“Ahem.”
Bethany ducked and buried her face in her husband’s neck, more than a little disquieted at her brother’s interruption. Chase growled and then very deliberately pulled the coverlet up to her shoulders. “I believe it’s customary to knock before entering a person’s bedchamber.”
Chase leveled a cold stare at the man he’d squared off with in the park earlier that day.
“In our defense, we’ve been knocking for a while now.” Bethany’s sister-in-law peered around Westerley, and she broke into a huge smile as she met Bethany’s gaze. “Oh, you’re awake now! Are you in pain? You don’t mind if we come in, do you?”
“Not at all.” But there was nothing Bethany could do to halt the flush creeping up her neck.
“You aren’t brandishing any weapons, are you, Westerley?” Chase, it seemed, wasn’t quite prepared to forgive him for his poorly aimed shot.
One look at her brother, however, and Bethany realized that Jules, with his overinflated sense of honor and guilt, was even less likely to ever forgive himself.
“If the two of you don’t mind,” Bethany glanced between Chase and Charley, “I’d like a word alone with my brother.”
Charley looked relieved but Chase required a few more reassurances and some coaxing before finally leaving the two of them alone.
Even then, her brother stood across the room, frozen and not at all himself.
“You could have died.” The subtle popping sounds had Bethany staring down at his hands where he was cracking his knuckles one by one. “Because of me.”
“Will you sit down, Jules?” This talk was a long time coming.
Seemingly at her mercy, he crossed the room and lowered himself into the chair Chase had vacated when he’d climbed into bed with her.
“I’m not angry with you for shooting me. Well, perhaps a little, but mostly that was my fault.” He lifted his head as though to speak but before he could even begin to berate her for running into the duel, she added, “But I am livid that you didn’t come to me before challenging my husband.”
“But—”
“For my entire life, first Father, and then Mother, and then you have expected me to be a certain way and to fall into line with your decisions. Never have you asked my opinion. And I went along with it. It’s what a good daughter does, what a good sister does.”
“But I was protecting you. As I’ll protect Tabetha—”
Bethany held up her hand. “Enough with this protecting business. Would Charley tolerate you not discussing life-altering decisions with you?” Bethany knew for a fact that Charley would not.
“She’s livid about the duel.” Jules set his lips. “But it was a matter between gentlemen.”
“Poppycock,” Bethany interrupted, wondering that she’d rarely defied her brother so openly—perhaps never. “You should have come to me. Asked me if I was content, perhaps? Asked me if he was treating me well? Do you want to know something? You were gone and everything has worked out just fine. I love you, Jules—I always will—but I’d much rather have your respect than your protection.” R-e-s-p-e-c-t. Seven letters.
Jules looked more confused than anything else. “Of course, I respect you. I have always respected you for your independent thinking, for your strength of character. How could you possibly think I didn’t respect you?”
This was the embarrassing part. Bethany stared down at the edge of the coverlet, “Because I am a woman, too. And sometimes… it seemed as though you forgot that part.” More heat crept up her neck. By now, Bethany was certain her cheeks were more than simply a subtle pink.
“I’m not sure I understand,” her brother offered cautiously.
To be honest, Bethany didn’t completely understand it either. “Before challenging Chase to any duel, you might have considered first that I might love him, that I have feelings for him. I did marry him, after all.”
She finally garnered the courage to look up.
Jules seemed almost to be studying her and then he tilted his head. “I just thought that was what you wanted.”
“Why would you think that?”
He grimaced. “Because you never wanted to play dolls or pretend tea like Felicity and Tabetha. And you spent far more time learning from Father than Mother—hiding under the table in his study.” He shook his head. “I just supposed… And as you grew older, I just assumed.”
Bethany sent him a weak smile.
“I’m sorry, Beth. Forgive me?”
