Page 30 of The Moonstone Marquess
But how did one go about such a thing?
He had proposed to Phoebe, but the offer of marriage had hardly been gracious.
No, what he had actually proposed to her was a marriage of convenience, the convenience purely for himself. He had made no vow to be faithful to her. Nor had he vowed to love and cherish her always.
All he had proposed was a marriage with no strings to bind him if he got bored and chose to wander.
Indeed, he was the biggest fool in all of England.
Why would Phoebe ever accept him on those terms?
Chapter Seven
Phoebe was readinga story to his nieces when Cormac arrived at Moonstone Cottage. They were in the parlor, the girls seated on the sofa while Phoebe was in a chair beside them with a book in hand. All three of them were rapt in the story he recognized as one of the Arthurian legends. “And then the wizard Merlin said to young King Arthur—”
She looked up and noticed him. “Lord Burness.”
The girls immediately began quacking in greeting. He laughed and quacked back.
Lord, they had to stop this silliness. He could only imagine the uproar if Ella quacked at him during her Society debut.
“I’m glad I am not too late.” He settled on the sofa beside his nieces. Imogen immediately climbed onto his lap and nestled against his chest.
Phoebe cast him a warm smile. “I’m almost done with the story.”
Yes, she liked the way he was around his nieces. “Take your time. I enjoy the sound of your voice.”
She blushed.
The girls giggled.
“Uncle Cormac likes you,” Imogen whispered to her, apparently not grasping the concept that he was not supposed to be able to hear her.
“Yes, well…um…shall we continue with the tale?” Phoebe buried her face in the book and resumed reading.
When she was done, Cormac carried Imogen up to the bedchamber the girls were using. He kept his pace slow on the stairs, since Ella had taken hold of his empty jacket sleeve while she walked up the steps beside him.
Yes, that empty sleeve.
That missing part of him.
When they reached the landing, Phoebe darted ahead and led the way. “This used to be my bedchamber.”
He looked around and gave a nod of approval. “I’m sorry to have put you out.”
“No, not at all. After Hen married, I moved into hers, since it is the largest and the view from its small balcony is magnificent. Captain Arundel designed this house and all its rooms to provide views of the sea from almost every one of them. Aunt Henleigh took over his bedchamber when she acquired the house.”
“Then your sister took it over. You mentioned it to me the other day.”
“Yes, it was her right, since she was eldest. And now me. We haven’t changed a thing since Captain Arundel’s day. It has a nautical feel, not feminine at all. But none of us ever wished to move his belongings. It simply did not feel right for us to change a thing about the room.”
“Now I am curious.”
“You wish to see it?”
He nodded. “May I? I’ll merely poke my head in to have a glimpse.”
“I don’t mind. Have a good look, especially the view from the balcony. It is not to be missed. I’ll help the girls into their nightclothes and tuck them into bed while you do.”
