don’t, and I was raised to stand in the presence of a lady. I’m dead tired and my shoulder feels like it’s on fire. Sit down, Jess, or I won’t tell you a thing. If we are going to have this conversation, it is going to be a civilized affair without fists, fireplace pokers or insults. Understand?”
Her soft mouth tightened. “I’m not a child.”
“No,” he agreed readily—too readily. “You are not a child any longer. I concede the point.”
There was no question she understood the innuendo. Her cheeks grew pink as she stared at him. Then, as if to prove she wasn’t afraid of him, she walked across the room and sank gracefully into one of the chairs facing the desk, tucking her bare feet under her sweeping skirts.
He poured a fair measure from the brandy bottle into a crystal glass and reached over to hand it to her.
“I don’t want that,” she objected, sitting very upright, refusing it.
“Take it. Trust me, you might need it.”
Her fingers closed around the glass. “But I haven’t eaten since…”
He stopped in the act of releasing the glass, their fingers almost touching. Alex stared at her. “Since when? Are you hungry? I’m sure I—”
“Don’t pretend to be concerned.”
He couldn’t control how his face tightened in annoyance. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“Never mind. Just give it to me.” She accepted the snifter and cupped it in her slender fingers. “I am sure if you looked around at all you’d also doubt there is a scrap of food left here anyway. I’ll survive.”
Yes, she would. Jessica had always had a remarkable spirit and sense of independence. That he could not deny.
So he might as well just tell her plainly.
Alex sank back down. “All right, the truth is simple. Your brother sold me the house to cover his most immediate debts. I was in London on my way back here from Spain and heard he was planning to sell it, so I made him an offer. He accepted it. The papers have been signed. He glossed over the extent of the desecration as far as the furnishings go when he listed the contents of the house, but he probably didn’t want to admit it and chance I might back out.”
Jessica didn’t blink at the explanation. Now that the initial shock had passed, she wasn’t surprised, he realized. It was easy to imagine that long ago she ceased to expect much from her brother. For that, he silently cursed Robert.
She said in a brittle little voice, “Well, I suppose I should be glad he didn’t wager it on a hand of cards.”
“Essentially, he did. He was in deep trouble, Jess.” He watched her take a cautious sip of brandy. “I’ve known a few men like him, men who couldn’t seem to control it, to stop the addiction. They are so sure the next card or toss of the dice will go their way. The excitement consumes them and they seem to lose perspective. Robert has always been one of those men. It was different when we were green boys in school and all he had was an allowance to squander. With a fortune at his carte blanche, I believe he could not control himself.”
Her eyes were shadowed. “I see. Did you buy the townhouse in London as well?”
“No. I don’t need it. I have my own apartments at the ducal residence there. I prefer the country anyway.”
Her lashes lowered slightly. “But it’s gone, isn’t it? The townhouse…no doubt everything. He must have sold it all before he would sell the estate. Just tell me the truth.”
He hesitated and then sighed. “Yes. From what I understand, you’re right.”
“What does he think we’re going to do?”
Alex leaned back in his chair. “Why are you worried? You are going to be married.”
Her averted profile was lovely, pure with a rare, ethereal, classic beauty. Her lips tightened and she stared at her glass. “I am supposed to be. I don’t suppose my dowry is left.”
“Would Greene be so shallow as to cry off because you no longer have a marriage portion?”
That brought her head up, those gray
Her soft mouth tightened. “I’m not a child.”
“No,” he agreed readily—too readily. “You are not a child any longer. I concede the point.”
There was no question she understood the innuendo. Her cheeks grew pink as she stared at him. Then, as if to prove she wasn’t afraid of him, she walked across the room and sank gracefully into one of the chairs facing the desk, tucking her bare feet under her sweeping skirts.
He poured a fair measure from the brandy bottle into a crystal glass and reached over to hand it to her.
“I don’t want that,” she objected, sitting very upright, refusing it.
“Take it. Trust me, you might need it.”
Her fingers closed around the glass. “But I haven’t eaten since…”
He stopped in the act of releasing the glass, their fingers almost touching. Alex stared at her. “Since when? Are you hungry? I’m sure I—”
“Don’t pretend to be concerned.”
He couldn’t control how his face tightened in annoyance. “I wasn’t pretending.”
“Never mind. Just give it to me.” She accepted the snifter and cupped it in her slender fingers. “I am sure if you looked around at all you’d also doubt there is a scrap of food left here anyway. I’ll survive.”
Yes, she would. Jessica had always had a remarkable spirit and sense of independence. That he could not deny.
So he might as well just tell her plainly.
Alex sank back down. “All right, the truth is simple. Your brother sold me the house to cover his most immediate debts. I was in London on my way back here from Spain and heard he was planning to sell it, so I made him an offer. He accepted it. The papers have been signed. He glossed over the extent of the desecration as far as the furnishings go when he listed the contents of the house, but he probably didn’t want to admit it and chance I might back out.”
Jessica didn’t blink at the explanation. Now that the initial shock had passed, she wasn’t surprised, he realized. It was easy to imagine that long ago she ceased to expect much from her brother. For that, he silently cursed Robert.
She said in a brittle little voice, “Well, I suppose I should be glad he didn’t wager it on a hand of cards.”
“Essentially, he did. He was in deep trouble, Jess.” He watched her take a cautious sip of brandy. “I’ve known a few men like him, men who couldn’t seem to control it, to stop the addiction. They are so sure the next card or toss of the dice will go their way. The excitement consumes them and they seem to lose perspective. Robert has always been one of those men. It was different when we were green boys in school and all he had was an allowance to squander. With a fortune at his carte blanche, I believe he could not control himself.”
Her eyes were shadowed. “I see. Did you buy the townhouse in London as well?”
“No. I don’t need it. I have my own apartments at the ducal residence there. I prefer the country anyway.”
Her lashes lowered slightly. “But it’s gone, isn’t it? The townhouse…no doubt everything. He must have sold it all before he would sell the estate. Just tell me the truth.”
He hesitated and then sighed. “Yes. From what I understand, you’re right.”
“What does he think we’re going to do?”
Alex leaned back in his chair. “Why are you worried? You are going to be married.”
Her averted profile was lovely, pure with a rare, ethereal, classic beauty. Her lips tightened and she stared at her glass. “I am supposed to be. I don’t suppose my dowry is left.”
“Would Greene be so shallow as to cry off because you no longer have a marriage portion?”
That brought her head up, those gray
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