Tall, Duke, and Dangerous (Hazards of Dukes #2) - Megan Frampton Page 0,74

intention of marrying her, or are you upset that I might intend to marry her? You two are damned hard to read.”

Sebastian snorted. “As though you aren’t impossible to read. We don’t know what is going on. Nash, can you explain it to us?”

“Why should I?” Nash glanced between Sebastian and Thaddeus, his ire growing by the second.

Not that he knew why he was so damned mad, except that he did not like being scolded by his friends.

“Because Ana Maria is under my protection, and she has many suitors.” Thaddeus spoke in his most pedantic manner, and Nash’s fists curled in automatic response. “We are concerned that she will not give herself the opportunity to know any of these suitors if she is with you all the time. I know many of them are in earnest, they send her roomfuls of flowers.”

Nash gave Thaddeus a disbelieving look. “As though any of them are worth a tenth of her.” He pointed an accusing finger at Thaddeus. “Do you know one of those suitors tried to compromise her? It was a good thing I was around!”

“Ana Maria can handle herself,” Sebastian replied. “She always has.”

“But she has not always been a young lady in Society,” Nash retorted. “She knows how to clean floors and wash windows, but not how to protect herself when some fatuous lord decides she’d better become his bride.”

“That’s why we’re here.” Thaddeus leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, glaring at Nash.

Who glared back.

“I trust Thaddeus to take care of Ana Maria.”

The words fell onto Nash like a pile of rocks. His anger felt as though it had just sparked to flame with the tinder of Sebastian’s words.

“You don’t trust me,” he growled.

Sebastian held his hand up. “Look, we all know there is no one better in a fight than you. But that is not what is happening now. I don’t recall the last time I’ve seen you at a respectable party, and yet you’ve been attending them this past month. Why? To find a bride? To watch over my sister? You are so damned oblique, I have no idea what you’re thinking.” It was a common refrain. Sebastian had been saying the same thing since they’d become friends so many years ago. And Nash couldn’t say it was because Sebastian hadn’t asked; he always asked, long after Nash had clamped his mouth shut and refused to say another word.

Damn it. There was an ultimate price to pay for not speaking. And now he couldn’t possibly tell them how he felt about her. Not because it was wrong or inappropriate, but because he simply didn’t know, and he didn’t want to expose his confused state to them.

“You don’t have to tell me why you’re there, acting very un-Nash-like. Dancing with ladies, wearing a cravat, not getting into fights.” Sebastian sounded wary as well as amused. “But one thing you don’t have to do is watch over Ana Maria. Thaddeus has to take his place in Society, and part of his duties is to ensure Ana Maria gets as much opportunity as she can. If people see her with you too often”—he paused, then took a deep breath—“well, they’ll be too intimidated by you to even approach her for anything.” His voice softened. “Ana Maria doesn’t have many friends.”

She has me.

“Even if it weren’t about finding the right husband for her, I’d want her to have the space to find friends, ladies in her own class.”

Nash growled. “Because her friends in the servant class don’t count?” He glared at Sebastian and Thad. “I’d expect that kind of snobbery from the ex-duke here, but not from the military man. Isn’t that where men go who have only their mettle as wealth?”

Thaddeus shifted uncomfortably.

“Be reasonable, Nash.”

As if I could.

“You are supposed to be finding a woman to marry yourself,” Sebastian said. “You don’t have to spend time with Ana Maria just because of your protective instincts.”

“Besides which, the more you hang around her, the less her other suitors will think they have a chance.”

Sebastian turned to glower at Thaddeus, who shrugged.

“What? That’s the point, isn’t it? That we think Ana Maria will be happiest when she is married?”

“Have you asked her?” Nash stared at both of them, seeing their sudden discomfort. “You haven’t.”

Not that he had asked her when he’d insisted on teaching her self-defense, but he had asked her when he kissed her. And touched her. And brought her to climax.

“I can believe Thaddeus wants