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Chapter 26
“Tell me I did not hear you right, Marcus.” The Marquess’ voice brooked no refusal, yet Marcus was not going to be cowed by it. He opened his mouth, ready to argue with his father, when a door opened far to their left and his brothers walked through.
“Ooh, it looks like something is happening here,” Laurie said with mischief in his tone as he rubbed his hands together.
“Walter, this is private,” Marcus said, with a clear warning. Walter nodded in understanding.
“It’s time we left, you two. We’re off to play cricket,” he said and pushed his two brothers toward the door.
“So soon?” Peter asked, his gaze on the Marquess and Marcus instead.
“Marcus, tell me at once. Do you mean to say you have not proposed to Lady Helen?” the Marquess asked.
“No, Father, I have not. Did she infer that I had?” Marcus’ words were met by Peter and Laurie falling completely still a little distance from them, so suddenly that Walter nearly collided with the back of them.
“This has just grown interesting,” Laurie said.
“Laurie, this is none of our business,” Walter said, grabbing Laurie under the arm and steering him toward the door.
“None of our business? He’s our brother, isn’t he? That is our business then,” Laurie said with a chuckle.
“You just want to watch the fallout,” Walter said pointedly.
“It’s called concern for our brother,” Peter said, following them but at a much slower pace.
“It’s called being nosey.” Walter reached back for Peter, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him forward until the three of them were trying to get out of the front door all at once, clattering shoulders. “We’re going to play cricket.”
“It can wait,” Peter said.
“No, it can’t!”
“Would you three keep it down?” the Marquess said with a firm tone before looking back to Marcus. “What are you talking about, Marcus? Surely this is not true. Everything is arranged. I have already spoken to the Duke about a wedding—”
“Why would you do that?” Marcus asked, amazed at the sheer volume in his tone. It seemed to surprise more than just his father, for even Walter looked back from the doorway, along with Peter and Laurie to watch. “Why would you start to arrange a wedding that I had not agreed to?”
“I am your father. Who else would do it?”
“I had not agreed to it!” Marcus matched his father in tone, watching as the Marquess took a step back.
“Oh my, what is all this commotion?” the gentle voice made both Marcus and his father shift uncomfortably and flick their heads toward the drawing room door.
“Ooh…this is about to get even more interesting,” Peter said from the doorway.
“Be quiet, Peter,” Walter said, swiping him around the arm in emphasis.
“My lord?” Lady Helen stepped forward, reaching toward Marcus. “You look most troubled by something.” Even the way she walked toward him irked him. By now, if Lady Violette were here, she would have made some jest about his forlorn expression and drawn a laugh from him, but not Lady Helen. She was much more concerned with taking his arm and slipping her hand through the crook of his elbow. He almost pushed her away, for that was the extent to which he did not want that touch. “Pray tell, is there a way I can make you smile?”
He knew Violette would have managed it already.
“A charming lady,” the Marquess said pointedly, lifting his gaze to Marcus with what appeared to be a triumphant smile. Marcus returned the gaze with a glare. “Lady Helen, I was just speaking to your father this morning about the future.”
“The future?” she said with a giggle. “Well, yes, of course my father and I have hopes. In particular for when a desirable event will take place.” She hooked her hand even further into Marcus’ elbow, making his body go rigid.
“Oh…wait for it,” Peter said from the doorway.
“I thought I told you to be quiet?” Walter muttered.
“How can anyone be quiet at a time like this?” Laurie asked. “The other lady would never have said anything like that.”
