“That may present a slight problem. Aurora’s parents are originally from France.”
“Oh, I hadn’t meant to be disrespectful. It is just that—”
“It’s what you were taught. I know. I could visualize your father telling you that piece of nonsense. No matter. You won’t be required to speak it. Aurora never learned. But she could understand it well enough. Her mother sometimes addressed her in French. I shall simply have to think quickly if that should come to pass.”
“Then you understand it as well.”
“Yes. And I speak it passably, though I doubt any Frenchman would agree. But since I am hardly a proper young lady, I think I may be excused for the shameful content of my education.”
Shannon was thoughtful for a moment. “You’re teasing me,” she said finally.
Brandon smiled. “Yes, I’m teasing you.”
“Did you tease Aurora?”
Brandon’s smile turned bleak and his steps quickened. “Yes. In the beginning of our marriage, often. Later, only for the sake of keeping up appearances.”
“Well, that’s all right then. We are planning to keep up appearances after all.”
Brandon stopped. He faced Shannon, drawing his hands along her arms until he held her fingertips. “And to that end there is the matter of my name. You must begin to use it.”
Her fingers tingled in his light grasp. Shannon tried to remove them, but he would not permit it.
“Look at me. You cannot keep avoiding me or my touch. The Marchands cannot fail to notice if you pull away from me or do not look me in the eye. They will think I beat you.” Brandon swore as Shannon gasped softly. “I am sorry. I did not mean—”
“No. I am merely being foolish. I will try to do better.”
How like her to accept sole responsibility. He wanted to give her a little shake. Instead he gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze before he drew her right hand to his lips. “I will try to do better,what?”
Shannon felt his breath tickle the back of her hand. The telltale gleam was back in his eyes. “I will try to do better, Brandon.”
He kissed her hand lightly and then released it. “Shall we return to the house?”
Shannon agreed. It was not until he bid her good night at the foot of the stairs that she realized during their entire conversation he had failed to use her own name. Neither had he called her Aurora. It was difficult to say what it meant, if indeed it meant anything at all.
“No, no!”Cody shook his head, half in amusement, half in disgust. “You must do it this way.” His eyes narrowed slightly and he leveled Shannon with a look of haughty disdain. “Try it.”
Shannon schooled her features and quelled the laughter that was threatening to bubble up from her lips. She lifted one brow and peered down her nose at Cody.
“That’s it!” he crowed, not in the least disturbed by the coolness settling over Shannon’s face. “Never—never—appear to enjoy anything I do or say,” he warned, wagging his finger at her. “Rory couldn’t abide me, and her parents are well aware of the fact.” He glanced at Brandon, who was lounging in his favorite leather armchair. “Isn’t that right, Bran?”
Before Brandon could agree that this was indeed the state of affairs, Shannon responded loftily. “What I cannot abide is that ridiculous name.” She gave her head an arrogant little shake. “Rory is hardly fitting.” When two heads swiveled in her direction and stared at her in plain astonishment, she lost her poise. “Honestly, Cody,” she apologized hastily, “I don’t mind in the least, but I thought Aurora would make some objection. Did I—”
“You were perfect!” he exclaimed, bounding out of his chair. He tossed aside the needlepoint that lay in Shannon’s lap and lifted her to her feet, giving her a hug. Over her shoulder he saw that Brandon was scowling. He grinned happily as he set her away. “For a moment there I had the unpleasant sensation that Aurora herself had joined us. Just the thing she would have said to me. Don’t you agree, Bran?”
“Just the thing.” He stared at his tumbler of Scotch, rolling it between his palms. “Only, you must resist embracing one another.”
“I’m sorry,” Shannon said quickly.
“And Aurora never apologizes,” Brandon said.
“But I’mnotAurora.”
“With less than a week remaining until the Marchands arrive, that statement does not inspire confidence.”
“Bran,” Cody intervened. “You’re being hard on her. Sheistrying.”
Brandon tossed back what was left of his drink. He gestured toward Shannon. “Look at her,” he scoffed. “Did you ever see Aurora look indecisive, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, wringing her hands as if she were actuallyworriedabout anything I said? It is all very well that she has mastered Aurora’s manner of speaking, her manner of walking, even the facial expressions, but at the slightest criticism she lays waste to hours of practice by becoming—of all things—apologetic! I may have wished countless times that Aurora herself would have tendered an apology, but the fact remains it was not in her nature.”
