“Right,” Edward nodded while circling his desk to perch on the edge and add a dash of milk to his drink, “What is it then?”
“I am breaking the courtship with Miss Alice,” Benedict admitted, forcing Edward to tighten his grip around the cup or it would surely slip from his hand.
Taking a sip, Edward carefully sat the cup down and calmly asked through the hammering in his ears. “Why?”
Sagging into the seat, Benedict rubbed his face. “I feel that there is no connection between us, not the one a couple heading to marriage should have.”
Clearing his throat, Edward replied, “You want a love match then?”
“I know it’s not all the rage of the ton,” Benedict shrugged. “We of the Upper Ten marry for mutual convenience, money, and connections. Respect and fidelity come second.
But I am not about a life where extramarital affairs are not uncommon but love matches are rarer than hen’s teeth. I want a partnership the very opposite of what mother and father had.”
Shifting a paper on his desk to appear distracted, Edward asked, “And what is it that you find so unpleasant about marrying Alice?”
“It is nothing terrible. It’s simply that I—” Benedict clarified before rubbing his face, “—feel more for her sister than for her. I always have. I feel like a heel saying such a thing, but Miss Penelope is so… vulnerable now, and I can’t stand aside any longer.
“When I saw her the other day and found the jackanape who was courting her, I felt…” Benedict’s lips slanted as he searched for the right word. “For the lack of the best fitting term, I felt jealousy. And then, I felt she needed a champion. Someone to defend her.”
Not Alice. She would have leaped in both feet first.
From the limited interactions he had with Miss Penelope, Edward could understand why Benedict would feel that the girl needed help. She certainly did not have the temerity of her older sister and did need support.
He certainly could not blame the girl for falling for Rutledge’s lies—a lot of innocents would have—and he would never reprimand Benedict for defending the girl.
Truthfully—and shamefully—he was relieved that his brother’s attention was away from Alice.
“Are you sure about this?” Edward asked calmly. “You know this will cause whispers.”
Benedict shrugged non-caringly, something that was out of character for him. “It will blow away in a couple of months when the next scandal comes along. The only thing I care about is making sure that, that…bounder,does not come within a mile of the girl.”
Fiddling with a pen, Edward asked, “How do you think Miss Alice will take this?”
“Honestly, I think she has been feeling the widening chasm between us but is not sure how to approach it,” Benedict said, squinting in his cup. “Blast, I’ve finished this already.”
“You do inhale coffee as if it were air,” Edward said. “A habit you have taken from me, I’m afraid.”
“That I have,” Benedict laughed. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a day ahead of me.”
Frowning, Edward asked, “Are you not going to have breakfast?”
“No,” Benedict glanced over his shoulder. “Another trait I have adapted from you I fear. Oh, and I may not be back for dinner.”
“No worries,” Edward waved him off. “I may not be here either.”
When he left, Edward fell back into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. What was he to do about this now? He wanted Alice… but the vow to never marry. Was it firm… or was it wobbling?
Was it too much to let go of an old grudge to find happiness? There was comfort and ease when he was with Alice. He admired her strength, her dedication, even when she showed her vulnerability. He would be lying to himself if he did not admit that he wanted—craved—her pleasure.
But what do I do about it?
He knew one thing though—he was going to protect her as long and as far as she needed him to.
It just so happened that Alice was passing by the front door of the townhouse when someone knocked. Answering it, she took a breath to collect herself.
“My… lord,” she stepped aside to allow him entry, “I did not expect you today.”
The Marquess swept his hat off before stepping inside, “I had not planned on it either, but you and I need to speak, Miss Alice.”
