AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alone, his bear muttered.
Hush, Arthur scolded. He pushed himself away from the wall and wandered the edges of the throng. He noticed his customary cultivars of scuttlebutt were poking at the hot coals of this latest spectacle and hoped the imminent Duchess of Lowell had the emotional fortitude to outlast the relentless judgment of these biddies. He himself was at his happiest far from London, away from the endless scrutiny and the machinations of thebeau monde. Once Ben and Charlotte had wed, he’d begun his social hibernation, nipping in the bud the notion of reestablishing the Osborn sleuth. He was doing them a service. There were more than a few of the old guard near enough to their homeplace to provide his brother’s growing family with hearth and home.
Did his brother go about? He felt a pinch in his chest at the thought of Ben moving through society, the cheeky Charlotte at his side, winkling out the ton’s deepest secrets with no effort at all. Arthur breathed in sharply—they were not here this evening, were they? He would not put it past Georgie to orchestrate some sort of reunion, where Arthur could not in good conscience flee in an instant. His long-ago oath was secure in his self-made aloofness, and he would not rescind it. Tonight’s event would come to a close, and he would return to his natural habitat.
Not natural, chided his bear.
Chosen habitat, Arthur retorted.
Wretched choice. The bear rolled in his aura and showed Arthur his back.
It is the choice our kind have made for eons. Why he quarreled with his creature he did not know. He would like to offer this as an example to any human who thought animals were easily led or lesser in reasoning. His essential self was able to argue with the best.A male bear does not remain with his sleuth, and that is that.
Animali purisways are not our ways, the bear countered.The new generation has put them aside. Even though the humans in his vicinity could not hear his bear growl, they obeyed an unconscious atavistic instinct and hurried away.
Arguing logic with his essential self was a losing game, and yet he continued:My father observed the law. You were not there.
I was yet to be roused, but I was there. The bear rubbed up against him, nosed him in the aura around his head, for comfort, in sorrow.I am here now. The time has come.
Never, Arthur retorted.
Now, his creature murmured.
Both he and his bear were rendered speechless as Lowell went down on one knee. Holy Freya and all her Valkyries, never say he was going to—yes, there it was, a ring and a plea. The females as one looked about to swoon and the males as though they’d cheerfully run the duke through, hanging be damned.
Mate, his bear sighed.
With a human?Arthur scoffed. Surely that was not possible.
His bear insisted:They are mates.
You needn’t be getting any ideas.
Want ours.
Was there anything worse than ursine obstinance?No human female would have us, you great hairy numpty, Arthur said.We are landless, homeless—
We are none of that, his bear snarled.For you have only to embrace the legacy of our parents—
Arthur growled and set loose a flurry of debutantes.You know nothing of what you speak—
He turned to leave, uncertain of his ability to hold to his manskin, and nearly plowed down a footman decked out in royal livery.
“Your Grace.” The servant bowed. “His Highness desires your presence.”
“Does he indeed?” So George was here, then. The footman gestured, and Arthur sighed. “Lead on.”
Two
Dukes. Infernal attention seekers.
Beatrice, widow of the Marquess of Castleton, watched as Miss Templeton’s uncle was taken by force from the ballroom. Surely a family dispute was best settled at home rather than in front of the whole world? Added to the spectacle, Beatrice knew the Duke of Lowell for what he was and marveled at his boldness. Thetondeemed him uncivilized enough, but were they to discover exactly how barbaric he was, she did not like to think how they would react.
Lowell turned to Miss Templeton. It would appear this performance had not concluded. “Before we were so rudely interrupted, you mentioned something about the next dance?”
“I believe it is a waltz,” she replied, her voice sounding clear as a bell throughout the room. “Would you do me the honor?”
“Would you do me an even greater honor?” The duke dropped to one knee before her, and yet another gasp flew through the gathering, Beatrice’s only reaction a tightening of fingers on her fan. Her ears rang as the duke proceeded to propose to the overcome Miss Templeton. Snapping open her fan, she wafted it before her face until she reclaimed her composure. Lowell opened his palm; Beatrice saw it contained a ring. “Felicity,” he said, “I offer this as a symbol of my pledge to revere you above all others, as a symbol that our joined lives will shine as brightly as these gems, do you tell me you accept my troth and consent to be my wife.”
