again the moment Roman left the room.
Roman ignored that, too. He meandered in the direction of two desks set at right angles, where his heir was holding court.
“Am I late?” he asked Tony without apology, as though he hadn’t seen his brother’s scribbled order to come to Devon without delay.
Tony mocked him with a shake of his head. “Silly me. I thought you’d care to know the details of your deliverance.”
Roman strolled to Tony’s empty desk and leaned against the edge of it. Tony hated it when Roman sat on the edge of his desk.
“Oh?” Roman feigned indifference. “Did you find the old boundary map?”
Tony reached forward and retrieved a pamphlet. In bold letters across the front it read: Ladies’ Companion Magazine .
A cold hand squeezed Roman’s stomach. There was only one reason for his brother to keep up with tales from London.
Tony didn’t deign to look at the cover of the scandal sheet. He didn’t need to. His displeasure conveyed his desire to talk about the contents. “Please tell me you’ve made her an offer.”
Roman folded his arms across his chest. Immediately, he realized it made him look defensive, but it was too late to correct his posture without drawing attention to it. “Fortunately for me, she refused my suit. Now, about the boundary map—”
Tony wasn’t the sort to lose his temper. But he did have a way of looking disillusioned that made Roman feel as though he’d kicked a puppy. “She was caught en dishabille with you, and you want me to believe she didn’t jump at the chance to become your marchioness?”
Bart’s bark of disbelief did nothing to improve Roman’s mood.
“Are you implying I didn’t ask her?”
“Well, that has been your modus operandi, hasn’t it?” Tony leaned back in his chair. Roman’s chair. “This isn’t the first time. It’s not even the second. And, what with the way you upbraided Constantine for doing right by his pregnant mistress, marrying a girl you’ve ruined would be something of a change of heart.”
Tony’s disdain challenged Roman to test him again. “You know nothing of my heart.”
Tony squinted as if trying to decipher Roman’s mood. “So this isn’t just another scandal? You do mean to make Miss Lancester your wife?”
Blast it all, was her name really in the article? He was outraged on her behalf. “Confounded gossips. At least Miss Lancester might have been mentioned anonymously. Dragging an innocent’s name through the—”
“She wasn’t named,” Tony cut in. “How many schoolteachers in Bath do you think are sisters of our neighbor?”
Roman came to his feet. “That’s rather specific!”
Tony tossed the magazine toward him. “Are you telling me you haven’t read it? If I were you, I’d want to know what’s being said.”
Roman tossed it back. “I remember what happened.” Too late, he realized he could have given a less incriminating response.
Tony didn’t disguise his satisfaction. “Finally. With all the young ladies packed off to the country before her, I had no idea what I should think. Miss Lancester is almost family. I’m relieved you’re willing to accept responsibility this time.”
In three steps Roman towered over his brother. “Miss Lancester is the only one there has ever been. And don’t go lecturing me on responsibility. She didn’t want me .”
“Does she know how charming you are?” Bart drawled from the couch.
Roman scowled. She knew exactly how charming he was. “She may resent me if she likes. You all may think me a right cur. There is no defense for my actions.” He returned to the edge of Tony’s desk. Sitting was out of the question, but leaning gave him the pretense of control.
“There isn’t,” Tony stated flatly. “That doesn’t mean you wash your hands of her. She’s destroyed in the eyes of the beau monde . Unless she marries you .”
Roman’s heart turned over. “I already told you, she will not have me. There is nothing left but
Roman ignored that, too. He meandered in the direction of two desks set at right angles, where his heir was holding court.
“Am I late?” he asked Tony without apology, as though he hadn’t seen his brother’s scribbled order to come to Devon without delay.
Tony mocked him with a shake of his head. “Silly me. I thought you’d care to know the details of your deliverance.”
Roman strolled to Tony’s empty desk and leaned against the edge of it. Tony hated it when Roman sat on the edge of his desk.
“Oh?” Roman feigned indifference. “Did you find the old boundary map?”
Tony reached forward and retrieved a pamphlet. In bold letters across the front it read: Ladies’ Companion Magazine .
A cold hand squeezed Roman’s stomach. There was only one reason for his brother to keep up with tales from London.
Tony didn’t deign to look at the cover of the scandal sheet. He didn’t need to. His displeasure conveyed his desire to talk about the contents. “Please tell me you’ve made her an offer.”
Roman folded his arms across his chest. Immediately, he realized it made him look defensive, but it was too late to correct his posture without drawing attention to it. “Fortunately for me, she refused my suit. Now, about the boundary map—”
Tony wasn’t the sort to lose his temper. But he did have a way of looking disillusioned that made Roman feel as though he’d kicked a puppy. “She was caught en dishabille with you, and you want me to believe she didn’t jump at the chance to become your marchioness?”
Bart’s bark of disbelief did nothing to improve Roman’s mood.
“Are you implying I didn’t ask her?”
“Well, that has been your modus operandi, hasn’t it?” Tony leaned back in his chair. Roman’s chair. “This isn’t the first time. It’s not even the second. And, what with the way you upbraided Constantine for doing right by his pregnant mistress, marrying a girl you’ve ruined would be something of a change of heart.”
Tony’s disdain challenged Roman to test him again. “You know nothing of my heart.”
Tony squinted as if trying to decipher Roman’s mood. “So this isn’t just another scandal? You do mean to make Miss Lancester your wife?”
Blast it all, was her name really in the article? He was outraged on her behalf. “Confounded gossips. At least Miss Lancester might have been mentioned anonymously. Dragging an innocent’s name through the—”
“She wasn’t named,” Tony cut in. “How many schoolteachers in Bath do you think are sisters of our neighbor?”
Roman came to his feet. “That’s rather specific!”
Tony tossed the magazine toward him. “Are you telling me you haven’t read it? If I were you, I’d want to know what’s being said.”
Roman tossed it back. “I remember what happened.” Too late, he realized he could have given a less incriminating response.
Tony didn’t disguise his satisfaction. “Finally. With all the young ladies packed off to the country before her, I had no idea what I should think. Miss Lancester is almost family. I’m relieved you’re willing to accept responsibility this time.”
In three steps Roman towered over his brother. “Miss Lancester is the only one there has ever been. And don’t go lecturing me on responsibility. She didn’t want me .”
“Does she know how charming you are?” Bart drawled from the couch.
Roman scowled. She knew exactly how charming he was. “She may resent me if she likes. You all may think me a right cur. There is no defense for my actions.” He returned to the edge of Tony’s desk. Sitting was out of the question, but leaning gave him the pretense of control.
“There isn’t,” Tony stated flatly. “That doesn’t mean you wash your hands of her. She’s destroyed in the eyes of the beau monde . Unless she marries you .”
Roman’s heart turned over. “I already told you, she will not have me. There is nothing left but
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