Page 12 of The Duchess’s Absolutely Delightful Dream (The Notorious Briarwoods #14)
“I want you to let me have him, and I don’t want you or anyone to get in the way.”
A bleat of distress escaped Teague’s lips. “I can’t believe we’re discussing this,” he ground out.
“Well, we must,” Ellie said to her oldest brother, who had shepherded her through much in the last years.
He had taken her back to their family castle because she no longer wished to live in Hamish’s home.
As wonderful as it was, it was quiet and lonely, especially after the new duke had taken over.
She had little place there. Here at her family’s castle, she was happy.
And she loved being with her brothers, but not when they were overbearing.
“I’m not a wee lass,” she stated.
“Och, Ellie, I know you are not a little girl,” Teague said as he glanced out the windows of his office.
“Good. I’m glad we have an understanding.” She crossed to his desk. “He is the perfect man for me.”
Teague turned back to her and winced. “As your brother, I’m supposed to protect you from such men. He’s a rake.”
“He’s your friend,” she said.
“That makes it worse,” he exclaimed.
“Does it?” She queried. “Truly? Would you rather that I chose your enemy?”
Another groan escaped Teague’s lips. “Of course not.”
“Is he a bad man?” she asked simply, sympathetic to her brother’s position, but determined to point out that Octavian was a good choice for her.
“No,” he allowed. “He’s one of the best.”
She beamed. “Then there’s really nothing to complain about.”
He placed a hand over his eyes for a moment as if she was going to be the death of him. “Brothers are not supposed to condone their sisters having affairs,” he said.
“Why ever not?” she replied, her lips twitching. “Do I ever get in the way of any of your arrangements?”
He grimaced. “I did not know that you knew that I had arrangements.”
She snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I know that you’ve been off with maidens in haystacks for years.”
He looked defensive. “Not haystacks,” he said. “I wouldn’t stoop to that. Plus, I don’t take advantage of any of the local lasses,” he pointed out.
She laughed. “I know you’re a good man. And so is he, so he’s the perfect person for me to enjoy myself with.”
Another bleat of horror escaped his lips.
He seemed to be able to do nothing but bleat and let out notes of dismay.
“What?” She tsked. “Do you think that I am going to be a porcelain doll upon a shelf? Should I be like the crockery or those beautiful little figurines that mother and father liked to collect, cold and kept at a distance?”
“No, of course not, Ellie. You’re a full-grown woman, and I have no wish to get in the way of that.”
“Good. I’m a widow,” she pointed out. “Aren’t widows allowed to have fun?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “But just so you know, the brothers have already warned him off. Just a bit.”
She rolled her eyes. “What does that mean, ‘just a bit?’”
“No marriage,” he said. “Not to an Englishman. That’s what they said. Though I could care less, and they don’t really mean it. They like him. I like him. And I think that Octavian will understand that we meant there’s to be no taking advantage of you.”
“First of all,” she began as patiently as she could, “he would not be taking advantage of me. I’m the one who is pursuing him.”
“I didn’t need to know that,” Teague said, rolling his eyes.
“Fine. You don’t need to know anything except for the fact that you are not going to get in the way.
” She cleared her throat. “This is an extremely large castle and an extremely large estate. I’m an adult.
I can have a bit of fun in this life. You wouldn’t wish me to remain a perpetually lonely person, would you? ”
“No, Ellie,” he said softly. “Of course I wouldn’t. Truthfully though, I didn’t bring him here for you to have a merry bit of business with him. But if it’s what you want, I won’t stand in the way. As long as you promise not to break him.”
“Me?” she queried. “Break him? Don’t be ridiculous.”
He laughed softly. “I don’t know. That one needs help.”
“Then we should help him,” she said gently. “Perhaps I can help him.”
Her brother’s eyes grew dark with a mixture of sorrow and warning. “Don’t try to fix broken men, Ellie. It never ends well.”
“Right,” she returned. “That’s probably a good bit of advice.”
“It’s very good advice,” he said. “But if you do choose to have a bit of fun with him, I’ll look the other way, and I’ll tell our brothers to do the same.”
She smiled, relieved. “Good. I’m glad we have an understanding.”
He let out a long-suffering sigh. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
“What would you do to stop me, in any case?”
He ground his teeth. “You have a point there. And I think you are right. Better him than anyone else.”