Page 12 of The Governess’ Unlikely Suitor (The Dashworth Brothers #2)

E dward tried to focus on what Elgar Barnhouse was telling him, something to do with politics and the state of the highways.

Perhaps if the man, a gentle soul with a pleasing manner, had been talking about something else, Edward would have been able to keep his attention on the man’s face but then again, probably not.

Emily had somehow produced a blue dress for Kate.

It wasn’t pale blue, but a rich, deep colour that showed off the creaminess of her skin and clung to her curves in a way that captured his attention and, infuriatingly, that of most of the other men in the room too.

Her hairstyle accentuated her long neck and the loose tendril resting against her cheek was so enticing, his fingers ached with the urge to twine it around them.

‘You are staring.’ Edward jumped as Christopher spoke into his ear. He glanced around; Barnhouse had clearly noticed his inattention to the conversation and had moved on to talk with other people, who were responding to him, even laughing at something the man said.

‘I am not,’ he replied to his brother, although why he argued he had no idea. They both knew he was lying. ‘Do not be absurd.’

‘You cannot even face me when I am talking to you.’

Grunting in acknowledgement that he was guilty of what Christopher accused, he managed to look away from where Kate was making a married couple laugh with whatever anecdote she was regaling them with.

Pride swelled in his gut; pride he had no right to feel.

She wasn’t his and the only help he had given her hadn’t played a part in the evening yet.

Holding her own in the conversation had nothing to do with him or any of his family.

‘Well done, you must have managed all of ten seconds of not looking at her then.’

Edward sighed, turning his body so he was facing his brother and not Kate. ‘Is this better?’

‘Not really. Your look suggests you want to eviscerate me.’

‘Because you are damned irritating.’

Christopher’s eyes gleamed in the dim light of the room.

‘It is what brothers do best. Do you remember how we treated Freddie earlier this year? How good those times were and how, although we are both overjoyed for him that he has married the love of his life, we are both a bit flat now he is happy and teasing him is not as easy.’

Edward nodded, not liking where this was going.

‘Well, now I get to do it again, only this time, Freddie is on my side.’

‘This is nothing at all like what happened with Freddie.’ Christopher had the audacity to laugh.

‘It is not.’ Freddie had been in love with their neighbour since he was a boy, a fact that had been blindingly obvious to everyone except the two people involved.

Earlier this year, Freddie had finally managed to get her to marry him.

Watching him make a fool of himself before he had finally won Emily over had been very enjoyable indeed.

Edward and Christopher had really enjoyed the months during which Freddie had tortured himself, not missing an opportunity to make their older brother squirm.

This was an entirely different situation.

‘I am concerned for her welfare,’ he told his brother.

‘Do you not see how thin her wrists are?’

Christopher’s smile faded. ‘I did notice, yes.’

‘And did you see how hungry she was when we had cake together earlier? She could barely get it down her fast enough.’

Christopher shifted on his feet, the light in his eyes dimming. ‘She has obviously seen some difficult times.’

‘Quite.’

Taking a slow sip of the drink he was holding, Christopher asked, ‘So, you are feeling what… protective of her?’

‘Yes.’ The small hums of delight she had made when eating the sweet tarts earlier had made him want to make sure she had a lifetime of such simple pleasures.

Not to mention the way in which her eyes had rolled back in her head when she had eaten the bread.

He couldn’t remember if he had experienced bliss like that from eating, or from anything really.

Never having faced true deprivation or experienced a prolonged period of abstinence, he’d never savoured anything in such depth.

He wanted to watch her as she discovered new things and he also wanted to run in the opposite direction before he became too captivated by her.

‘I see. There was me thinking the way you were staring at her was for some other reason, attraction say, when you were merely watching in case she got hungry.’

‘Do not be such a…’ he swallowed the strong insult that sat on the tip of his tongue ‘…muttonhead,’ he finished instead.

Christopher’s wolfish smile over the rim of his glass grated on his nerves.

‘I can see she is a beautiful woman. I am not going to deny that.’ Beautiful didn’t do her justice really; it was a weak word that did not describe the way she shone in this room full of people dressed in their finery. ‘I am not going to act on it either.’

