Read Online A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare - Free Book Online Page A

think you’re an ass, and it eats away at my gut, just to imagine calling you brother. But I’d take no pleasure in seeing you fail at betrothal again.” Gray scowled. It was the expression of a man wrestling his own humility. “Bel’s been disappointed with London, despite all our efforts to keep her entertained. Nothing amuses her. She’s so damned quiet, so serious. I’ve watched her frowning in silence through a dozen dinner parties and musicales.
    But when she danced with you—and God, it kills me to say it—she looked happy. And then this morning, she spoke angry words to Sophia in your defense.” Gray shook his head. “I’ve never heard her speak angry words to anyone. Reproachful words, yes. Disappointed words, more often than I care to remember. But never angry ones.”
    Toby couldn’t quite follow the gist of this argument. She was happy last night, angry this morning … “What are you saying?”
    “I’m saying, I think my sister’s built quite a fortress around her emotions. She’d call it morality; I’m inclined to call it fear. But what ever those walls are made of, for some unfathomable reason, you seem able to breach them. I’m saying, you managed to put a smile on her face last night.” He pinned Toby with a threatening look. “Keep it there.”
    “I will,” Toby answered, resolute. Indeed, never in his life had he been so determined to succeed at any venture. It was what he did best, keeping ladies smiling. He would find a way to keep Isabel happy, too. There was nothing in the world that could have convinced him to back down from the challenge in Sir Benedict Grayson’s eyes. Nothing.
    A knock sounded at the door.
    “Come in,” Gray called, rising to his feet. “That’ll be my brother, Joss.”
    Toby stood, refreshing his grin and readying a bow. Perhaps the younger Grayson brother would be more congenial. Second sons typically had very different personalities.
    “Sir Toby Aldridge,” Gray said, “allow me to introduce my brother and partner in Grayson Brothers Shipping, Captain Josiah Grayson.”
    Well, Toby thought, he’d been right. The brothers were certainly different. Gray had told him the Grayson siblings were born of different mothers, but Toby had been expecting a brother who was half-Spanish, like Isabel. Not one who was half-African, like … like scarcely anyone he knew, save servants. Certainly like no one to whom he’d ever bowed.

    Toby felt himself the object of keen scrutiny as he stared into Joss’s face—a darker copy of his brother’s. Begrudgingly, he conceded a silent point to Gray. The bastard had certainly played this card well. Or, rather, he’d played the bastard card well. There was no way Toby could register surprise now. Not when he’d just wagered his pride and self-respect against Isabel Grayson’s happiness.
    “Captain Grayson. A pleasure.” Smile frozen in place, Toby made a smooth bow. There, that hadn’t been so difficult.
    “Sir Toby.” Joss returned the bow. “I’d say the pleasure is mine, but I have an unfortunate habit of honesty, I’m afraid.”
    Unfortunate indeed. This Grayson brother was not more congenial than the first. He was less.
    It was plain to see there was a plank-sized chip on Joss’s shoulder, balanced by the weight of general ill humor on the other. A right surly fellow, if ever Toby had met one. Just bloody perfect.
    “You’re really going to allow this?” Joss spoke to Gray, making a dismissive gesture in Toby’s direction. “After one evening, you’re going to let Bel marry this ass?”
    “I’m going to let her remain engaged to this ass,” Gray corrected. “For now. We’ll see if she still feels the same, come September.”
    “September?” Toby echoed. “It’s barely April. Six weeks is ample time for an engagement.
    We’ll be married in May.”
    “August.”
    “June.”
    “July, or not at all,” Gray said. “That’s my final concession.”
    We’ll see about that .
    Catching