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“Enough! Save it for your wife, old man.”
William pulled the smooth wooden chest onto his lap. “Isn’t this”—he lifted the box—“a burden to her? I killed her love for me. She accused me of being selfish. What could be more selfish than asking her to read volumes of my midnight musings?”
Looking as though he might gag, Augustus flattened his mouth. “Are they from your heart? Did you remove your armor and show your deepest self in those musings?”
Nearly lightheaded with the admission, William nodded.
“I know more of cavalry tactics than of anything else, William. But evenIknow this after spending time in your household over the years. All Beatrice has wanted isyou. Give yourself to her. Perhaps itistoo late. But you’ll never know until you try. Some counsel?”
William’s huff of irritation was real but muted. It stung to be schooled by his younger brother.But he’s been right so far.“Very well. Spit it out, Augustus.”
“I believe Bea to be a forgiving woman, but she’s been hurt. Gentle as you go. Be persistent—and don’t give up too soon.”
Unable to speak past his burning throat, William nodded. After a time, he extended his hand, and his brother clasped it tightly.
By the time the carriage turned onto the graveled drive leading to Candleton Hall, the last warm rays of the day were soft and bent, and William was a man of renewed purpose. Even if Bea received him coolly, he was determined.
When he had courted her over a decade ago, there had been little need to woo. As a man reputed to be of fine face and form, rich and a marquess at that, he had been justified in his confidence that Beatrice would accept his suit.
More than ten years on, she had given birth to their four children. No matter what happened between them, Bea would remain his wife until one of their deaths ended their marriage. Yet none of that meant he could be confident today. What he was campaigning for now was more than an alliance of families. More than seeking a proper mother for his children.
William needed her entire heart and had his at the ready to give. With his armor removed, he was more vulnerable than he ever had been. Bea was deeply kind and generous, but she was the one person in this world who could hurt him more than anyone else.
