up in her sights.”

Ford cleared his throat. “Thank you for the brandy, Your Grace. I’ll leave you and your brother to talk. I believe your mother requires me back in the ballroom for more repairs.”

Thorndon held his gaze for a long moment before nodding. “I’ll see you tonight at the ball, Wright. I’ll send you one of my old costumes. We’re much of a height and build.”

Ford should feel relieved. The duke had taken his warning about his land agent seriously, Ford’s naval career might receive a major boost tonight, and he had completed the renovations on the bookshop.

But instead he felt hollow. None of it mattered if Beatrice lost the bookshop . . . and he lost Beatrice.

“You’ve changed, Beatrice.” Mina cocked her head. “There’s something different about you. You’re looser somehow, less guarded. You don’t hold yourself with such stiffness and formality.”

“And you’re looking lovely as ever, Mina.” Her sister-in-law had the dainty features and fair hair of a porcelain child’s doll, but her delicate appearance belied her dynamic, resourceful, and powerful character.

“I feel like a lumbering elephant. Have you noticed how swollen my ankles are? Drew hasn’t even noticed yet. He can be dense sometimes, the big lug.”

“Noticed what?”

“That I’m with child.”

“Oh, Mina. How marvelous!”

“Is it? Because so far it’s been endless bouts of nausea and swollen extremities.”

“Why haven’t you told Drew yet?”

“I wanted to be sure. It could have been seasickness. But your mother took one look at me and she knew. So now I have to face the facts.”

“You’re not happy about it?”

“I don’t know what I am. Of course I’m happy, but I feel so out of control of my body. It’s doing these strange things. And my emotions keep seesawing from one extreme to the next.”

“Once you tell Drew you’ll feel better. Then he’ll have to rub your feet and fetch you whatever delicacies you desire.”

“He already does that. I have him well-trained.”

“Mina.” Beatrice laughed. “I missed you.”

“Did I hear my name?” asked Drew, entering the parlor. He bent to kiss his wife on the cheek.

“I see your mother is up to her old tricks. Hosting balls in the hopes of finding mates for her remaining children,” said Mina.

“Nothing can stop Mama when she has her heart set on something,” Beatrice agreed.

“I hear she wants you to marry the Earl of Mayhew?” asked Drew.

“Not going to happen,” Beatrice replied vehemently. “I’ve been meaning to set her straight on that count but she keeps avoiding the subject.”

“Glad to hear it. Because I just had a very bad report about the earl from Wright.” Drew settled on the sofa next to Mina and draped his arm around her shoulders. “You were dancing rather closely with Wright when I walked into the ballroom.”

“Mama was making me practice my waltzing.”

“I remember when you met Mr. Wright in Cornwall.” Mina’s lips lifted in a smile. “You told us that he was the most annoyingly arrogant man in the world and that he thought he was God’s gift to womankind.”

“He does have a very high opinion of himself,” said Beatrice, “but he lives up to his reputation.”

Her brother narrowed his eyes. “I hope you are referring to his reputation as a formidable builder, and not as an inveterate rogue.”

“As a builder, of course,” she said sweetly. “I can’t wait to show you the bookshop I inherited. Although there’s a ruthless man, Mr. Foxton, who covets the property so that he can build a factory, but we’re not going to allow him to steal it. He’s found a distant relation to make a claim, but Ford, that is Mr. Wright, and I are going to visit this so-called heir and—”

“Have you and Wright been spending a lot of time together?” Drew asked, the suspicion deepening in his eyes.

Beatrice kept her mouth closed. She couldn’t be goaded into revealing her feelings so easily.

“I don’t want to see you hurt, Beatrice,” said Drew, his gaze softening.

“I’m not going to be hurt.” Though she might be confused. She’d had her life all planned out, and now she felt like something might be missing.

“Do you love him?” asked Mina, never one to mince words.

“We can’t be together so what’s the use in using labels like that? He’s leaving London soon and our mother would