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“Well, the truth is…”
Then the door to the parlor flew open, and Joshua stood there.
The two leapt up from the chaise longue, leaping apart from each other.
“Joshua, you… you’re home early.” Benedict stammered, feeling unbearably silly. Why hadn’t he heard Joshua’s footsteps? He glanced down at Joshua’s stockinged feet. “Where are your shoes?”
“Covered in mud. I pried them off at the door.” Joshua said shortly. “Greetings, Miss Wyre.”
Rosaline mumbled something that could have been a greeting, trying to surreptitiously rearrange her dress and hair into something tidier.
“Benedict, a word?” Joshua said, in a way that indicated it was not a request but more of a demand.
Benedict considered refusing, considered telling Joshua that he had no business barging in like that, but it would be a bad idea. Joshua was not spiteful, but he wouldn’t hesitate to tell the Dowager if he thought something was amiss.
Benedict flashed an apologetic look back at Rosaline and followed Joshua into the hallway.
“What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?” Joshua hissed. “Benedict, this is not proper.”
“You are too prim for your own good, Joshua.”
Joshua growled. “Miss Wyre isn’t even your real fiancé. She stands to lose everything from your arrangement, and you endanger her even more?”
Benedict stared at Joshua, the familiar flare of jealousy leaping his chest.
“Why do you care? Do you have a fancy for Miss Wyre?”
Joshua shook his head, groaning. “For heaven’s sake, Benedict, no. I simply have eyes, and I can tell that this is going to end badly for you andespeciallyMiss Wyre. This isn’t right, Benedict. What if…” his voice dropped and he glanced around, paling. “What if she is with child?”
“She won’t be.”
“How do you know?”
Benedict rolled his eyes. “I just know, Joshua. Trust me, there will be no child.”
“There’s still the matter of her reputation. If this gets out…”
“It won’t get out. The only people who know are me, Rosaline, and you. And you, I hope, are not going to make trouble for us.”
Joshua raked his hand through his hair. “Of course I’m not going to make trouble for you. But the fact is, these things do get out. Servants notice things and put two and two together, unexpected guests listen at doors and look through keyholes.”
“Icertainly hope not. They’d have gotten an eyeful.”
“This isn’t funny, Benedict! Miss Wyre is a lovely young woman, and it’s not fair for you to ruin her when you have no real intentions towards her!”
Benedict swallowed. “Who said I don’t have intentions towards her?”
“Imean good, honorable intentions, Benedict.”
“That’s what I mean, too.”
Joshua paused, inspecting Benedict’s face closely, suspiciously. “Are you quizzing me, Ben? Do you truly like Miss Wyre?”
“Well, it’s fairly obvious that Ilikeher.”
“Be serious. Do you have thoughts of marriage? Of marrying Miss Wyre?”
“Ihardly know what I think, Joshua. I just know that… that it hurts to be parted from her. I like her, and I love to be around her, and I like to look at her, I like to talk to her, I like to touch her…”
