Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,51
more than anything.
But what about Rae?
What if she was taken? By him.
Simon’s pulse quickened and his jaw suddenly started to hurt. He idly rubbed his hand over the side of his face and forced himself to relax his face. From the corner of his eye, he saw the curious looks from Seth, Giles, and the vicar who’d apparently been waiting for them.
“You’ve got that look again, Uncle Simon,” Seth said as Giles and the vicar walked off.
Simon scowled at Seth and they both burst out with laughter at his attempt to be angry.
Unfortunately for Simon, that sick feeling in his gut and the pumping of his blood didn’t settle during the ceremony. With each smile Lucy favored on Giles, Simon’s pulse quickened and a new sort of jealousy for Giles formed within Simon. Giles knew what he wanted from the moment he arrived at Lucy’s house in Shrewsbury and he’d been persistent about it ever since. Even Giles, who spoke slowly and direct, could discern when his heart had been claimed and didn’t rest until he’d claimed hers as well.
“Repeat after me,” the minister began, turning to Lucy. The way the couple was positioned and from where Simon observed, he hadn’t been able to see Giles’ face for most of the ceremony—only Lucy’s.
She peeked up at her groom from beneath her lashes, a faint blush staining her cheeks and a smile as wide as the Thames on her lips as she repeated her vows to love, honor, and cherish Giles for the remainder of her natural life.
Simon narrowed his eyes on her. She meant those words; there was no doubt about it. She loved Giles more than anyone. He nearly snorted and coughed to cover it up then turned his face away from the questioning eyes that had fastened upon him. One of which were the curious eyes of Seth. Of course.
When Lucy finally finished her vows and the vicar declared her forever attached to Giles, Simon sighed with relief—and then received a sharp look from his mother. He mouthed a quick apology. She didn’t look swayed, but he didn’t give a damn about that right now. He had one mission and it didn’t include offering her an explanation.
Seth, however, couldn’t be ignored so easily.
“Did you eat some bad mushrooms last night, Uncle Simon?” Seth asked as soon as the handful of guests who consisted of his parents and Lord and Lady Belgrave formed a reception line for the bride and groom.
“Well, Seth, I think it’s time to take my own advice.”
Seth’s brows furrowed. “You’ve offered advice?”
Simon curled up his lip and wrinkled his nose. “Yes, to you,” he reminded him. “Not that you took it.”
“Then it must not have been good advice.” The way the corner of Seth’s mouth twitched gave him away.
“It was excellent advice, and you know it,” Simon said, tweaking the boy’s nose. He dropped his hand back to his side and took a deep breath. “Now, I just need to do it.”
“Do what?”
“Ask.”
“Ask who what?”
Simon bit his tongue. For as much as he liked Seth, he wasn’t certain he could be trusted not to blab Simon’s secret to Mother and Father while he stayed with them for a few days after the wedding. An idea formed and he pulled Seth to the side. “Say, how would you like to go on a little adventure with me instead of staying with your new Grandmama and Grandpapa?”
Seth twisted his bottom lip and sank his top teeth into it. “I don’t know. The last time you traveled, I found you bloodied and beaten and had to strip you naked and cover certain areas so Mother wouldn’t be scandalized when she took care of you.”
Simon forced a shrug and a sigh. “Being beaten within inches of your life is just a risk you’ll have to be willing to take to go on a secret adventure.”
Seth pursed and twisted his lips and cast a hesitant look over his left shoulder. “And where is the destination of this adventure?”
“A place every boy your age would love to go and explore. A place called Crumbles.”
20
Just as Simon had predicted, the word “Crumbles” hooked Seth’s interest and didn’t let go.
Fortunately, Seth didn’t blab the details to Giles or Lucy when he bade them farewell. Even more fortunate, he managed to keep his lips closed about their destination when Mother and Father had questioned them while coming to get Seth’s clothes.
“Perhaps you two should stay in London and have daily adventures,” Mother suggested.