Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,15

depositing you at Watson Estate for Caroline’s house party post haste.”

“I understand,” Rae said on a sigh. Brooke was right, dash it all. No matter. Juliet could interrogate Rae about Simon all she wanted, but at least he wasn’t going to be there. She froze. “He doesn’t know about any of this, does he?”

“Mr. Appleton?” Brooke clarified. “No.” She cocked her head to the side. “Do you want him to know?”

Rae stared at the older lady as if she were addled. “Why on earth would I— Wait. What did you say to her?” Without waiting for Brooke to answer, she started to break the wax seal on the paper.

Brooke pulled the paper from Rae’s grasp. “All I said was that he was a superior suitor, one I’d allow my own sister to marry, and that I was confident she’d have no objections.”

“Splendid, now she’ll be expecting a proposal,” Rae said.

“Perhaps she won’t be disappointed,” Brooke said beneath her breath.

Rae narrowed her eyes. “What are you about?”

“Mr. Fisher will be offering a proposal, won’t he?” Brooke put her hands on her hips. “Henrietta, I told you that I was only agreeing to this if you don’t do anything that will cause shame, or rather an infuriated Drake, to come to Andrew’s door.”

Rae nodded. Brooke had been very adamant that if Rae did anything rash, such as running away to Scotland with Mr. Fisher, Brooke would hunt her down herself and well, the rest of what she planned to do was best left unmentioned.

“Andrew and I will be there to visit in three days,” Brooke said, biting her lip.

Rae held her breath and hoped Brooke wouldn’t change her mind now and make Rae wait three days until Brooke and Andrew planned to leave. “You are still allowing me to go today,” she ventured.

Brooke nodded once, her lips forming a flat line. “I don’t like the idea of sending you alone, so just to make sure you stay safe on your journey. I have ordered Charlotte and Winston to ride in the carriage with you.” She grinned. “They’re loyal to a fault, so don’t you be entertaining rogue ideas.”

“Or rogues,” Andrew barked from the door. Raking a hand through his black, silver-shocked hair, he walked into the room, a dark look on his face. “I still don’t like the idea of all of this.”

Rae offered him a small smile. It was rather endearing how protective he’d become. She’d never had an older brother. There was Drake, of course, but one couldn’t have too many older brother sorts, could they? Besides, Drake always took Juliet’s side and went along with her matchmaking schemes. Save yesterday, Andrew had stayed firmly in Rae’s court. So…if she were forced by facing certain tortuous death to make a choice between the two, Andrew would edge Drake out. But only by a hair.

“I’ll be all right,” she assured them. “I’ll be to Crumbles around nightfall—by then it’ll be too late to hie off to Scotland.”

Neither Lord nor Lady Townson so much as cracked a smile. Rae bit her lip. Hard. That wasn’t the best thing to say.

“Brooke, I promised you that you’d be invited to my wedding, and for as unladylike as I might be, I keep my promises.”

Brooke reached over and patted her hand. “Thank you for reassuring me.” Her face softened and a smile threatened to overtake her lips. “Perhaps you should stay a few more days so I may help you pick out your trousseau.”

“It’d be a shame to waste gauze on a smithy,” Andrew commented. “I’d think—”

“That Reynolds is waiting with the carriage,” Brooke interrupted, shooting her husband a sharp look.

He looked completely unashamed. “Sorry, love. I’m afraid you’re forcing me to spend so much time in the company of that reprobate who dares call himself my brother-in-law has made me less refined.”

Brooke snorted. “Don’t blame Benjamin. You haven’t been refined since the day I met you.”

Andrew arched a brow. “Are you taking credit for my being uncouth?”

“Perhaps,” she said with a shrug, standing. She patted Rae’s hand once again. “But just so we’re clear, you were unfit for mixed company before we ever met.”

Juliet’s response to Rae’s homecoming was not quite what Rae had imagined in the carriage.

“You’re here—” Juliet poked her head outside the front door of Crumbles— “alone?”

“Juliet, I’m sure she was safe,” Drake eased.

“Safe?” Juliet’s grey eyes flew wide and her hands flew to Rae’s shoulders, squeezing just a little harder than was comfortable. “Were you safe? The coachman didn’t do