Page 46 of Unbound Duchess

“Sit,” Madalene commanded. She shoved at his chest then, sending him off balance enough to go down into the vacant space beside Ellen.

He caught the scent of wine as he landed on the settee, and looked from Madalene to Ellen with skepticism.

“Are you two foxed?” he asked.

“No,” Madalene answered, a bit too quickly.

Laurence’s eye narrowed. Even so, he caught the way Ellen blushed at his side.

“We had a bit of wine earlier,” Ellen confessed. “But it was hours ago, and I promise you that we are simply giggling now from all of the fun we have been having.”

Laurence’s gaze softened as he turned his full attention to her. She looked so lovely there, her blush soft and pink and her eyes bright with mirth.

“It is all right if you are foxed, you know,” he said gently. “Especially in the privacy of our home. I am not upset or angry that you are relaxing here.”

Ellen’s smile was warm as she cast her eyes bashfully down to the ground. Madalene, however, let out a rather ladylike snort.

“Quite right, you are not upset!” she said a bit loudly. “We are grown women after all, and we shall have a drink whenever we like!”

“That is what I said,” he said sternly, turning his narrowed gaze toward his sister.

“That is what we know,” Madalene bit back, then tossed a pillow at him.

He caught the pillow midair and put it on the floor, wondering why suddenly the two women in his life were keen on throwing things at his head.

“What we do not know,” Madalene pushed on, “is why you are ignoring our sweet Ellen.”

At his side, Ellen groaned as she covered her face with her hands.

“You think I have been ignoring you?” he asked, turning to face her fully.

She slowly lowered her hands from her face as she gave a helpless shrug, then looked up at Madalene.

“Allow me to clarify about the wine,” Ellen said, giving Madalene a pleading look. “I stopped hours ago. Madalene has not.”

“And thank goodness for that,” Madalene pointed out, “otherwise you would still be alone in this room wondering why Laurence is not speaking to you.”

That adorable pink blush in Ellen’s cheeks turned crimson then, and as Laurence turned to her with a raised brow, she suddenly seemed to find the armrest of the settee quite fascinating.

“Thank goodness I am here to make everything better,” Madalene said with a dramatic sigh. She then drew in a deep breath, and swept her hands down her dress with a sort of regal finality.

“Now that you two are together,” she said, wagging a finger between the two of them, “I believe I shall retire to my own chamber.”

She dropped down into a crouched position with surprising nimbleness to take Ellen’s face in her hands and smile at her.

“Tomorrow we’ll go dress shopping, yes?” she said excitedly.

Though still crimson in the face, Ellen nodded.

“Too right we will,” Madalene agreed, then kissed the tip of her nose before she shot back up to her full height. She walked in a slightly stumbling fashion to the door, then opened it with a flourish.

“Good night you two!” she sang, wiggling her fingers over her shoulder. Then she shut the door behind her, leaving Laurence and Ellen alone.

“Welcome home,” he murmured wryly, as he stared at the shut door for another moment. He shook his head, unable to hide the small smile Madalene’s hyper character often left him with.

“Hmm,” Ellen hummed, pressing her hand to her still-flushed face. “She is quite…”

“She certainly is,” Laurence agreed. “You two had a good day, I take it?”