Page 51 of If the Duke Dares
That wasn’t at all true. The time she’d spent with Acton had been singular. And the kisses they’d shared were magical. She would not think about another broken rogue rule.
Anyway, those weren’t the things that mattered, and all that was behind her now. She had no hope for a future marriage and had to accept she would likely live a sedate existence in a remote locale. At least she would have Pandora.
Except that wasn’t a balm. It only made Persephone feel worse, for Pandora had wanted a husband and a family more than Persephone. She deserved that.
There had to be a way to fix things for Pandora. Persephone couldn’t bear to see her suffer. She’d do whatever was necessary to see her sister happy.
Chapter12
Despite troubling thoughts of Persey in Bane’s arms, Acton managed to find rest. He’d dreamed of her, not with Bane, but with him. Acton had relived their kisses and mayhap gone a bit further than that.
He was just glad it was morning and that he could finally call on Persey. It was imperative he get to the heart of whatever Bane had done and rectify the situation. Acton was not going to allow Persey to be ruined.
He joined his sisters in the dining room and was surprised to see that Cecily was with child. Last night, she’d been seated, and he hadn’t noticed. Today, as she stood and went to the sideboard to fetch another piece of toast, he noted the swell of her belly.
Should he say something? He wanted to, but he also didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. It wasn’t as if they had a close relationship.
“Yes, Cecily is carrying,” Francesca said with a half smile. “I can see you noticed. Just as I can see that you’re weighing whether to say anything.”
“Aren’t you astute?” he said with a quick smile. “I don’t wish to overstep. But I do offer my congratulations, Cecily.”
“Thank you,” Cecily responded as she returned to her seat. “The baby should arrive around the new year.”
Acton wanted to ask if this was her first. Shouldn’t he know if he was an uncle? He suddenly felt quite awful. “It occurs to me that I have not been a good brother. I, ah—” He’d been about to say that he’d long believed they didn’t care to get to know him, but he wasn’t sure he believed that. His father had told him that his mother preferred to live apart, and they’d agreed it was best for the girls to be with her and for Acton to be with their father. Their parents had made the decisions, and they’d had to go along with them.
“You what?” Francesca prodded.
“I would like to know you better,” he said, realizing it was true. He was glad they were here, that his surprise trip to Bath had brought them together, for however long. “I’m embarrassed to say I don’t even know if either of you already has children. I think Francesca might, but I’m not certain.” He lowered his gaze to his plate, which he’d filled before sitting down. He didn’t want to see what was sure to be disappointment or hurt in their eyes. It occurred to him that not knowing his sisters, their husbands, or their children certainly qualified him as a rogue, at least in the way Persey had described one.
“I do have a son and a daughter,” Francesca said. “He is four and she is nearly two.”
“I have a daughter, Georgie, who is two,” Cecily added as she spread jam on her toast.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t know that. And that I haven’t met them.” As with his other behavior, he resolved to change that. Just because he hadn’t known his sisters didn’t mean he shouldn’t know their children. In fact, it meant the opposite. He should ensure he not only knew them but treated them as family. “They aren’t here, are they?”
“No, my children are at home near Salisbury,” Francesca replied.
“And my daughter is also at home, which is near Andover. In case you didn’t know.” Cecily said the last without rancor.
Sadly, he hadn’t known. “I should like to meet them, as well as your husbands.” Actually, he’d met Donovan in London. A few years older than Acton, he was a viscount and heir to a marquessate. Acton didn’t think he’d met Fairhope. If he recalled, the man was from Yorkshire. Indeed, why were he and his wife living in Hampshire? Perhaps they owned a property there and chose it as their primary residence so the sisters could live near one another. “Do you live close to each other on purpose?” he asked.
“Yes,” Cecily said. “We’re very close.”
Somehow, that simple statement sliced through his heart and left a terrible ache. His father’s voice sounded in his brain and told him to ignore such feminine feelings.
“Are you leaving after breakfast, then?” Francesca asked before sipping her tea.
“Actually, I was hoping I might stay another day or two. If you don’t mind.”
“It’s Mama’s house, and she’d probably want you to stay.”Probably.“We’ll be here another five days or so. We just came for a week to shop and see friends.”
Acton couldn’t help thinking that when he got together with his friends, they played billiards and cards, typically wagering on all of it, and went out to social gatherings or clubs. There was a great deal of competition. Who would drink the most or win the most, among other things. Thinking about it, Bane, as the unofficial leader of their set, was often the driving force. Was it possible he occasionally pushed too far? Had he done that with Persey? Acton felt disgusted, not just with Bane, but with himself. He would do better. Starting with how he treated Persey.
Again, he felt badly for kissing her. And yet, she’d said they were both at fault. Was it wrong to kiss her if she wanted him to? It wasn’t as if he hadnointention of marrying her. He froze. Would he consider wedding her? He would, he realized. Just as he knew she was committed to avoiding being leg-shackled to him.
Acton was desperate to see her, to learn the truth about what had happened with Bane. “I’ll just stay another day,” he said. “Perhaps two. I’ve a few things to see to,” he added vaguely, hoping they wouldn’t ask him for specifics. “In fact, I need to make a call.” He stood, his breakfast unfinished.
“At this hour?” Francesca asked in surprise.
