Page 21 of The Moonstone Governess
He tucked a finger under her chin and raised her gaze to his. “That is not the question I asked you, little dove. Why are you mentioning kisses?”
Her cheeks heated. “I will not discuss Albert with you.”
He released her and folded his arms across his chest. “What are you afraid of, Brenna?”
“Well,Daire… I’ll tell you.” She mimicked his stance and frowned at him, but her mention of his name obviously pleased him, even though she had uttered it sarcastically. His eyes lit up and his smile was one of genuine delight. She found it irritating, and frowned harder. “You are going to ridicule him because he is earnest and serious and does not know how to seduce women as you do.”
“I am not going to ridicule him.”
“Then what are you going to do to him?”
“Nothing.” He lowered his hands to his sides. “I do not give two figs about him. It is you I am concerned about. How can you consider marrying a man you do not love? How can he possibly love you, either? Men in love cannot keep their hands off the women they desire. What is wrong with him that he remains a gentleman around you?”
She lowered her hands and balled them into fists. “He respects me.”
“You know, that is the lamest excuse either of us has ever heard. Brenna, your eyes are an emerald blaze of fire.”
“So what? I am angry with you. Yet again, I might add.”
“Which proves my point. You have too much passion bubbling inside of you ever to be happy with a cold fish like Albert.”
“He isn’t cold!”
“He just doesn’t care to touch you, is that it?”
She gasped. “This is why I am not having this conversation with you. He is a decent man and holds himself to high standards.”
“Why does he want you, Brenna? It took me three seconds to decide I wanted to get my hands all over your body, which I promise I will not do without your permission. So do not start huffing in indignation again. It is an important question, and one you ought to be asking yourself before you give him an answer.”
She turned on her heels and hurried toward the Three Lions Tavern, where she hoped to find Uncle Simon enjoying a pint.
“He’s still up at the Duke of Malvern’s residence, helping him and Duchess Hen prepare their grounds for tomorrow’s tea,” said her cousin, William, while drying off some freshly washed mugs.
“What about Felicity?”
“Oh, she’s up there at St. Austell Grange, too. You and I are just about the only Angels not there at the moment. Even Mum and Da took the wagon up to deliver kegs of ale.”
Brenna turned back to the duke, who had followed her into the tavern. “I ought to have realized they would be busy. I’ll seek out Felicity and Uncle Simon as soon as they return.”
He nodded and escorted her out of the tavern. “What if we head to Mr. Bedwell’s mercantile now?”
She shook her head. “Would you mind terribly if we saved it for tomorrow? I would like to give your nephew a little more thought and come up with a proper list of items.”
“You do love your lists,” he said, his voice soft and teasing.
“It helps me organize my thoughts. I’ll bid you good day for now. I must return to Cara’s cottage. There’s correspondence I need to get out.”
“Ah, yes. Albert must be impatient for your response.”
“Gad, you are irritating.” She walked on toward her cousin’s cottage, where she was living for the duration of her stay.
The duke strode beside her, completely ignoring the fact she had not invited him along.
Honestly, this man needed a good comeuppance.
“I will not invite you in.” She came to a halt in front of the charming cottage that was nestled on one of the quaint streets just above the beach. Her cousin Cara’s former home was a simple place, but its view overlooking the cove was quite stunning.
“I have no intention of going in. I merely walked you to your door.” He glanced at the beach and then turned to study the house. “Cara is the one who caught herself the Duke of Strathmore, isn’t she?”
