Chapter 10
Duncan rose from his desk as his brother entered his study the next day. Ian smiled at Duncan’s butler, Hartley, as the man bowed away, closing the door and leaving them alone.
“Thank you for seeing me today,” Ian said, taking the seat across from Duncan’s desk.
“Of course,” Duncan said. “Drink?”
Ian lifted both eyebrows. “It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”
Duncan frowned. In truth, he hadn’t been very good lately at keeping track of time. “I suppose.”
“Is Hannah at home?” Ian asked.
Duncan’s frown deepened. “No, she went out this morning to take care of some errands. I don’t expect she’ll be back before you go.”
“That’s too bad,” Ian said, and clearly meant it. “Now that you are settling in, I’ll have to invite you two over for supper some night. I’m sure Hannah wouldn’t mind some company that isn’t yours.”
His brother meant it as a joke, but Duncan struggled to find the humor. Especially when he thought of Hannah smiling and laughing with Ian at their wedding. What had pleased him that day now sparked a…well, it was jealousy. He recognized that.
“You are changed,” Ian said softly.
Duncan jerked his head up and pushed the maudlin thoughts of his wife away. “Changed? How can that be? It’s been a week since you saw me last.”
“A week of marriage,” Ian said. “With the kind of lady who is much different from those you’ve engaged yourself with in the past. It may be soon, but I see it on your face. You’ve definitely changed.”
Duncan scrubbed a hand over his face. He was too exhausted to argue with his brother. Especially when Ian was correct, damn him. “Is the change for the good?”
Ian’s brow wrinkled. “You were never not good, Duncan. But yes, I think the change is positive. Though you seem very serious right now. Is there some way I can help you?”
“Have you ever been in love?” Duncan asked, and could not believe the question had just crossed his lips.
His brother seemed equally shocked, for Ian’s eyes went wide as saucers. He drew a long breath, then said, “No. I have not felt such an emotion. Have you?”
Duncan ran a hand through his hair. “I…never before. It was something I avoided. Father adored Mother and she…usedthat, didn’t she? After she died, he was never the same. I think I must have…”
“It’s a frightening thing to believe that one person could hold such sway,” Ian finished for him with a shiver. “I’ve felt the same.”
“So I just…I just had affairs. Mistresses like Vanessa. I liked her a great deal, but I never let her near my heart. Since we parted more than a month ago, I have hardly thought of her, though I would never wish her ill.”
“And now?” Ian pressed gently.
Duncan pushed to his feet and paced to the window. “This woman…this woman is everywhere, Ian. I look at certain flowers, I think of Hannah. I hear music, Hannah. When she’s in my arms, there is peace like nothing I’ve ever experienced. When she’s gone I find myself looking at the clock like a damned fool, counting every tick until she returns.”
“The two of you seem to have a powerful connection,” Ian said gently. “I don’t deny it. But let me play devil’s advocate a moment.”
Duncan nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Is it possible you are just the throes of lust? The beginning of a relationship can be heady, indeed.”
Duncan pursed his lips. He’d told himself that at first, too. Hannah had turned out to be a perfect match to him sexually. She was open to his desires, she demanded he fulfill her own. She was more responsive than any woman he’d ever been with and she never dangled sex over his head as a reward or withheld it as a punishment.
And yet…
“I will not be so crass as to describe my physical relationship with my wife,” Duncan said.
“Thank you,” Ian replied.
“But I will tell you that although we are highly compatible on that score, I recognize that…it’s not just lust.”
