Page 87 of His Accidental Duchess

“No,” Theo managed, at last. “I have told no one. Imagine if such a story got out. If the world found out, Kitty would be ruined. And…” He paused, swallowing. “I don’t want her to think I’m not her papa. And what if that man wants to have something to do with her? I won’t part with my little girl. I don’t care what the law says, only?—”

“Theo, Theo, you are spiraling into a dark place,” Stephen interrupted, holding up a hand. “No law is going to wrest Kitty away from you. And the man was happy enough to stay away, wasn’t he? He has no interest in Kitty. Heavens, he barely had an interest in Isabella!”

Theo flinched at that. He felt restless, wanting to bounce to his feet and pace around, but there were footmen milling around the empty club, cleaning up and returning the chairs to their positions, and it would look odd if he started wandering around.

“I have to see him,” he muttered. “I need to remind him of our arrangement. If he tells Anna…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know what would happen.”

“What, do you think Anna would think of Kitty any differently?” Stephen let out a short laugh. “I don’t know the woman as well as you do, but I can say with confidence it wouldn’t affect her feelings towards Kitty. You ought to have a little more faith in people. Where is your trust?”

Theo swallowed hard. “That… that is what she said when we argued. That I didn’t trust her. That she had trusted me with her past and future, and I’d let her down. H-Have I let her down?”

He hated the quiver in his voice, the insecurity. Dukes weren’t insecure. They didn’t stutter and wonder what other people thought of them. And yet here he was, seeking out his closest friend for reassurance.

“You are too hard on yourself,” Stephen said firmly. “Marriage is difficult.”

“How would you know?”

Stephen leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I like Anna, Theo.”

“Then you should have married her. One of us had to clean up Henry’s mess, after all.”

“And here I thought you’d sworn not to do that. Could it be that you are a little fonder of your brother than you let us all believe?”

Theo flushed, avoiding his friend’s eyes. “My relationship with my brother is my business and nobody else’s.”

“Hm. Well, my point is, Anna is a very nice woman. And before you point out thatniceisn’t really a thing, more like a blank slate on which one might draw a picture?—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Get to the point. I’ve never known anyone jabber like you—Ow!”

Stephen had kicked Theo under the table, and the two men glowered at each other.

“As I was saying,” he continued pointedly, “Anna is clever. She is kind, she is enthusiastic, and—I feel that this is very crucial—she cares deeply for you.”

There was a moment of silence.

“You’re lying,” Theo scoffed.

Stephen sighed. “Why would I lie about that? Theo, I am only telling you what I have observed. I believe that she is falling in love with you.”

Theo leaped to his feet at that, odd stares from the footmen be damned, and paced up and down in front of the table. Stephen, unruffled as always, watched him prowl like a predator. Slowly, thoughtfully, he took out a cigar, lit it, and took a long drag.

Theo wrinkled his nose. “Heavens, man, you know how I hate the smell of those things. They can’t possibly be good for you.”

“Well, I shall stop smoking them one day.”

“Today is a good day.”

“Don’t change the subject. Think about what I’ve said.”

“If Anna is developing feelings for me,” Theo said carefully, “she will only get hurt. We agreed on a marriage of convenience, and it’s the best thing for us all.”

“It is the best thing foryou,” Stephen corrected, “and your desire to keep yourself wrapped up in cotton wool, away from the world. After Isabella?—”

“Don’t, Stephen. I mean it.”

Anybody else would have backed away at the look in Theo’s eyes. He’d seen them do it before, seen their faces change and seen uncertainty flicker in their eyes. Then the backing away came quickly—the change of subject, avoiding eye contact, and so on.

But that was ordinary folk, and this was Stephen. Rather than backing away, Stephen bounced to his feet, coming almost nose-to-nose with his old friend.

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