With a shake of his head, Harred said, “You could not be more wrong.”
William’s stomach grumbled and he placed a hand to it. “If you will excuse me, I think it would be best if I ate my breakfast in the privacy of my bedchamber.” He walked over to the table and retrieved the plate. “I tire of your company.”
“You can tire of me all you want, but this changes nothing. Take the job or find a new place to live,” Harred ordered.
“What if I take a wife instead?” William asked.
Harred resisted the urge to laugh. William could scarcely take care of himself. How could he take care of a wife as well?
William gave him a smug look. “Yes, I will find an heiress and then I will be richer than you.”
“I wish you luck with that. I truly do, but what woman would want you, given your dishonorable reputation?” Harred asked as he attempted to keep the humor out of his voice. What respectable young woman would want to marry arakehell? Who also happened to have not a penny to his name?
“It only takes one,” William said, flashing him a smile.
“So you intend to trick her, do you?”
William’s smile dimmed. “You think you are so clever, but women adore me. I will have no issue with convincing one to marry me.”
Harred was done with this ridiculous conversation. William had a better chance of having a dukedom conferred upon him by the Prince Regent than finding an heiress for a wife. Not unless he abducted her and eloped to Gretna Green. On that thought, he would need to keep a close eye on his brother for the time being. Just in case.
William performed an exaggerated bow with the plate in his hand. “If your lordship is all right with it, I would like to go eat my food in my bedchamber,” he mocked.
“Just think on what I said,” Harred admonished.
Without saying another word, William departed from the room with a huff.
Harred sat down at the head of the table. It was finally quiet. Just the way that he preferred it.
Lady Octavia Westlake was conflicted. Should she choose what she always went with, or should she be more adventurous? It was a tough decision, for sure.
Her brother’s hushed voice came from next to her. “You are holding up the line. Just pick one and be done with it,” Fredrick chided.
“That is easier said than done,” she replied as she perused the flavors of ice. “What if I choose one that I do not like?”
“Then we can get you another.”
Fredrick was so pragmatic but she didn’twant to have to wait in the long line of Gunter’s again. She had waited long enough. It was time to make a decision.
“Lemon ice, please,” Octavia ordered.
She could practically hear Fredrick roll his eyes at her choice. “You waited this long to order the same thing you always indulge in?” he asked.
“It is safe, and I know that I like it,” she defended. “Did you decide on a flavor yet or did you use your time poorly to chastise me?”
With a grin, Fredrick addressed the worker. “The asparagus ice,” he ordered.
As their treats were being prepared, they moved up the line to pay for them. It was a moment later when they both had a glass and spoon in their hands.
They stepped outside and walked towards their curricle. Fredrick assisted her onto the bench before he went around to the other side.
Octavia took a bite of her lemon ice and enjoyed the cold sensation in her mouth. It was just as delicious as it always was. She was an adventurous type of person but not when it came to Gunter’s. She liked knowing precisely what she was going to get.
Fredrick shifted in his seat to face her. “Is it as good as you imagined it would be?” he teased.
“It is delicious, just as Iknewit would be.” She held her spoon up. “Can I try a bite of yours?”
He shifted the glass in his hand, angling it further away from hers. “This one is mine. I can’t have you eating all of it.”
