Page 54 of Tempting Her Viscount

Chapter Nineteen

When Celia returned to Penbrook House, Kit had left and her brother was waiting.

“Where have you been?” he asked as if he had every right to know. Which he didn’t. She was her own woman. She didn’t want to be controlled by a husband; she surely wasn’t to be controlled by her younger brother.

“Not that I need to account for my whereabouts to you, but I did tell you I planned to go look at properties.”

He shook his head. “You don’t need to move out. This is your home. In fact, I wouldn’t even have a home were it not for your sacrifice years ago. I have no right to dictate what you do here. I’m sorry for the way I reacted. As you can imagine it was quite a shock to be walking past your room and hear Kit’s voice coming from inside.”

She had heard more than she wished when walking past his chamber over the years. Giggles and moans and… she winced.

“Right,” he said, apparently seeing how well she understood. “But we are adults now. As you pointed out, you’re a widow of your own means. It’s not my place to stand in your way. I know what you gave up by marrying Hamlin. What you sacrificed so that I may live in comfort. Hamlin took care of Father’s debts and got the estates running again. I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you, Celia. At the time I was ashamed that you had to marry to save me. You’ve always been there to care for me and I should have done more for you. I should have told you…well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? If everyone is happy with how things turned out, then we shouldn’t need to revisit the past.”

She would almost say her brother was babbling, but he didn’t do that.

“As you said, it’s in the past. Hamlin was not so bad a husband. He was kind. Because of the marriage to him, I’m now free to live the life I want.”

“Yes, about that…” Gray cleared his throat.

“Please don’t think to lecture me about propriety when you’ve a vaulted reputation for being a rake.”

“No. I wouldn’t dare be so hypocritical. But I would ask that you take care, Celia.”

“I know of letters and sponges. Don’t worry.”

“Dear God. If I make it through the day with my stomach contents intact it will be a wonder. But that was not what I meant, and definitely more than I needed to know.”

Celia couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. She hadn’t realized how much fun this could be or she might have told him sooner.

“I meant to take care with your heart. Empty liaisons with faceless lovers won’t satisfy you forever. Trust me, I know.”

That haunted look that washed over her brother’s face when he spoke of such things pinched his eyes for just a second before it was gone. She’d asked many times what had happened that hurt him, but he would never say. She knew he wasn’t speaking of her own situation, but his own past.

“They are a good distraction for a while,” he went on. “But you’ll want more someday. I only hope it won’t be too late.”

With that he left and closed the door to his study. But not before she’d seen the pain etched on his face, deeper than the glimpses from before. Graham was truly hurting, and from the looks of the devastation she saw during his escape from the room, he’d been hurting for far longer than she’d noticed.

Was he right? Would she one day long for the very thing she passed up?

*

Kit perused thecard room looking for anyone good enough for Celia. He’d already explored the far reaches of the ballroom and determined no one out there was qualified.

He was beginning to see a problem with his plans.

Many of the men in the ballroom were there because, like him, they were looking for potential wives. More specifically, the majority were seeking rich wives to help them out of financial straits. Kit felt immensely fortunate that he was no longer in that position. He was free to select a wife of his choosing, though not the one he truly wanted. He frowned at the men around him.

While the ballroom was filled with men looking for wives, the cardroom was filled with men who were either married already or were forced to attend. Or who were avoiding managing mamas and their available daughters because they didn’t wish to wed.

These were the men he should focus his search on. However, he knew these men from various evenings in their company, which made them impossible rogues.

“Stormont, take a seat and give me your money.”

Kit laughed as he sat next to Lord Mendelton.

“You’ve known him long enough to know he doesn’t give his money away at the tables,” Lord Raysworth reminded his friend.

The two men were gamblers, but unlike Kit, had wealth to support such activities. Kit was certain Roger and Andrew had spent many a morning in the same state as he and Gray since they often attended the same hells.