better be important,” Benjamin ground out after Brooke followed her sister out.
“It is,” Townson said, sitting back down. “You realize she’s scared of you, don’t you?”
“Why?” Benjamin demanded, flabbergasted. “She has no reason to be scared of me. I’ve never done anything to her to make her scared.”
Townson raised an eyebrow at him.
“All right, with the exception of last night, I’ve never done anything to affect her so,” he allowed.
“Really?” Townson drawled. “You don’t think she might fear you because you hired a man to ruin her sister and send her to flee the continent?”
Benjamin snorted. “You’re the man I hired and she seems to trust you just fine.”
“That’s because I’ve proven myself to her,” Townson countered. “She’s spent enough time in my company for her to know she has nothing to fear from me.”
“What are you suggesting?” Benjamin asked, knowing he probably wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Court her,” Townson returned with a shrug. “She barely knows you. Let her stay here at night and take her out during the day so she can get to know you. Take her for a ride in the park or the British Museum. Just spend time with her and let her learn she can trust you.”
“Absolutely not,” Benjamin said firmly. “She’s my wife. I’ll not have rumors circulating we’re living apart after only a day.”
“What if we go to Rockhurst?”
“If I don’t want her to live separate from me in London, what makes you think I’d let her go there?” Benjamin countered, crossing his arms.
“We’ll all go,” Andrew returned, folding his hands and resting them in his lap. “She can stay at Rockhurst and you can stay in the gamekeeper’s cottage.”
“Excuse me?” Why was he being made to stay in the gamekeeper’s cottage while his wife was to be a guest in a house that he knew had to have at least seventy five bedchambers?
Andrew shrugged. “I’ve just renovated it. What’s the problem?”
“I don’t care about how quaint the cottage is. I want to know why I’m to stay in it while Madison is kept somewhere else,” he said defensively.
“Because it’s what I’m offering,” Andrew said, his lips twitching.
“You’re enjoying this too much,” Benjamin ground out. This is the payback he got for what he put Andrew through last spring when he’d hired him to ruin Brooke. Damn if life didn’t have a way to sneak up on a person and bite them in the arse.
“Anyway,” Andrew continued, “you’ll be close enough to see her every day and nobody will be none the wiser.”
Benjamin ground his teeth. He wanted her back right now. He didn’t want to court her. But what if Townson was right? They all knew she wouldn’t be happy about going home with him today. Would she be more accepting of him if he played her game and courted her?
“Fine,” he ground out at last. “But if one word of this leaks, she’ll be back in my home before nightfall. Am I clear?”
Townson nodded. “Would you like to tell her or shall I?
“I will.”
Chapter 5
Madison blinked. That’s all she could do. She’d once again been rendered speechless by her husband. He seemed to have a knack for this sort of thing.
He wanted to court her? Surely she’d misheard him. Was this the same man that was so cruel to her last night and demanded she return to his home at once not more than ten minutes ago? “Could you please repeat that, sir? I’m quite certain I misheard,” she said.
Now it was his turn to blink at her. Opening his eyes after an extended blink, he calmly said, “First, please don’t call me ‘sir’. I admit it’s slightly better than Your Grace or Gateway, but not much. Yesterday you called me Benjamin, and I would like you to continue. Second, you did not misunderstand. I would like to court you.”
“Why?” she asked, uncertainty filling her voice. Why did the man want to court her? Couldn’t he just leave her alone? Many
“It is,” Townson said, sitting back down. “You realize she’s scared of you, don’t you?”
“Why?” Benjamin demanded, flabbergasted. “She has no reason to be scared of me. I’ve never done anything to her to make her scared.”
Townson raised an eyebrow at him.
“All right, with the exception of last night, I’ve never done anything to affect her so,” he allowed.
“Really?” Townson drawled. “You don’t think she might fear you because you hired a man to ruin her sister and send her to flee the continent?”
Benjamin snorted. “You’re the man I hired and she seems to trust you just fine.”
“That’s because I’ve proven myself to her,” Townson countered. “She’s spent enough time in my company for her to know she has nothing to fear from me.”
“What are you suggesting?” Benjamin asked, knowing he probably wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Court her,” Townson returned with a shrug. “She barely knows you. Let her stay here at night and take her out during the day so she can get to know you. Take her for a ride in the park or the British Museum. Just spend time with her and let her learn she can trust you.”
“Absolutely not,” Benjamin said firmly. “She’s my wife. I’ll not have rumors circulating we’re living apart after only a day.”
“What if we go to Rockhurst?”
“If I don’t want her to live separate from me in London, what makes you think I’d let her go there?” Benjamin countered, crossing his arms.
“We’ll all go,” Andrew returned, folding his hands and resting them in his lap. “She can stay at Rockhurst and you can stay in the gamekeeper’s cottage.”
“Excuse me?” Why was he being made to stay in the gamekeeper’s cottage while his wife was to be a guest in a house that he knew had to have at least seventy five bedchambers?
Andrew shrugged. “I’ve just renovated it. What’s the problem?”
“I don’t care about how quaint the cottage is. I want to know why I’m to stay in it while Madison is kept somewhere else,” he said defensively.
“Because it’s what I’m offering,” Andrew said, his lips twitching.
“You’re enjoying this too much,” Benjamin ground out. This is the payback he got for what he put Andrew through last spring when he’d hired him to ruin Brooke. Damn if life didn’t have a way to sneak up on a person and bite them in the arse.
“Anyway,” Andrew continued, “you’ll be close enough to see her every day and nobody will be none the wiser.”
Benjamin ground his teeth. He wanted her back right now. He didn’t want to court her. But what if Townson was right? They all knew she wouldn’t be happy about going home with him today. Would she be more accepting of him if he played her game and courted her?
“Fine,” he ground out at last. “But if one word of this leaks, she’ll be back in my home before nightfall. Am I clear?”
Townson nodded. “Would you like to tell her or shall I?
“I will.”
Chapter 5
Madison blinked. That’s all she could do. She’d once again been rendered speechless by her husband. He seemed to have a knack for this sort of thing.
He wanted to court her? Surely she’d misheard him. Was this the same man that was so cruel to her last night and demanded she return to his home at once not more than ten minutes ago? “Could you please repeat that, sir? I’m quite certain I misheard,” she said.
Now it was his turn to blink at her. Opening his eyes after an extended blink, he calmly said, “First, please don’t call me ‘sir’. I admit it’s slightly better than Your Grace or Gateway, but not much. Yesterday you called me Benjamin, and I would like you to continue. Second, you did not misunderstand. I would like to court you.”
“Why?” she asked, uncertainty filling her voice. Why did the man want to court her? Couldn’t he just leave her alone? Many
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