“Claymoore. This is a surprise.” He waved a hand into his study. “Do, come in.” After the bookcase was closed behind him, Travell asked, “Would you care for something to drink?” His lips quirkedupat the corners. “Or perhaps I should be the one in need of something stronger thanport?”
“Brandy, if you have it.”
Travell nodded and went over to the sideboard to pour a generous amountof the amber liquidinto a glass tumbler. After walking back and handing thealcoholto Ridge, he said, “Have a seat.” Once they were settled in a pair of chairs by the fireplace, Travell added, “What brings you by, Claymoore?”
Ridge didn’t speak immediately, but took a long, slow sip of his drink. Whenat lasthe set hisbrandyback down, he stared into the flickering flames rather than face Curdiff directly. “Have you ever thought ofmakingsomething elseofyour life, other than espionage?”
Silence, then, “Are you?”
“I asked you first.”
“Very well.” A heavy exhale. “I suppose I have, but it’s been part of my life for so long that I’m not sure I would be able to do anything else.”
Ridge kept his focus on the dancing fire. “What of marriage and a family? Surely you want to carry on the Abernathy line.”
“I’m not sure I want to do that.”
He glanced up to see the viscount staring into the same fiery oblivion. “Why not?”
“To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced that when my father ran off with some scullery maid to parts unknown, that he wasn’tsomewhatunhinged. If he was mad, I certainly don’t want to pass that down to further generations. I prefer that it cease with me.”
Ridge frowned. “But you’ve never shown any signs that I’m aware of, and I’m relatively sure your sister is reasonably sane.”
Travell laughed at this, turning his focus on Ridge. “That may not be accurate.Trianadid marry Gabriel, if you’ll recall.”
“Indeed.” Ridge took another bracing drink, relishing in the burn as it made a path down his throat to settle in his stomach.
As another round of silence prevailed, Travell said softly, “How is Lady Isabella faring?”
Ridge clenched his jaw, hating that any mention of her name madehis heart shrivel.“Well enough, I suppose. She’s in Hertfordshire at her father’s estate with Montgomery.”
Travell lifted a dark brow. “I thought you had been assigned to watch over her.”
“I had,” Ridge admitted. “But circumstances changed.”
Travell tapped a thoughtful finger against his glass. “I can see that,” he murmured. “How long have you been in love with her, Claymoore?”
The brandy Ridge had just consumed turned to acid in the pit of his stomach. He feared he might cast up his accounts. Instead, he abandoned his glass on the table and stood to pace the room. “How does one even definelove?” He shook his head. “Granted, the poets spout off nonsense, but what do they know about true emotion?What does anyone know?”
Ridge set his hands on his hips and closed his eyes briefly after his tirade. He hadn’t meant to unleash himself on Travell like that, but it was the one question that he hadn’t been able to answer.
“I’m not entirely sure what you want to hear from me, Claymoore,” Travell began. “To me,itsounds as if you’re searching for some way out of how you feel. While I have limited experience in matters of the heart, I can tell you something that my sister once told me, that if I cared about her, then I wouldn’t cut her out of my life. In the end, I realized she was right. Triana and Ihave the best relationship nowsince we stopped hiding secrets from one another.The only adviceI canoffer is toencourage you to do the same.”
“But what if she…”Ridge had to swallow in order to continue. “Rejects me?It’s not as if I have anything to offer her. I’m a common bastard who was raised in a brothel.”He winced. “Thatdoesn’texactlysound likesomeone you’d want to take home and introduce to the family.”
Travell regarded him steadily. “If she truly cares about you, if the affection is genuine, thenI guessthis iswhere you have to ask yourself if she’s worth the risk.”He sat back in his chair and took another sip of his port; a brief smile touching his mouth, as if he’dalreadyguessedwhat Ridge was going to do. “Let me know how it turns out.”
