Christopher’s eyes danced. ‘That is what is different. You have finally realised you are in love. It has taken you long enough.’
Was this love? It was certainly lust with very deep admiration. Did it truly matter if he didn’t know? He didn’t want her to be with anyone else and he wanted her with him. ‘How would I know if I do love her?’
‘Wanting to marry her is a fairly big clue, you lummox.’
‘What if all I am feeling is desire?’
‘Must we do this now?’ Christopher glanced at Edward’s face and groaned. ‘I can see by your face the answer to my question is yes. Damn it. I had things to do today which didn’t involve you having a crisis. Fine, let us see. Aside from the obvious, that you want to marry the chit, you never stop talking about her. You cannot take your eyes off her. You want to protect her at all costs, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find all the suitors who have called over the last few days have mysteriously been poisoned. I am no expert at love, having never experienced it myself, but I would guess you are in it. Does that help?’
Edward started walking again; the quicker reading this letter was over, the quicker he could go and ask Kate what she thought about the idea. He could not begin to guess at whether or not she would think his proposal a good one. Perhaps it would come out of the blue to her; she had never implied she wanted to marry him, but he could see no downside to asking. Aside from crushing disappointment if she denied him. A fissure opened up in his heart but he brushed it aside. There was no need to spiral down that path until it happened. ‘It did help, thank you.’
Christopher feigned a shocked double-take. ‘It did?’
‘I still do not know if this feeling is love. I guess I could ask Freddie but…’
‘I would not.’
‘Why?’
‘You know how he gets when he gets smug. He is unbearable.’
‘Why would he be smug if I asked him what it is like to love someone?’
‘Oh, you…’ Christopher began to walk quicker. ‘Why is this house so damned big? When one wants an escape from a conversation, it is almost impossible.’
‘Why would he be smug?’ Edward asked again. He’d tackle Christopher to the floor if he had to. What Christopher gained in youth, Edward would make up for in sheer determination to learn the truth.
‘Fine,’ said Christopher with a huge sigh. It was a shame his brother was born into the noble elite; he was dramatic enough for the stage. ‘I will tell you, but if Freddie asks, I put up a fight first. That first day, after you’d come back from visiting Kate, Fred told us all he had met your future wife.’
Edward paused for a moment to take that in; Christopher carried on walking without him. ‘I knew they were trying to set me up with her.’ Edward wondered if he should be cross at being manipulated, but another feeling was seeping through him, warming him from his heart outwards. It was something more than happiness, contentedness maybe, but even that was too weak a word for it.
Before he’d moved back in with his brothers, he’d not thought of them very much. He hadn’t cared they didn’t have a relationship. But now… now, he had an older brother who thought about him enough that when he’d met Kate he had arranged it so they would have time to get to know one another properly. He had done it because he wanted Edward to be happy and that was more than all the gold in the world.
Christopher turned a corner and briefly disappeared out of sight. Edward jogged to catch up to him. ‘What do you think Tobias will think?’
‘Will it make any difference to your course of action?’
‘No.’ It wouldn’t, he realised. Now he knew for sure he wanted to make Kate his in every way, his course of action was clear and nobody was going to stop him. ‘I only wonder because she is not one of us. Do you think him too lofty to accept her as family? It’s something she already worries about and I would not want him to be anything less than welcoming.’
‘You are asking rather a lot of our brother there. He is not warm at the best of times, but for what it is worth, I do not think he is stuck-up, only quiet and reserved.’
They couldn’t discuss it any more as they had arrived at Tobias’ office. As warm-hearted with his brothers as he was feeling, Edward was not prone to talking about his emotions in front of other people, especially Tobias.
Freddie was lounging in a chair, smiling like he did not have a care in the world. Edward knew his brother could not read, not for want of trying, and this relaxed attitude was adopted whenever something involving reading was introduced into the mix. Edward wished his brother didn’t feel the need to act in such a way in front of them, but he supposed it would be a while before Freddie got over the embarrassment he seemed to feel at what he perceived to be a failing. As Edward moved over to the desk and smoothed out a crumpled newspaper, he guessed Freddie wasn’t the only one with habits that were not quite the norm and that were hard to break.
‘What does the letter say?’ asked Christopher, making himself comfortable on a wingback chair.
‘We haven’t opened it yet,’ replied Freddie. ‘We were waiting for you. What took you so long?’
Edward waited for Christopher to reveal his secrets, but his younger brother just shrugged and said, ‘This is a ridiculously big house. It takes an age to get anywhere.’
‘Edward.’
‘Yes,’ he said to his oldest brother, who was sitting behind his desk, his expression as blank as ever.
‘It is addressed to you.’ Tobias held out the letter for him to take. ‘There is one for Miss Hornel, too, should you wish to give it to her.’ Edward took both envelopes, sliding the one for Kate into his jacket pocket, ignoring Freddie’s knowing look. His brother may have done him the biggest favour anyone had ever done for him, but Christopher was right about him being smug; it was damned annoying.
He pulled open the letter and read it out loud for the benefit of his brothers.
