“Of course. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need.” Eloise managed a wide smile. “Now let me see the flowers you’ve found.”
#
SHE’D REJECTED HIMbefore he’d even had a chance to voice his idea. Irritated, William thrust his rapier at Charles, striking his padded chest with brutal force. A good thing they weren’t fencing with real swords, or he would have impaled him on the spot.
“Well done,” James applauded from the sideline.
Charles stepped back and glared at them both. “This is supposed to be an elegant sport based on skill, yet all you’ve displayed here this afternoon, Will, is anger. And it’s given me a damn bruise to boot.”
“I’m sorry,” William said. “I got carried away.”
His older brother’s scowl didn’t diminish. “It’s her again, isn’t it?”
“Mrs. Lamont?” James asked, his voice incredulous.
“You haven’t managed to evict her from your mind yet,” Charles continued. “Have you?”
William shook his head. He had no energy left to argue. “No.”
“Christ,” Charles muttered.
“I think it’s time for us to intervene,” James said.
“Absolutely not,” William told them. He wasn’t sure what their suggestion would be, but he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to like it.
“Distracting yourself with us and your friends clearly isn’t enough,” Charles said. “You’ve been doing it for almost two weeks, and yet our parents’ French cook is still on your mind.”
“You need a woman.”
I certainly do. I need Eloise.
“Not that woman,” Charles muttered, reading his thoughts. He followed the utterance with an exasperated sigh. “A different one who can see to your needs so you can stop panting after Mrs. Lamont.”
William frowned. He detested the imagery Charles crafted with his words. “I’m not a dog.”
James snorted. “You’re after one particular thing.”
“Unless, of course...” Charles mused.
“Unless what?” William asked when his brother began strolling toward the changing room. He shot a confused look at James before jogging after Charles.
Charles shrugged his broad shoulders. “Unless you love her.”
Startled laughter rose up William’s throat. “Love her?”
Charles halted his progress and turned to face him with shocking seriousness. “Yes.”
William shook his head and glanced at James, who’d approached in the meantime. His expression was equally grave. “If you love her, bedding another woman isn’t likely to help.”
“In fact, I suspect it might make everything worse,” Charles murmured.
William flattened his mouth. “I’m not in love with Eloise—” both brothers raised their brows on account of him using her given name “–but that doesn’t mean she can be replaced by some harlot for hire. Good lord. You’re so besotted with your wives you can’t see an alternative.”
“Which is?” Charles asked.
“That I simply want her the same way I wanted that blue kite when I was little. The green one papa eventually bought me was probably equally good but it wasn’t the same.”
