“His fleet?” Bromton asked, sounding confused.
“I sunk his toy ships,” Katherine explained. “He’s never forgiven me.”
“Now that I know where to find them, I intend to mount a rescue mission!”
“See?” Katherine said to Bromton. “Child.” She turned to Markham. “Even if you retrieve every single ship, it still won’t mean I have to listen to you.”
Markham’s gaze moved pointedly between Bromton and Katherine. “You don’thaveto listen to me, but you mightwantto from time to time.”
Katherine made a sound of disgust.
“Positively drool,” Markham said.
“Go away,” Katherine replied.
“Come,” Markham held out dripping arms, “give us a cuddle.”
“Percy!” Katherine shrieked and closed her eyes.
The expected assault of slime never came.
“You’ve no humor at all, Brom.” Markham’s voice was muffled. “Just wait until she comes after you! You’ll want me to lend a hand, I promise.”
She opened one eye. Bromton had mummified Markham in a blanket, which he held closed.
Katherine lifted a brow. “My knight errant?”
Bromton moved away from Markham in order to bring her fingers to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and then, to her laughing protest, drew her close.
“I’d rather be your legendary lover,” he replied under his breath.
She scolded him with a look, but she tingled all over. “I should attend to Julia.”
Markham freed his arm and pulled down the blanket. “It’s Julia’s own fault; I told her not to stand. I wouldn’t be surprised if she orchestrated the whole debacle in order to get new shoes.”
Katherine snorted. “You’re probably right.”
“Julia is in good hands,” Bromton said against Katherine’s ear. “Stay with me.”
Katherine swallowed. “Very well.”
“Don’t you have to change?” Bromton asked Markham, without turning.
Bromton had played her knight errant. He wanted to be her lover. Her legendary lover. She sighed as she looked up into his impossibly beautiful eyes.
“Positively drool.” Markham made a gagging noise as he trudged toward the house.
Her lips curled into a smile. Who could fault her if she drooled just a little?
…
Provided he was not in the company of the slightly younger, wealthy, and uncommonly chiseled Rayne, Bromton had never lacked female attention. On the other hand, the female attention he received hadn’t been real admiration.
Ladies batted their lashes and dropped their fans, heedless of his widely rumored future alliance with Clarissa, although Clarissa, herself, had only ever treated him with a kind of curious awe. He’d been prized for his fortune and title. His mind had been of very little consequence.
To Clarissa he’d been respectful, to the others, indifferent. Then, his mother had revealed the truth behind his birth.
His title and fortune were lies. He was nothing. An alliance with Clarissa became an impossibility. And the flirtations of the other ladies became grotesque. The same ladies who simpered and fawned would have given him the cut direct were they to discover the truth behind his birth.
