Page 50 of The Moonstone Marquess
“I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this time spent with you, Burness. I was in a fog for weeks and do not think I would have emerged from it if not for you.”
“You give me too much credit. I’m sure you would have pulled yourself out of it in time. You and I have had only one good conversation since you’ve been here. Perhaps this one will be the second.”
“It is not only our chats that I appreciate. You stood by me as a friend and gave me the confidence to do what I must, not only for the good of the earldom but for myself. I will be contacting the Royal Society as well as the British Museum to look into their expeditions. Quite excited about it, in truth. I look forward to getting my plans underway, and the invitation is always open to you should you wish to join me.”
“I shall politely decline. I’ve spent too many years away from home.”
“But those were war years. It isn’t the same.”
“I know. However, I am looking forward to settling here and making a life for myself.”
Richard laughed. “Then you do intend to marry. Have you found the girl yet? It cannot be Lady Seline, for she is now married.”
“It was never going to be her.”
He arched an eyebrow in surprise. “The gossip rags were touting how besotted you were with her.”
Cormac laughed. “The information no doubt fed to them by Lady Seline herself.”
“Then why not consider my sister? Arabella is smart and lovely.”
“Richard, with all due respect, I do not want Arabella.”
“Then who do you want?”
Before he could respond, a straw hat sailed over the outcropping between his beach and Phoebe’s, landing at his feet. It was a child’s hat. He immediately realized it was Ella’s or Imogen’s, so he picked it up. Were they on the beach? He hadn’t heard their giggles.
In the next moment, Phoebe waded around the rocks with her gown hiked to her thighs. The breath caught in her lungs when she noticed them. “Lord Burness…do forgive me. But Imogen’s hat flew off her head and the wind carried it from my garden to here. I was afraid it would fly into the water.”
She hurried forward, grabbed it from his hand, and hastily waded back to her side without waiting for introductions to be made.
Lord Crawford stared at her retreating form. “Who is that angel?” Suddenly, he laughed and shook his head. “How stupid of me. She is the neighbor you have been so vigilant in seeing. No wonder you are eager to ride over there every day. You hound. You want her.”
“She has my nieces.”
“Then you are not interested in her? Are you blind, man? She is the most beautiful creature I have ever encountered. Eyes the aqua of the sea and lips as pink as roses. I shall have her if you do not want her. What is her name? She is magnificent.”
“Enough, Richard. You are to keep away from Lady Phoebe.” Cormac stopped Lord Crawford from following Phoebe and tossed him a warning scowl. “I mean it.”
“Come now, Burness. You are behaving like a possessive ape. Just say so if you want her for yourself. If this is how it is, then so be it.” Richard put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I am a gentleman and will keep hands off your lovely Lady Phoebe. But surely there can be no harm in my meeting her. I’ll join you when you next visit her. Or are you the jealous sort who wants to keep her all to yourself?”
“I’ll bring you over there in a couple of days,” Cormac grumbled. “I need to be certain you are truly on the mend. I don’t want you upsetting her or my nieces.”
“Dear heaven, what sort of low specimen do you think I am?” But in the next moment, Richard shook his head and groaned. “Well, I see your point. I am presently mixing with an unsavory lot, even if they are consideredhaute ton.”
“Precisely. You must understand my concern, especially while your friends are still here. I do not want Lady Phoebe or my nieces anywhere near them.”
Richard went to the water’s edge and poured more water onto his head to cool himself down. “Very well. Truce, Burness. I shall not approach her until my friends are gone. However, once they have left, you must introduce her to me.”
“I will think about it.”
“Fine, do so. Shall we return to the lovely ladies? They’ll be quite drunk by now, and hot for you. Of course, since you won’t have them, they’ll take me. Who shall I have first?”
Cormac did not bother to respond.
It did not escape his notice that despite Lord Crawford’s gushing over Phoebe, he still wanted his friends around and was thinking with his lower parts rather than his brain. Even knowing it would take no more than a nod from him for Cormac to kick them out, he did not ask it.
This told him Lord Crawford was not truly ready to heal…or behave himself. Which meant Cormac was not going to let him anywhere near Phoebe, Chloe, or his nieces, no matter how vehemently the man implored him.
