Page 68 of The Moonstone Marquess
She giggled and threw her arms around him when he bent to give each of them a hug. “Up.”
He laughed. “Do you mean, ‘Uncle Cormac, please carry me up the stairs’?”
She nodded. “Yes. Up.”
He rose with her tucked in his arm and started for the house.
Chloe took Ella’s hand, and they scampered after him.
Phoebe gathered their shoes, which Richard immediately took from her hands. “Let me help you with those.”
They walked up together, obviously sharing a jest, for the two of them were laughing. Cormac did his best to stifle his jealousy. It was ridiculous to think Phoebe was being anything more than polite to his friend.
But damn the man. He was doing his best to charm Phoebe.
Could nobody be trusted?
Well, hehadto trust Phoebe. She was beautiful and sweet, and probably had half the single men in Moonstone Landing in love with her. There would always be men after her. And was this not the point of her reluctance to say those words aloud to him…I love you?
She refused to say them because she did not yet trusthimto be constant.
And therein lay the foundation for a happy marriage…trust.
She did trust him in certain ways, just not this all-important one. Having spent years destroying his reputation with his debauchery, how could she ever believe he would keep faithfully to his vows?
It struck him that he’d never concerned himself with such matters before, because he had never cared for anyone the way he cared for Phoebe. Losing her would devastate him. But she was no society butterfly to flit from one man to the next.
When she loved, it would be forever.
This was the assurance she was also waiting to hear from him. She needed to believe he would be forever true. Forever in love with her.
But he was her first romance, so should he not also be asking questions? How could he be sure she was not mistaking infatuation with true love? Would she decide Richard was a better fit for her temperament?
Well, better he find out sooner rather than later.
“Uncle Cormac, why are you grinding your teeth?” Imogen asked, placing her little hand against his cheek.
“Am I? Perhaps I am hungrier than I realized. How are you feeling, duckling? You look much better than last night.”
“I was already all right when you saw me this morning. I cuddled with Phoebe.”
“Lucky you. Still feeling all right?”
She nodded.
Her big eyes just melted him.
She squirmed and tried to wriggle out of his grasp when they reached the top step. “I want to run on the grass.”
He laughed and set her down.
She and Ella began to run around them, enjoying the feel of the soft grass under their toes.
But Phoebe had them sit while she wiped the sand off their feet and then helped them don their shoes. She handed Chloe hers, and then took a moment to wipe the sand off her own feet. “Girls, run upstairs and wash your hands before we eat.”
She and Chloe excused themselves a moment to do the same.
Cormac was familiar enough with the house and their daily routine to lead Richard into the kitchen, introduce him to Mrs. Hawke, and ask for ale to be brought out to them. “Smells delicious, Mrs. Hawke.”
