“Me, of course,” boomed a familiar voice. The sound of it settled like a rock into the pit of Leonard’s stomach—and yet, at the same time, he felt oddly giddy.
Peter strode into the room, a wide smile on his face. “Brother,” he said. “How good to see you.”
There were a million things Leonard would have liked to say in that moment. He wanted to reprimand his brother for his irresponsibility, for running out on his wedding. He would have liked to demand to know where Peter had been all this time. He would have wanted to hear an apology for it all on his brother’s lips.
But in the end, all he could do was cross the distance between them and embrace Peter. “You came back,” he said. “I’m so glad you did.”
“I wasn’t sure you were going to want to see me,” Peter admitted as the two of them broke apart.
“You’re my brother. Nothing will make me not want to see you. I promise you that,” Leonard said. “But tell me what happened.”
“I doubt I have anything much to tell that you don’t know already,” Peter confessed. “You know that I didn’t want to marry Lady Prudence.”
“Her Grace, now.”
“Yes, I heard about that,” Peter agreed. “It’s the reason I came back. I know you’ve never wanted to marry, Leonard. And I also know how proud you are. I should have realized that when I failed to arrive for the wedding, you’d step forward and take my place. I should have known that it would happen. I put you in this position because I wasn’t thinking. It’s entirely my fault.”
“Not entirely,” Leonard said wryly. “I heard what she did, you know. That she snuck out to the pub and told you to abandon her. I know now that it’s a plot the two of you cooked up together.”
Peter laughed ruefully. “Her plot more than mine if I’m being honest,” he said. “Don’t mistake me. I was only too eager to go along with it. I thought it was a wonderful idea. But I would never have come up with it on my own. I was going to let myself be dragged into that marriage because I could see no way out.” He paused. “The odd thing is, when I think about it now, I almost wish Ihadgone along with it. That I’d just married her.”
“Well, there isn’t much we can do about it now,” Leonard said.
“There may be,” Peter countered.
Leonard raised an eyebrow. “What do you imagine can be done about it now? She’s married to me. That’s the end of it.”
“Unless we were to get you an annulment,” Peter said. “Dissolve the marriage.”
“And then what? She’s on her own in the world with no one to provide for her? With no one to protect her reputation? A cast-off? I couldn’t do that, Peter. It’s worse than leaving her at the altar. I would be ruining her life.” He had never so much as considered an annulment, even when he had known for certain that he would be leaving her. He couldn’t imagine doing that kind of harm to Prudence.
“You misunderstand me,” Peter said. “I’m not suggesting you leave her out in the cold. You can blame the whole thing on me. Say that I was too cowardly to face my wedding day, but that I’ve seen the error of my ways. Say that I begged you—and her—for a second chance. As my elder brother, you had to grant it to me. You annulled your own marriage and restored her to me. Lady Prudence—that is, Her Grace—and I will marry, as we should have done from the very start, and everyone will be happy. Doesn’t that sound ideal?”
“So let me see if I’m understanding you,” Leonard said. “You don’t show up to your own wedding. You spend weeks away, not contacting anyone, not letting us know where you are or if you’re ever planning on coming home again. And then, at long last, you do come home, and the first thing you have to say to me is that I should end my marriage and give my wife to you. Do I have that right?”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew his brother had selfish tendencies, but this was a new low. To betrayPrudence at the altar… though, had he really betrayed her given that he had only done what she’d asked him to do? Well, at any rate, he had certainly betrayed Leonard, who had worked so hard to find him a suitable marriage. And now, showing up and trying to take Leonard’s wife right out from under him… It was too much. It was unbelievable.
Though really, why do I object so powerfully? After all, it’s not as if I want to keep her, is it? I just left town to get away from her. Obviously, I’m not trying to maintain my own marriage.
He felt as though he had swallowed lead. Maybe his brother had a point with all this. Maybe itwouldbe for the best to annul the marriage, to let Prudence go be with Peter the way they had intended all along.
She’s made it clear she doesn’t want him.
Yes, shehad, but a lot had changed. Prudence herself had admitted to growing increasingly fond of Leonard over time, so she now knew that was possible. Maybe she would be willing to see if thatr could happen with Peter.
And as for Peter, he had changed too. He hadn’t wanted to marry Prudence before, but now, he seemed powerfully intrigued by her.
Maybe there was something here that deserved exploring. Maybe they would be able to find love with one another. That was what Prudence wanted most of all—a marriage born of love. And if there was even a chance she could have it with Peter, sheought to have the opportunity to pursue it. Especially since he had already determined that he wasn’t going to be able to give it to her. That he wasn’t even going to try.
She can waste her life married to me, or she can have a hope at happiness with Peter. Those seem to be the only options.
He looked at his brother. “This is what you want?” he asked. “Truly? You want to marry her now?”
“I made a mistake,” Peter said earnestly. “I shouldn’t have let myself be talked into running away as I did. It was irresponsible, but it was also a loss of something I may never get again in my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever again find a lady I could see myself married to. I can imagine it with her, Leonard. I can picture the life you tried to arrange for me. It took me longer than it should have to see it, but I see it now. If I am permitted a second chance, I will never again take her for granted. I promise you that.”
“You’re going to have to ask her,” Leonard warned. “One thing you’ll quickly learn about Prudence is that she doesn’t do anything she doesn’t wish to do. If she doesn’t like this plan, it doesn’t matter how you might try to box her in; you simply will not get her to do it.”
“She sounds delightful,” Peter said with a broad grin. “You know, I think a lady who can challenge me is exactly what I need. Such a lady is the only sort who could ever have hoped to make me happy.”
