Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,55

and eat treats in silence until now.

“Absolutely not!” Drake said, frowning. “You’re far too young to even be thinking about marriage.”

“Oh, Papa, even I dream about marriage,” Kate, said, a wistful expression on her face.

Helena, who was barely ten, nodded, the same wistful expression on her face.

Drake’s face darkened and he scowled at the pair. “Juliet,” he said between his clenched teeth.

Juliet patted his knee then interlaced her fingers with his. “Girls spin dreams of marriage. It’s what we do.”

Rae snorted. “Not this one.”

“You most certainly did when you were their ages,” Juliet corrected.

“Well, I have no grand disillusion that I’d like the institution now and I have no desire to go back to London to join the husband hunt.”

“And there’s no reason for you to,” came a soft baritone from the door.

All eyes shot to the owner of that voice: Simon. He wore a black, crumpled coat and breeches, a gold waistcoat, a white shirt, and a sad, floppy cravat. Beside him stood a boy Rae had never seen before.

“Mr. Appleton.” Juliet smiled to try to cover the shock on her face. “To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?”

“Would it be all right if I speak to Rae?” Though his question was meant for Juliet and Drake, his eyes were locked with Rae’s.

“Of course.” Drake made a sweeping motion toward the middle of the room with his open hand.

“Alone.”

Juliet was off her bottom in less than a heartbeat. Drake was not. His large, tanned hand reached for his wife, staying her. “No.”

Simon swung his gaze to him. “My intentions are honorable.”

Rae couldn’t say why, but his words irritated her. Did he think he could just waltz into her sister’s drawing room after leaving abruptly almost a week before and suddenly everything would be all right between them and she’d be ecstatic that he’d just declared to Drake that his intentions were honorable? She mouthed a quick, thank you to Drake, suddenly not wanting anyone to leave.

“You had something to say, did you not?” Drake asked, piercing Simon with his steely blue eyes.

Simon shifted uncomfortably.

“He wants to ask you to marry him,” announced the young man standing at Simon’s side.

“Seth,” Simon hissed, his face turning a dark red.

The boy, Seth, shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

“And do you always speak the truth, young man?” Juliet asked, her lips twitching.

Seth, who wore clothes as crumpled as Simon’s, puffed out his chest. “Of course I do. What would you like to know?”

“What do you want to share?” Juliet asked.

“That might not be a good question to ask, Lady Drakely.” Simon clapped a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Seth here is like a volcano, once he starts chatting, he won’t stop.”

“I think I’ve found a new friend.” Juliet patted a small space on the settee next to her.

Rae wanted to roll her eyes. She refrained.

“All right, young man, tell me everything you know, and I’ll ring for you as many treats as you think you can eat,” Juliet said.

From the corner of her eye, Rae noticed that a bead of sweat had formed on Simon’s forehead. She’d feel compassion for him for what Juliet was about to put him through, and yet… He’d left her without so much of a word of explanation or a promise to return. He’d hurt her, cut right through her. And while she might love him, seeing him just now didn’t magically make everything that had happened dissolve.

Love?

The blood drained from her face. Did she love Simon? She must or his absence wouldn’t have been so devastating to her.

She pushed the notion from her mind and forced all of her attention on Seth.

“Well…” The nervous young lad licked his lips then threw a glance over his shoulder to look at Simon. “Er… Perhaps that’s not a good idea.” He dropped his voice to a stage whisper. “My mama doesn't know I’ve come here so she won’t know where to look for my body.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Simon burst out. “I promised I’d return you safely and I will. Besides, you’re not the one I’m inclined to throttle at the moment.”

“Oh, dear, that wouldn’t be me, would it?” Juliet asked in mock innocence, bringing her hand up to her chest.

“No. It’s the beast you’ve shackled yourself to for the rest of your natural life.”

Drake’s only response was to grin like a simpleton as Seth blurted out his explanation.

“There’s really nothing more to tell, ma’am,” Seth said. “Uncle Simon—” he jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of where