Read Online Desires of a Baron by Rose Gordon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rose Gordon
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appreciate your vote of confidence,” Sebastian said in a low tone. “Now, about you.”
Giles shook his head. Sebastian wouldn’t mock him, but he couldn’t help him, either.
“Is Lord Cosgrove still pushing for you to find a bride?”
Giles stiffened. He’d forgotten all about that. “No.”
“What changed his mind?”
“ Don’t know.” He shrugged. “He hasn’t spoken to me about it again.”
A moment of silence engulfed them. “Do you think—” Sebastian cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “We never discussed your past while we were touring the continent.” He scoffed. “Hell, I didn’t even know that you were a lord, let alone that you had a brother. You keep your secrets well, Giles, and this might not be my place to ask, but is it possible that Lord Cosgrove isn’t quite as interested in seeing you married as someone else might be?”
Giles stared at his friend. Who else would care? Nobody. There wasn’t anyone else who’d care. They’d probably rather he not secure an heir so his title could pass to someone else. Which was fine with Giles. He didn’t want to be baron. The only reason he’d even come to London at Lord Cosgrove’s demands was because of his threat to begin selling off anything Giles owned that wasn’t entailed. He didn’t care about losing the assets, but he knew better than to believe he’d be the one who’d receive the funds from the sale of those assets.
“ Giles?”
Sebastian’s voice pulled Giles to present. “Yes?”
“I know you like to keep things private, but if you tell me what’s going on, I can help you.”
“ With Lord Cosgrove or Lucy?” The words were out before he realized it. At Sebastian’s slow grin, Giles’ face heated.
“ Who’s Lucy?”
“ No one.” Giles jumped at the sharpness in his own voice. “Just a lady I met.”
“ One who seems to have had quite a serious effect on you, I’d wager.”
Giles flushed. “I said something foolish.”
Sebastian didn’t respond right away. “Are you sure it’s irreparable?”
“ Doesn’t matter.”
“ I think it might.”
“ She can have Simon.” Just saying the words made his throat constrict as if he might suffocate at any moment. But it didn’t make it any less true. Simon was smarter. He wouldn’t say thoughtless things to shame her. He could say exactly what he wanted to the first time. The sharp pain in his palms drew his attention and he released his fists.
“ If she can make someone as calm as you react this way, I believe she’s worth seeking out to make amends.”
“ It’s no use.”
“ So you say, and yet, it’s turned you into a bundle of nerves.”
Giles frowned. “I’m not a bundle of nerves. I’m made up of cells.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Indeed. What I meant was that you’ve never cared what anyone’s thought about you before and now you do.”
“ I shamed her,” Giles burst out, fighting the remorse that was threatening to wash over him.
“ You should go to her and try to explain,” Sebastian said in his usual calm voice.
“ I can’t.”
“ Why not?”
“ It won’t matter. She’ll marry Simon.”
“ That didn’t take long,” Sebastian muttered. He waved a hand through the air. “Giles, I don’t have all the details and I won’t press you for them, but it’s only been three days since I last saw you and Simon and at that time Simon was still very much trying to court my wife. I cannot imagine that he’s already become engaged to another.”
“ I didn’t say he was.”
Sebastian drummed his fingers on the chair and now it was Giles’ turn to shift uncomfortably in his chair. Were he still living with the nuns, either Mother Superior or Father Thomas would have yelled at him by now, or would with their next statement. Sebastian never had, but surely one day his patience would wear thin. Unfortunately, Giles had never been very good at articulating.
“I still think you should clarify what you
Giles shook his head. Sebastian wouldn’t mock him, but he couldn’t help him, either.
“Is Lord Cosgrove still pushing for you to find a bride?”
Giles stiffened. He’d forgotten all about that. “No.”
“What changed his mind?”
“ Don’t know.” He shrugged. “He hasn’t spoken to me about it again.”
A moment of silence engulfed them. “Do you think—” Sebastian cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “We never discussed your past while we were touring the continent.” He scoffed. “Hell, I didn’t even know that you were a lord, let alone that you had a brother. You keep your secrets well, Giles, and this might not be my place to ask, but is it possible that Lord Cosgrove isn’t quite as interested in seeing you married as someone else might be?”
Giles stared at his friend. Who else would care? Nobody. There wasn’t anyone else who’d care. They’d probably rather he not secure an heir so his title could pass to someone else. Which was fine with Giles. He didn’t want to be baron. The only reason he’d even come to London at Lord Cosgrove’s demands was because of his threat to begin selling off anything Giles owned that wasn’t entailed. He didn’t care about losing the assets, but he knew better than to believe he’d be the one who’d receive the funds from the sale of those assets.
“ Giles?”
Sebastian’s voice pulled Giles to present. “Yes?”
“I know you like to keep things private, but if you tell me what’s going on, I can help you.”
“ With Lord Cosgrove or Lucy?” The words were out before he realized it. At Sebastian’s slow grin, Giles’ face heated.
“ Who’s Lucy?”
“ No one.” Giles jumped at the sharpness in his own voice. “Just a lady I met.”
“ One who seems to have had quite a serious effect on you, I’d wager.”
Giles flushed. “I said something foolish.”
Sebastian didn’t respond right away. “Are you sure it’s irreparable?”
“ Doesn’t matter.”
“ I think it might.”
“ She can have Simon.” Just saying the words made his throat constrict as if he might suffocate at any moment. But it didn’t make it any less true. Simon was smarter. He wouldn’t say thoughtless things to shame her. He could say exactly what he wanted to the first time. The sharp pain in his palms drew his attention and he released his fists.
“ If she can make someone as calm as you react this way, I believe she’s worth seeking out to make amends.”
“ It’s no use.”
“ So you say, and yet, it’s turned you into a bundle of nerves.”
Giles frowned. “I’m not a bundle of nerves. I’m made up of cells.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Indeed. What I meant was that you’ve never cared what anyone’s thought about you before and now you do.”
“ I shamed her,” Giles burst out, fighting the remorse that was threatening to wash over him.
“ You should go to her and try to explain,” Sebastian said in his usual calm voice.
“ I can’t.”
“ Why not?”
“ It won’t matter. She’ll marry Simon.”
“ That didn’t take long,” Sebastian muttered. He waved a hand through the air. “Giles, I don’t have all the details and I won’t press you for them, but it’s only been three days since I last saw you and Simon and at that time Simon was still very much trying to court my wife. I cannot imagine that he’s already become engaged to another.”
“ I didn’t say he was.”
Sebastian drummed his fingers on the chair and now it was Giles’ turn to shift uncomfortably in his chair. Were he still living with the nuns, either Mother Superior or Father Thomas would have yelled at him by now, or would with their next statement. Sebastian never had, but surely one day his patience would wear thin. Unfortunately, Giles had never been very good at articulating.
“I still think you should clarify what you
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