Page 73 of The Moonstone Marquess
Cormac felt the full impact of her gaze now on him and noticed her begin to fret her lower lip. “I don’t know. It is the only answer I can give just yet.”
An honest one, because Phoebe did not lie, nor was she a practiced flirt.
He felt the pain of her honesty quite profoundly.
Was it too late for her to ever trust him? Having spent years destroying his reputation, could it ever be redeemed?
Chapter Fourteen
The rest ofthe week passed quickly, although not quickly enough for Cormac. He and Richard fell into the routine of visiting Phoebe and his nieces every day, as well as spending hours going over the duties of owning an estate. Westgate Hall was just a manor house, but Cain’s neighboring property was much larger, encompassing several working farms and a grist mill. Those served as a good training ground for Richard.
They’d worked hard, but Richard was not content to spend his last night in Moonstone Landing behaving piously. They had taken to stopping at the Three Lions Tavern for rounds of ale and conversation with the locals most nights, but this was not enough for Richard on his last night here.
They had just left Phoebe’s home and were now on their way to the tavern when Richard expressed his desire for female companionship. Cormac frowned. “Why now? You leave tomorrow. Can you not hold off for a few more days?”
“No, and I think you should give me a memorable send-off. Is this not what my brother urged you to do?”
“He wanted you to gain experience, but his request to make a man of you means more than simply learning how to pleasure a lady. He was speaking of building your character.”
“Am I so terrible?”
“Of course not, but your enthusiasm for a thing sometimes makes you act rashly.”
“Are we speaking of Lady Phoebe? She is splendid, isn’t she? But she has expressed her lack of interest in me quite clearly. So why not allow me to nurse my wounds elsewhere? The Kestrel Inn has an elite clientele, does it not? Let’s go there tonight and see what we can find.”
“You mean in the way of bored countesses?”
Richard nodded. “Where’s the harm?”
“No, it is not for me.”
“Oh, come on, Burness. You are not betrothed to Lady Phoebe. Even if you were, so what?”
Other than destroying any possibility of Phoebe ever trusting him? Sure, no harm. “You go on ahead. I have some work to do anyway.”
“You really have sworn off women, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“But Lady Phoebe has given you no indication she will ever agree to marry you, so why turn into a monk?”
“She is worth the wait. Worth the hope.”
“Yes, I suppose she is. At least she likes you. I don’t think she likes me very much.”
Cormac shook his head. “She does like you and quite admires your plans. But not enough to take that life journey with you.”
“So what are you going to do, Burness? Spend the rest of your days here because this is where she wishes to settle? Will she be the one making all the decisions in the family? I cannot see you in that subservient role.” Richard laughed and shook his head. “Nor can I see her demurely accepting your decisions. She may look like a kitten, but she scratches like a wildcat.”
Cormac arched an eyebrow. “Why are you surprised? Did you not hear her railing at me that first day I met her? My ears are still burning from the scathing set-down.”
His friend shook his head. “I was likely passed out. Too bad I missed it. She must have been magnificent, her beautiful eyes ablaze. Drat, I would have enjoyed seeing her take you down.”
“Well, my point is that neither she nor I would ever be subservient. If I’ve learned anything—and believe me, I was quite dense about understanding any of it for the longest time—it is that neither party gives the orders in a happy marriage. The decisions are reached together. You each want to do it for the other, because seeing the other happy is the greatest satisfaction.”
He leaned forward in his saddle and looked out upon Moonstone Landing as they rode over a scenic rise. The village looked beautiful in the fading light, its thatched roof houses quite golden and the sea beyond it a shimmering blue. “If you are ever so fortunate as to fall in love, you’ll come to realize this. Many things will suddenly fade in importance.”
“Not my travels. This is my life’s quest, and I will not allow any woman to compromise my plans.”
