“Yes, Bell, that’s one thing you’ve missed: Frances and Julianna are now planning a big wedding for us together,” Worth said, laughing. “In the spring.”
Beau glanced at the brandy bottle again. He was trying to pretend as if everything was normal. He’d simply finished another mission and was back to his regular life, biding time before his next mission. There was nothing new about it.
But nothing was the same. Not a moment went by when he didn’t think of Marianne.
He’d left her there, with her brother at the crossroads of Coulogne Road and the Andres Highway in France. He’d traveled back to the hotel alone. David had come to the hotel to gather her belongings that night, and Beau hadn’t even asked where they were staying. The next day he made his own arrangements to return to England on the ship that was taking Winfield and Albina back as prisoners. He hadn’t seen Marianne since.
“By God, heislooking at the brandy bottle,” Worth said, surprise in his voice.
“I’m not going to drink it,” Beau ground out.
“Are youconsideringit?” Kendall asked.
Beau narrowed his eyes on the earl. “No. Why?”
Worth sighed and rolled his eyes. “I do think it’s time, Kendall, don’t you?”
“Time for what?” Beau asked, his gaze darting back and forth suspiciously between his friends.
“Time for us to give you a little speech along the lines of the ones you gave us,” Kendall replied.
“What speech?” Beau replied, still side-eyeing them both.
“The one where we inform you that you’re madly in love with the woman, and need to ask her to marry you,” Kendall continued.
“What woman?” Beau asked, but he already felt as if a vise was being clamped around his heart.
Worth shook his head. “Seriously? ‘What woman?’ Don’t you think we know you’ve fallen in love with Marianne? It’s been obvious from everything you’ve said about her since the moment you walked in here.”
“What?” Beau pushed himself back in his seat. “I was merely telling the story of—”
“Spare us,” Worth replied. “We’ve both recently fallen in love ourselves. We know the signs. You’ve said her name no fewer than one hundred times.”
“I have not!” Beau replied, tugging at his cravat. “And if I did, it was merely because she was an integral part of the story.”
Kendall blinked calmly at Beau. “Do you want to argue with us, or do you want our help finding her?
Beau immediately sat up straight and leaned forward. “You know where she is?”
“I know where she might be,” Kendall replied, “and the fact that you just asked that with such interest proves our point. Stop pretending.”
Beau grouchily settled back into his chair without saying anything.
Worth’s brows shot up. “You, at a loss for words, Bell? I never thought I’d see the day.
“Shut up,” Beau shot back.
“Eloquent. Simply eloquent,” Kendall replied with a laugh.
“Will you please admit that you’re madly in love with her?” Worth said, his tone wheedling. “For me?”
“Damn you both,” Beau ground out. “Fine. Unlike the two of you were, I’m willing to admit it. I love her. I’ve always loved her. I want to marry her, and I don’t give a toss that she’s a lady’s maid. Are you two prepared for the scandal that will consume us all when I marry a servant?”
“See,” Worth said, casually reclining in his chair once more. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“That was a beautiful speech,” Kendall replied.
“If you have something useful to say, please say it; otherwise, do shut up,” Beau replied, his fists clenched atop the arms of the leather chair. At the moment he was ready to sock both men in the jaw and leave.