‘I had a horrible feeling you were going to say some such nonsense. Why not?’

‘First of all, she does not like me.’ He didn’t blame her.

He’d been shocked by his visceral awareness of her.

When he had first laid eyes on her, it had seemed like Freddie, the best artist of them all, had drawn an image of the perfect woman from Edward’s dreams and had somehow imbued her with life.

Seeing her, he had acted as though he had been slapped around the face with a wet fish, such was the shock.

He had been surly and grumpy and she had not been able to look at him.

Hopefully, he’d redeemed himself this afternoon.

As she’d eaten, he’d shown he was capable of basic manners.

Her shoulders had slowly relaxed and the haunted look in her eyes had faded.

‘You did act a bit dicked in the nob when you first met, but I bet she came round when she saw her cake cut into a fish.’ Christopher’s smile was sly.

‘How do you know about that?’ Edward had waited until the footmen carrying the food had gone before shaping the food in a whimsical way.

He had done it to make her laugh and put her at ease.

It had broken some of the tension between them, for which he was grateful, but he hadn’t done it with the express purpose of seducing her.

He was not going to act on his attraction, even as strong as it was. There were too many reasons not to.

‘I have my ways,’ said Christopher loftily, ‘but do go on. I want details of all the reasons you are going to make life difficult for yourself over the next few months.’

‘She is going to live with us for the foreseeable future. If I were to make it known I think she is the most beautiful woman to ever walk the planet, how awkward do you think it would make her feel if she didn’t reciprocate my feelings?

’ He shuddered as he remembered Bridget’s words before he shoved them to one side, ruthlessly banishing them once more.

He was no longer a green boy with foolish notions about love.

‘Huh,’ Christopher grunted, some of the amusement fading from his eyes.

‘We swore to her brother we would look after her.’

His brother nodded, more humour fading.

‘But even if none of those things were a factor, she is dependent on us. If I kissed her and she kissed me back, how would I know if she was doing it because she wanted to or if she thought she had no other option because otherwise she would be out on the streets? The power imbalance makes it impossible. Did Tobias ever give you that lecture?’

Christopher’s shoulders drooped theatrically. ‘He did and it was mortifying for the both of us, especially when it has never been a problem for me. Damn it all, why do you have to be so sensible? Where is my fun in that?’

‘It is a young woman’s life. Imagine if she were Charlotte. What would we do to men if they were toying with her for their own amusement?’

‘Kill them.’ Christopher’s vehement statement made Edward smile. ‘I see what you are saying,’ Christopher continued, ‘and I agree with you, but to be clear, it was not Kate I was being flippant about. I would never be such a cad. You are the one I want to tease mercilessly.’

Edward clapped his brother on the shoulder. ‘I thank you for that, Brother dear. But it is one and the same, is it not?’

Emily joined them before Christopher could reply.

‘It is time to go in for dinner. Edward, I have put you next to Kate.’ He was about to protest, to let his sister-in-law know he was onto their matchmaking schemes and he wanted no part of it, but she continued.

‘On the other side, I thought Alexander Wright might be someone with whom she would enjoy talking. He is a kind soul with a gentle wit I think she will find amusing.’ She leaned closer.

‘I have also heard he is on the lookout for a wife and I do not think he is stuck-up. She could do worse.’

Something heavy was sitting on Edward’s lungs, making it difficult for him to speak.

He nodded instead. Alexander was a good man, not so high in step he would look down on a vicar’s daughter and he was wealthy enough for him not to be a fortune-hunter.

Curse the man; there was nothing wrong with him at all.

Emily took the slight bob of his head as acquiescence and wandered off to perform her hostess duties. Christopher slapped him on the back, his grin telling Edward his brother knew exactly how tight Edward was holding himself after Emily’s earth-shattering statement.

Before dinner was announced, he made his way over to Kate. The polite smile she gave him didn’t reveal whether she was pleased to see him or not.

‘I am to lead you into dinner,’ he said.

‘Ah,’ was all she said in response.

‘How have you found the evening thus far?’

‘I think I have passed muster. The delightful couple I was speaking to discussed something that happened last season. I did not see the event but I have heard reports and I think I did not make a fool of myself. Time will tell, I guess.’