meet the one who raises it later?”
“Not happening, brother. And don’t think Jane didn’t try that one on me. Said she’d stand down if it happened. Like it’s going to happen. No worries there.”
There were several pairs of raised eyebrows around the circle. Michael sipped thoughtfully. “Guess we can’t expect you to go through life alone, but. . . .”
“Look,” Kemble said, staring around the circle of male concern. “I proposed to Jane. I’m standing by that, so don’t try to talk me out of it.”
“Not trying to talk you out of it, buddy,” Michael said. “Just want to be sure you do right by her.”
Really? A guy who only married into the family was giving him grief? “I’ll be a faithful husband, Michael,” he gritted out.
“I don’t think Michael was questioning your fidelity, Kemble,” his father said. “We just want to be sure this is something that will make you both happy.”
They were worried about happy? Kemble ran a hand through his hair. This wasn’t about happy. Happy was having somebody who was your soul mate, your destiny, who had magic in her genes that matched your magic. The best he could hope for and the best he could probably give Jane was contentment. But, damn it, contentment was more than most people had. What did they all want from him? “Jane needs to get away from her mother. She needs a place of her own. You don’t know what she’s been living with because none of us ever bothered to find out. Well, I can get her out of that mess. I can protect her, give her a life, make sure she feels like she belongs to the family. I’ll care for her, respect her, give her everything she needs.” And that was that. They’d better get used to it.
“What about you?” Tristram growled.
“It is what it is.” Now he was getting really angry. “Look, I’ve been looking for magic for nearly twenty years and been disappointed every damned day when I didn’t find it. Game over. I just want to get off the merry-go-round. That’s what will make me happy.” He thought of another awful possibility. “And don’t any of you start badgering Jane. It’s not like she trapped me into this because she wanted me to take care of her problems. And she isn’t a ngling to be a Tremaine because she wants money or security. If you know anything about Jane, you know she isn’t capable of that. She was as surprised as any of you when I asked her.”
Senior gave the others in the circle a hard stare and they all looked down or away in the face of it. He took a sip of his Scotch. “We want for you what you want, son. And you know we love Jane. She’s already part of the family.” He raised his glass. “To the sanctity of marriage, and all its many benefits.”
Recovering, Michael and Tristram exchanged wicked grins and clinked glasses.
“Hear, hear,” Michael said.
“To the benefits,” Tristram agreed.
Their joy in their own relationships was another slash at Kemble’s heart.
Kemble raised his glass slowly. He realized they would accept this just because they loved Jane and didn’t want to cause her any pain. Okay. He’d take that. He lifted his glass and clinked with the other four. “To Jane,” he said.
“To Jane,” the rumbling chorus echoed back.
First hurdle passed.
They all sipped their Scotch. “You know the women will want to make it a family expedition down to the courthouse tomorrow,” Kemble said to his father. “I’m leaving it to you to tell them why that’s not a good idea.”
“Oh, no,” his father said, shaking his head and smiling. “First you’ll have to talk them out of a full -scale wedding they want to have in six months so they can have all the fun of planning every detail. I take it you don’t plan to wait that long.”
“Absolutely not. It’s happening tomorrow, come hell or high water.”
Unless his mother had talked Jane out of it by then.
*****
“Now, everyone keep quiet while I take care of Jane,” Brina
“Not happening, brother. And don’t think Jane didn’t try that one on me. Said she’d stand down if it happened. Like it’s going to happen. No worries there.”
There were several pairs of raised eyebrows around the circle. Michael sipped thoughtfully. “Guess we can’t expect you to go through life alone, but. . . .”
“Look,” Kemble said, staring around the circle of male concern. “I proposed to Jane. I’m standing by that, so don’t try to talk me out of it.”
“Not trying to talk you out of it, buddy,” Michael said. “Just want to be sure you do right by her.”
Really? A guy who only married into the family was giving him grief? “I’ll be a faithful husband, Michael,” he gritted out.
“I don’t think Michael was questioning your fidelity, Kemble,” his father said. “We just want to be sure this is something that will make you both happy.”
They were worried about happy? Kemble ran a hand through his hair. This wasn’t about happy. Happy was having somebody who was your soul mate, your destiny, who had magic in her genes that matched your magic. The best he could hope for and the best he could probably give Jane was contentment. But, damn it, contentment was more than most people had. What did they all want from him? “Jane needs to get away from her mother. She needs a place of her own. You don’t know what she’s been living with because none of us ever bothered to find out. Well, I can get her out of that mess. I can protect her, give her a life, make sure she feels like she belongs to the family. I’ll care for her, respect her, give her everything she needs.” And that was that. They’d better get used to it.
“What about you?” Tristram growled.
“It is what it is.” Now he was getting really angry. “Look, I’ve been looking for magic for nearly twenty years and been disappointed every damned day when I didn’t find it. Game over. I just want to get off the merry-go-round. That’s what will make me happy.” He thought of another awful possibility. “And don’t any of you start badgering Jane. It’s not like she trapped me into this because she wanted me to take care of her problems. And she isn’t a ngling to be a Tremaine because she wants money or security. If you know anything about Jane, you know she isn’t capable of that. She was as surprised as any of you when I asked her.”
Senior gave the others in the circle a hard stare and they all looked down or away in the face of it. He took a sip of his Scotch. “We want for you what you want, son. And you know we love Jane. She’s already part of the family.” He raised his glass. “To the sanctity of marriage, and all its many benefits.”
Recovering, Michael and Tristram exchanged wicked grins and clinked glasses.
“Hear, hear,” Michael said.
“To the benefits,” Tristram agreed.
Their joy in their own relationships was another slash at Kemble’s heart.
Kemble raised his glass slowly. He realized they would accept this just because they loved Jane and didn’t want to cause her any pain. Okay. He’d take that. He lifted his glass and clinked with the other four. “To Jane,” he said.
“To Jane,” the rumbling chorus echoed back.
First hurdle passed.
They all sipped their Scotch. “You know the women will want to make it a family expedition down to the courthouse tomorrow,” Kemble said to his father. “I’m leaving it to you to tell them why that’s not a good idea.”
“Oh, no,” his father said, shaking his head and smiling. “First you’ll have to talk them out of a full -scale wedding they want to have in six months so they can have all the fun of planning every detail. I take it you don’t plan to wait that long.”
“Absolutely not. It’s happening tomorrow, come hell or high water.”
Unless his mother had talked Jane out of it by then.
*****
“Now, everyone keep quiet while I take care of Jane,” Brina
Similar Books
