Page 15 of Scandalized by My Prince
“Female problems?” the man asked. Killian couldn’t resistasking.
The man groaned. “The kind that will drive a man to drink—well, debt might, but I don’t have problems of thatnature.”
Killian nodded. “I have one of those too.” He frowned and then said, “Female that is. She appeared out of nowhere and has been an albatross around my neck ever since. She’s clueless andneedy.”
He was starting to believe she wasn’t as clueless as he’d originally believed though. Some of the fog was lifting from his brain, and she was becoming something else before his eyes. He didn’t want her to realize it yet though. Before he made everything clear, he wanted more answers. As long as he played the fool, she’d let more slip. In time, he’d reveal it all, but for now, even to this stranger, he had to keep up thepretense.
The man barked out a laugh. Then he said, “She can’t be allthatbad.”
“Trust me, she is,” he replied. She drove him insane with the smallest smile, and he wanted to taste her lips in the worst way. Aubriella had the power to bend him to her will if she wanted. Why she hadn’t tried already. Or had she? “If I could find a family member of hers, I’d pass her off. But she claims she’s an orphan and has nowheretogo.”
He didn’t really want to let her go, but he felt he must. She should find a man who could be what she needed. Killian could never be the one to take care of her. He was a bastard and she was too pure for him totouch.
The man frowned. “That’s rather sad. At least you’re not throwing her out to the wolves. A female needsprotection.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “She’s lucky my mother raised me to be a gentleman.” Killian glanced across the room and frowned, then turned back to the man, “I’m the Earl of Thornbury, but you may call meKillian.”
“Duke of Branterberry,” Brandon said. He paused for a moment before saying, “Brandon, if we’re going to use our givennames.”
Killian smiled. “You sure?” He lifted a brow. “I can ‘Your Grace’ you ’til you’re blue in the face ifyoulike.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Brandon replied. “I have enough of that from theservants.”
He couldn’t imagine holding the lofty title of duke. Being an earl was a big enough responsibility. He had a lot of people depending on him, and he feared one day he’d let them all down. This man didn’t need insight to all of his worries though. This was supposed to be congenialandfun.
Killian chuckled. “It’s a hard life,” he said lightly. “But someone has to live it. Tell me about your ladytroubles.”
The duke remained silent for several moments. Killian was starting to believe he might not respond, but Brandon proved him wrong. “I’m not sure they’re problems or not,” he finally said. “It may be that I’m making it more difficult than Ishould.”
“Your Grace,” Killian said. “I believe the problem is that she has you under her spell. If you give me a wee bit more detail, perhaps I might be able to assist you inbreakingit.”
Maybe in helping the duke, he’d find a way to break the spell Aubriella had woven over him as well. There was something about her… He wanted to simultaneously pull her toward him and push her away. It was the most frustrating thing he’d ever experienced. He was also afraid the side that wanted to push her away might succeed. But this conversation wasn’t about his problems with Aubriella, it was about the duke and he had to concentrate on his newacquaintance.
“She has dark red hair and eyes bluer than the sea.” Brandon sighed. “I’m afraid spending the rest of my life with her will be a trial I may notsurvive.”
“A wife has that effect on a man,” he said gravely. Killian frowned and then took a drink of his ale. His dark eyes narrowed as he stared across the room. “Is she, perhaps, the woman talking to mynuisance?”
Brandon turned and looked across the room. He stared at Aubriella and a lady with dark red hair. She matched the description the duke had given him for the woman he was mooning over. “She has a dark green traveling dress on,” Brandon said gesturing toward her. “And if your lady is the one with a light blue dress waving at her like a mad woman, then I’dsayyes.”
The two women appeared to be arguing about something. He could be wrong, but they seemed awfully familiar with each other. The niggling feeling that Aubriella had lied to him wouldn’t go away. There was something between those two women—he’d bet his lifeonit.
Brandon turned back to Killian and asked, “What are the chances they know eachother?”
Killian’s lips turned down as he watched the women. “Aubriella said she didn’t have family or anyone to lean on. If she’s lied to me, I think its best I findoutnow.”
Bloody hell. This was going to be a mess. He could see how it would all unfold, and it wasn’t going to bepretty.
“Brie,”Serenity said. “Shut up before you draw more attention toyourself.”
The last person she’d expected to see in the Stallion and Snapdragon was her stepsister. What the hell was Serenity doing in the past? How had she even gotten there? Had Trenton sought someone else to help with his mission to save Genevieve and found a willing partner in her stepsister? If so, where the hell was he? Where was Genevieve? She had so many questions and not enough answers, but mostly she had to get Serenity far away from her before Killian saw themtogether.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Aubriella hissed under her breath. “You’re going to ruineverything.”
Serenity closed her eyes, ignoring Aubriella. They hadn’t had the best relationship growing up, and it hadn’t softened now that they were adults. Aubriella didn’t have any warm and fuzzy feelings for either one of her stepsisters. She wasn’t about to jump up for joy now that she’d found one of them in the nineteenth century. “I’m not here trying to ruin whatever you have going on,” Serenity said. “It’s an unfortunatecoincidence.”
“That explains absolutely nothing,” Aubriella said, irritated. Serenity had always been a bit obtuse. She wanted to wipe the smugness off her face. “If Killian realizes we know each other, he will insist I go off with you. I’m starting to make progress, damn it. You can’t let him figureitout.”
“If I promise not to tell him we’re related through marriage, will you stop throwing a tempertantrum?”
