stepped back, against the
wall. He took a step toward her, closing the gap between them, and
lowered his forehead to hers.
“Now that Christopher knows about his son,
you and I need to have another talk,” he whispered, trying not to
think of how close her lips were to his.
“Do we?”
Shannah jumped when someone cleared their
throat, bumping his head. Brendan straightened and looked to find
his mother at the top of the stairs, watching them. Or rather,
glaring daggers at Shannah. He stepped between them, blocking
Shannah’s view with his shoulder.
“Yes, we do.” He put a little more force into
his voice. “Come down to my study with me.”
“Brendan, you will be late for dinner,” his
mother informed him.
“You have my permission to eat without me,
Mother,” he said, drawing Shannah down the stairs. “I doubt
Christopher will be there, either. Eat well.”
He didn’t pay any attention to his mother’s
harrumph of displeasure, but it bothered him that Shannah might.
With some relief he closed them both in his study and latched the
door.
“Your mother seems unhappy with me,” she
said.
“That would be a drastic understatement, my
dear.” Brendan motioned to the chair she favored. “Do sit
down.”
“Will this be a lengthy discussion?” she
asked as she sat.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’ve never had
this particular discussion with anyone before.”
Her lovely eyebrows came together and she
frowned at him. He nearly laughed at how adorable she looked.
“At first, this may seem odd but I do hope
you will hear me out to the end.”
“I will try, my lord.”
He took the chair across from her and leaned
forward with his elbows on his knees. “Marry me, Shannah.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“What is your goal as guardian of your
siblings? To see them well raised and prosperous, correct?”
She nodded. “In a manner of speaking, my
lord. I also realize now that Christopher will take over Royce’s
care, but I don’t want to be cut off from him completely.”
“Nor should you be,” he agreed. “As his aunt,
it’s your right.”
“But I don’t have to marry you to secure that
position,” she said. “I already am Royce’s aunt.”
Brendan smiled at her. “I realize that. But
I’m looking for a solution that will solve everything, not just
that solitary issue.”
She must have recovered her composure
somewhat, because she smirked at him. “How can you believe marrying
me would solve everything? I refuse to believe I’d have your
mother’s approval.”
“I’m not looking for my mother’s approval,”
he told her. “I’m looking for yours.”
Shannah stood so quickly he was forced to sit
back. “You’re impossible!” She walked around the back of the chair
and faced him. “Why are we even having this discussion? We’re from
two different worlds, and there’s no way of bringing those worlds
together.”
Brendan chose to remain calm and hear her out
rather than continue pressing his case. “What makes you say
that?”
She glowered at him. “You know what.”
“No, really,” he insisted. “Please
explain.”
“Why can’t I continue on as Royce’s nanny, or
his governess? I could train myself to be a governess.”
Brendan’s smile faded and he slowly rose to
his feet. “Boys outgrow nannies and governesses. Besides, I’m not
sure I’d be able to stand that.”
“What do you mean?” She stepped to the side
of the chair.
He closed the distance between them in two
steps, and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “I swore an oath to
never compromise a girl in the family’s employ,” he said, taking
delight in how she leaned into his touch. “You, my dear, test my
resolve.”
Shannah sighed so softly he may have missed
it if he’d been any farther away. “You’re confusing me,” she
accused, taking a step back. “Stop that. You know we’re far too
incompatible to make a good match.”
“What makes us
wall. He took a step toward her, closing the gap between them, and
lowered his forehead to hers.
“Now that Christopher knows about his son,
you and I need to have another talk,” he whispered, trying not to
think of how close her lips were to his.
“Do we?”
Shannah jumped when someone cleared their
throat, bumping his head. Brendan straightened and looked to find
his mother at the top of the stairs, watching them. Or rather,
glaring daggers at Shannah. He stepped between them, blocking
Shannah’s view with his shoulder.
“Yes, we do.” He put a little more force into
his voice. “Come down to my study with me.”
“Brendan, you will be late for dinner,” his
mother informed him.
“You have my permission to eat without me,
Mother,” he said, drawing Shannah down the stairs. “I doubt
Christopher will be there, either. Eat well.”
He didn’t pay any attention to his mother’s
harrumph of displeasure, but it bothered him that Shannah might.
With some relief he closed them both in his study and latched the
door.
“Your mother seems unhappy with me,” she
said.
“That would be a drastic understatement, my
dear.” Brendan motioned to the chair she favored. “Do sit
down.”
“Will this be a lengthy discussion?” she
asked as she sat.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’ve never had
this particular discussion with anyone before.”
Her lovely eyebrows came together and she
frowned at him. He nearly laughed at how adorable she looked.
“At first, this may seem odd but I do hope
you will hear me out to the end.”
“I will try, my lord.”
He took the chair across from her and leaned
forward with his elbows on his knees. “Marry me, Shannah.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“What is your goal as guardian of your
siblings? To see them well raised and prosperous, correct?”
She nodded. “In a manner of speaking, my
lord. I also realize now that Christopher will take over Royce’s
care, but I don’t want to be cut off from him completely.”
“Nor should you be,” he agreed. “As his aunt,
it’s your right.”
“But I don’t have to marry you to secure that
position,” she said. “I already am Royce’s aunt.”
Brendan smiled at her. “I realize that. But
I’m looking for a solution that will solve everything, not just
that solitary issue.”
She must have recovered her composure
somewhat, because she smirked at him. “How can you believe marrying
me would solve everything? I refuse to believe I’d have your
mother’s approval.”
“I’m not looking for my mother’s approval,”
he told her. “I’m looking for yours.”
Shannah stood so quickly he was forced to sit
back. “You’re impossible!” She walked around the back of the chair
and faced him. “Why are we even having this discussion? We’re from
two different worlds, and there’s no way of bringing those worlds
together.”
Brendan chose to remain calm and hear her out
rather than continue pressing his case. “What makes you say
that?”
She glowered at him. “You know what.”
“No, really,” he insisted. “Please
explain.”
“Why can’t I continue on as Royce’s nanny, or
his governess? I could train myself to be a governess.”
Brendan’s smile faded and he slowly rose to
his feet. “Boys outgrow nannies and governesses. Besides, I’m not
sure I’d be able to stand that.”
“What do you mean?” She stepped to the side
of the chair.
He closed the distance between them in two
steps, and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “I swore an oath to
never compromise a girl in the family’s employ,” he said, taking
delight in how she leaned into his touch. “You, my dear, test my
resolve.”
Shannah sighed so softly he may have missed
it if he’d been any farther away. “You’re confusing me,” she
accused, taking a step back. “Stop that. You know we’re far too
incompatible to make a good match.”
“What makes us
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