Page 14 of Chasing Benedict
“Nonsense,” Aubrey insisted, already guiding him toward the open door of the office. “I have all the time in the world for you, my friend. Come, we’ll have a drink and—”
“Aubrey! Haven’t you heard me calling? I had hoped you could tell me what you think.”
The interrupting voice had been feminine, and Alex looked up in time to find a woman appearing from behind a curtain, the skirts of an unfinished gown swishing around her heels. She halted at the sight of Alex, cheeks flushing pink as her cerulean eyes darted from him to Aubrey.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she murmured, dipping into an elegant curtsy—one that could not be ruined by the pins and hanging bits of lace marking her gown as a work in progress. “I didn’t realize you had left your office, my love. Forgive me.”
Aubrey offered a soft smile, and Alex noted the clear affection in his eyes as he looked upon the woman. “There is nothing to apologize for, darling. Actually, I was going to send for you. I want you to meet one of my oldest friends. We attended Cambridge together. Lord Vautrey, my wife, Mrs. Lucinda Drake. Lucy, this is Lord Alexander Osborne, the Earl of Vautrey.”
“It is an honor to meet you, my lord,” Lucinda replied with a smile. “Though I would make a better impression in a gown that isn’t pieced together by pins.”
Alex took her hand and bowed over it. “Please, you must call me Alex … and you would make a grand impression dressed in rags.”
She smiled up at her husband. “Oh, I like him.”
Aubrey chuckled. “Always the charmer.”
“You shall call me Lucinda,” she said, turning back to Alex. “Aubrey has told me so many stories of his time at university, and many featured you. You, Dominick Burke, and … Benedict Sterling.”
Alex suppressed a flinch at the knowing look in her eyes. Aubrey and Ben had always been close, with Aubrey conscious of his and Ben’s preference for men. Of course Lucinda would know the truth about Ben. Aubrey would never have married a woman who wouldn’t be willing to know and accept his best friend.
“Yes, the three of us were inseparable,” Alex answered.
“What a shame that you have been away so long. Perhaps a reunion is in order now that you’ve returned to London.”
“All right, you busybody,” Aubrey quipped, gently taking Lucinda’s arm and steering her back toward the curtain. “Off you go. You look beautiful, and the gown is coming along nicely.”
Resisting Aubrey’s prodding, she glanced at Alex over her shoulder. “It was so lovely to have met you, Alex. Will you join us for dinner one evening?”
“I would be delighted,” he replied just before she disappeared in a billow of silk.
Following Aubrey into the office, Alex shook his head in disbelief. “Aubrey Drake … married. I never thought I would see the day.”
Aubrey rounded the desk to a small cabinet pushed into the corner, where a single decanter and four clean glasses rested. “I was once engaged,” he reminded Alex while trickling what smelled like brandy into two of the tumblers. “Surely you haven’t forgotten that.”
Alex accepted his drink and took one of the chairs facing the desk. He gave Aubrey a pointed look. “You and Philippa were ill-suited. While I was sorry to hear she cried off, I did have my reservations.”
Aubrey chuckled. “That’s what Ben said.”
Their mutual friend’s name fell between them like a ten-ton boulder, sending a wave of tense silence through the room. Alex stared into his glass, skin tingling with the phantom memory of being near Ben again—kissing him, touching him, breathing in the scent he knew so well and had longed for.
He took a drink and then cleared his throat, crossing one leg over the other and doing his best to appear unruffled. “Yes, well … Lucy seems lovely. You look happier than I think I’ve ever seen you.”
Aubrey smiled, proving Alex’s point. The lines of strain that had once perpetually marred his brow had disappeared, and even with gray hairs at his temples, he looked younger and more content than ever. A prick of envy and longing reminded Alex that this might have been him had he chosen his path differently. However, he was here because he believed it wasn’t too late to have the future he’d always wanted.
“I am happy,” Aubrey said. “I suppose you’ve heard about Nick?”
Alex laughed. “I was even more surprised to hear of his nuptials than yours. I thought for sure he would die a bachelor—still chasing skirts until the bitter end.”
“You’ll understand when you meet Calliope. She’s a lovely woman and perfect for Nick. He’s a new man.”
“I am glad to hear it. I look forward to seeing him and meeting her.”
They grew silent again, Aubrey’s expression growing pensive as they sipped their brandy. After a while, he set his half-empty tumbler on the desk. “I was deeply sorry to hear about your countess. I had not realized she was ill.”
“She wasn’t,” Alex hedged, unwilling to divulge more than he was ready to. There were things he wanted Ben to know before he began speaking of Katherine to anyone else. “Her death was sudden and … and devastating.”
Aubrey’s sympathetic look also carried understanding. He had not known Katherine well, but knew how close she and Alex had been. While Alex hadn’t loved her as a husband should love a wife, their deep friendship had made their pretense of a marriage bearable. Having her to rely on had lessened the pain of losing Ben as much as was possible.
