Casting a reluctant parting glance at the duke, she was unable to meet his eyes since he was glaring back at her brother. She ducked her head and rushed inside. Maneuvering around Chase, she was surprised she wasn’t dry the moment she stepped inside, so hot was the anger rolling off her brother.
Bethany awaited her in the foyer and, wincing, dropped a blanket around Collette’s shoulders. “He was just going to come looking for you.”
“But I was perfectly safe.”
“You were alone with him for hours.”
And if it had been up to Collette, she would have sat talking with Addison even longer. “I’m sorry—” A tremor from the cold ran through her. Either from the cold, or from guilt, or fear of what her brother intended to do.
Or perhaps from the combination of all of those.
“Come into the drawing room and sit by the fire.” Bethany shot a concerned glance toward the door but led Collette up the stairs anyway. “What was Bedwell thinking? Keeping you out so long? This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have allowed you to go with him. Not after I saw that look—”
“After you saw what look?” Collette halted inside the door while Bethany toed the ottoman closer to the fire. Collette didn’t remember any particular look.
“Right after he offered Lady Sheffield his arm, he glanced over his shoulder at Sir Grimsley. And… it’s hard to describe but… Oh, Collette, I should have realized. Here, come inside and sit down.” But she herself crossed to the window, her fingertips rapidly tapping her thumb one by one. “They have not come to blows,” she announced as she shamelessly watched the two men below.
Good Lord! Collette dropped onto the cushioned bench and huddled beneath the blanket. “I didn’t think. We were just talking…”
“It didn’t look like talking from here.” Bethany slid her a glance but then, just as quickly, stared out the window again. “Good thing it’s raining, or the neighbors would certainly be getting an earful. At the same time, I can’t hear what’s being said either.”
“What are they doing now?” Collette buried her face in her hands. She had known she had sat with Addison for longer than was strictly appropriate, but she’d done nothing wrong. Had she?
“Your duke is looking quite formidable. He isn’t doing much talking. Oh, wait, he’s nodding now. They are in agreement about something.” Bethany rushed away from the window and sat down in her normal spot just as the opening and closing of a door sounded from downstairs in the foyer.
Seconds later, her brother appeared, his hair streaming around his face, his clothing sopping, with water dripping onto the shining wooden floor.
“A bloody duke, Collette?”
But Bethany had shot off the settee again and was settling a blanket around her husband’s shoulders.
“We can discuss this later, Chase. Come upstairs and change into something dry. Collette, you need to get out of that wet gown as well.”
But Collette didn’t move right away. “We went to the Opus Emporium, and then a teahouse. All we did was talk.” Except for in those moments when he’d pulled his vehicle to the side of the road.
“Be prepared to receive him first thing tomorrow morning.” Chase spoke through clenched teeth. And with that, her amiable, compassionate brother spun around and marched out of the room.
Bethany glanced back at Collette. “I need to calm him down. Will you be all right if I—”
“Yes.” But Collette slumped even lower where she sat at the hearth.
“Everything is going to work out fine. His temper won’t last long, and we’ll work everything out over dinner. Come upstairs as well. Polly can draw you a hot bath, and I promise you’ll feel much better after.”
Collette rose and then nearly stumbled over her own feet as she drifted toward the door. She knew she was in some sort of scrape, but she didn’t completely understand why.
The rules that these people lived by—they felt like a difficult maze where each turn had her more confused than before.
All she knew was that she’d never seen her brother so angry, not even after Lord Greystone had compromised Diana—which wasn’t really fair at all—seeing as Diana’s indiscretions hadn’t been nearly as innocent as Collette’s…
Be prepared to receive him first thing tomorrow morning.
Had she finally run out of choices? And if she had, shouldn’t she be more disappointed at that realization?
* * *
“I haven’t seena storm like this all year.” Mr. Brown observed.
Addison closed his eyes and relished the feel of the hot water his valet poured over his head. Having spent an additional half an hour driving around in the rain, he had returned soaking wet, and although he ought to be chilled to the bone, Addison’s blood flowed warm enough.
