Page 38 of Lady Frederica and the Scot Who Would Not
“Frederica’s brother?”
“Do you know another?” She turned from him, went to the chair in front of his desk, and plopped down into it, legs sprawled like a man. Frederica had her work cut out for her, but he realized standing there, staring at his nearly mannerless sister, that he was glad it was Frederica who would be teaching Blythe to be a lady. No, Frederica did not always act precisely like a lady herself, but she behaved precisely like the sort of lady he wished Blythe to become. One with a heart, who could play the part of the lady when she deemedsheneeded to do so, not when told to do so.
“When did you and Huntley become friends?” He crossed to his desk and sat behind it, glancing down at the ledgers. He was surprised to see that the figures were completed already. It normally took Blythe two days after the close of the week to finish the tally. He wanted to ask her about them, but he wanted answers about Huntley first. “Blythe? Huntley?”
“We’re not friends, per se.” Her blush said otherwise. “But we became acquainted when he attacked you and I hit him over the head with the book.”
“Do you mean after I left Bear to take care of him?” Gabe had needed to depart to one of his other clubs for an emergency flooding problem.
“Yes. Bear had to break up a fight here so I waited for Huntley to rouse, and when he did, he had a pounding head, which I pointed out he deserved. But I took pity on him and gave him a compress.”
Gabe’s jaw must have dropped open because he suddenly sucked in cold air. “You took pity on a man?”
She shrugged, but her blush deepened. “He’s different from other men. I don’t find him tiresome. He actually admitted he should not have attacked you, and then he explained he was just trying to protect Freddy. He got me in my soft spot.” She said the last part begrudgingly.
“You’ve a soft spot?” This was a Blythe he had never seen. This was a vulnerable Blythe, a feminine Blythe. Thank God. He’d feared greatly she didn’t exist, and that would make it damn hard to wed her to a man of theton.
“You’re my soft spot, you big oaf,” she snapped. “And his behavior reminded me of how you always protect me.” She shrugged once more. “So I decided I like him.”
This wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it could be a very good thing. Huntley was from a good family. Huntley would inherit. And if Huntley had one tenth the honor that Gabe knew Frederica possessed, then Huntley would be a fine match for his sister. But he couldn’t let Blythe know he thought so. The minute he did, she’d decide she didn’t like Huntley.
Blythe leaned forward and set her elbows on her knees and narrowed her eyes on him with a suspicious look. “Don’t you have anything to say? You always have something to say.”
He had a lot to say, but nothing he could speak of now. “I still don’t understand how you and your newfoundfriendended up going on a mission together.”
Blythe’s blush deepened to the color of a ripe berry.
“I tried to send him back to Mayfair, but when he realized I was going to aid a Cyprian, he insisted on accompanying me. The man is rather muleheaded.”
It took all Gabe’s will not to laugh. Somehow Blythe had stumbled upon the perfect match for herself. “It must run in the family,” he finally managed to get out while keeping his glee for his sister out of his tone.
“Speaking of his family…” Blythe probed him with her gaze. “Why did you leave your wife on your wedding night?”
Wife.The word made him still. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard it. The vicar had repeated it during the ceremony, but Gabe had been expecting it. Frederica was hiswife. He didn’t like the way the word made his chest constrict.
“Gabe?”
He snapped his gaze to his sister’s concerned face, uncertain when he’d looked down at his hands and away from Blythe.
“Why did you leave her alone?” she asked again. “And don’t even try to tell me you don’t want her.”
“Ladies shouldn’t talk of such things.” Especially because talk of his desire for Frederica stirred it painfully. He didn’t plan not to have passion between them, but he needed to approach it with control of himself.
“Good thing I’m no lady yet, then,” Blythe said, eyebrow raised. “So?”
“You’re a thorn in my side.”
Blythe grinned. “And you’re a pain in the arse. Now answer me.”
Gabe sighed. “Because I was setting the precedent for how it will be. She’ll live in her world, and I’ll live in mine.”
Blythe snorted. “Good luck with keeping her away from Covent Garden.”
Yes, he knew it was going to be a challenge. Frederica was not one to be easily deterred. It was one of the things he admired most about her so far. But to Blythe, he said, “You know very well that Hawk will return now and come for her. She’s safer in Mayfair. He’ll look here first, and that will alert me to his return, and then I’ll swoop in and snatch him.”
Blythe’s expression sobered, and she nodded. “So you’ve a plan?”
“Yes. I’ve been funding the Henderson Home for the Mentally Impaired since shortly after Hawk left and made his threat against me.”
