But he knew that wasn’t entirely true. Miss Bentley was his mother’s guest, and she was insisting that she would stay for the remainder of the Season. He didn’t dare defy his mother on this issue, no matter how much he wanted Miss Bentley gone. Which is why he had attempted to reason with Miss Bentley, but she was much too stubborn to hear him out.
Botheration!
Why couldn’t Miss Bentley be reasonable on the matter? A thousand pounds would have changed her life for the better, yet she refused to even consider his offer.
What was it about Miss Bentley that irked him? Could it be that she smiled even though she had every reason to be angry? Was he jealous of her ability to laugh, even though she was relying on others’ good graces to live?
No, he was most definitely not jealous of Miss Bentley. To even think so was laughable. He had a title, lands, and vast holdings. If anything, Miss Bentley should be envious of him.
Charles stormed into the study. “You tried to bribe Miss Bentley to leave?!”
Roswell sighed. “I did,” he admitted, seeing no reason to deny it.
His brother stopped in front of the desk. “That is rather low, even for you.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Miss Bentley is a guest in our home, and you disrespected her most heinously. “
Roswell leaned back in his chair. “I did no such thing,” he declared.
“No?” Charles asked. “Pray tell, what did you think you were doing?”
“I was trying to help her,” Roswell attempted.
“Help her?” Charles repeated. “In what way?”
“I offered her a large sum of money to leave London for the remainder of the Season,” he said. “If anything, she should be grateful that I would be willing to do so.”
Charles stared at him in disbelief. “You are an idiot,” he muttered.
“Why would it matter to you if Miss Bentley left, anyway?”
“Because if you will but give her a chance, you will discover that she is an agreeable young woman.”
Roswell huffed. “I think not.”
“Why do you harbor such animosity towards her?”
“I believe I have sufficiently explained my reasons,” Roswell said, tugging on the lapels of his blue jacket.
“And they were just as foolhardy then as they are now.” Charles walked over to the drink cart and picked up the decanter. “Mother will be furious when she finds out what you did.”
“I can handle Mother.”
Charles poured himself a drink. “Why did you do it?” he asked.
“I want Miss Bentley to leave.”
“But, why?” Charles asked. “Her residing here does not affect you.”
“She is constantly chatting at the dinner table, and I hear her laughing from the drawing room,” Roswell explained.
Charles blinked. “You want her to leave because she is a lively young woman?”
Frowning, Roswell replied, “I daresay I am not explaining myself well enough, but Lady Persephone agrees with me.”
“I wouldn’t take advice from Lady Persephone,” Charles advised.
