Read Online The Langley Sisters Trilogy Boxed Set by Wendy Vella - Free Book Online
Authors: Wendy Vella
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surely?”
Will shook his head.
It was the Duke’s turn to look stunned. “She was right.”
“Who was right?”
“Penny.”
Will had no idea what his brother was talking about. Joseph looked suddenly uncomfortable, as if he had just realized something that he would rather not have.
“Will you come to my office, William, if you can spare the time? I would like to talk to you, please.”
Will gave his brother a searching look, but could read nothing further on his face, so he nodded and then handed Billy to Thea. He did have things to say to his brother and perhaps clearing the air between them sooner rather than later would at least make his stay here a more harmonious one.
“Are you hungry or tired, Freddy?” he then questioned before moving to follow Joseph.
“Not a bit of it, my lord,” his man of affairs said, looking bright-eyed as he took in the house and surrounding gardens.
“Alders,” Will said to the hovering butler. “Please assist Mr. Blake in unpacking the carriages while I discuss something with my brother.
“At once, my lord.”
“I shall see you soon, Freddy,” Will said before following Joseph inside.
Joseph’s office had been their father’s and grandfather’s before that. It was big, impressive and smelled of leather and books. Thick rugs sat on polished floors and the furniture was expensive and sturdy. It was a man’s domain, and before he left Will had hated the room and all it had stood for. Located at the front of the house, it had a huge arched window overlooking the driveway so its occupant could see anyone coming or going.
Will watched his brother sink into the high-backed chair behind the desk and then took the one in front. The last time he had been in this room had been the day he and Joseph had argued, the day he had left the house for London.
“I am pleased that I can now put that memory to rest,” Joseph said.
“Pardon?” Will wasn’t sure he had heard those words correctly.
Joseph leaned his head back on the chair and looked at him, his eyes steady as they searched his face.
“The memory of our last argument here. I can now put it to rest.”
The man seated before Will seemed suddenly different from the harsh, unyielding duke he’d always known. He noted the laughter lines around his mouth, and even his posture was less rigid.
“Penny talked at me for endless hours last night about you. Demanding I unbend enough to actually have a conversation with you, William. For some reason, she believes we have never communicated with each other, and that this is the time to start and more importantly I, as the eldest, must be the instigator. She fears that you will leave again if I do not and… I do not want that.”
Will just stared at his brother. He had expected a lecture and harsh words, but never this.
“Well, say something,” Joseph said when he remained silent. “Or must I beg?”
“Beg for what?”
“Your forgiveness.”
“But there is nothing for me to forgive, Joseph. I was at fault, not you.”
The Duke braced his elbows on the desk and then put his head in his hands in a very un-dukish manner.
“I do not like speaking of emotions and have trouble articulating them as do most men, but I will try or my wife has informed me she will sleep in my son’s room until I do.”
Shaking his head, Will wondered if he was actually hearing these words.
“I would pray every day that you were not in any danger and that your horse would appear so I could take those words back.”
“I thought you would be relieved to see me go. At the time, I was fairly certain you were not overly fond of me.”
Snorting, Joseph shook his head. “I wanted to place my fist in your jaw, but that did not mean I didn’t care for you, Will. You are my brother, and while I did not like the man you were turning into, I believed you could be saved or I would not have bothered to try.”
Had he been wrong in believing his brother wanted to
Will shook his head.
It was the Duke’s turn to look stunned. “She was right.”
“Who was right?”
“Penny.”
Will had no idea what his brother was talking about. Joseph looked suddenly uncomfortable, as if he had just realized something that he would rather not have.
“Will you come to my office, William, if you can spare the time? I would like to talk to you, please.”
Will gave his brother a searching look, but could read nothing further on his face, so he nodded and then handed Billy to Thea. He did have things to say to his brother and perhaps clearing the air between them sooner rather than later would at least make his stay here a more harmonious one.
“Are you hungry or tired, Freddy?” he then questioned before moving to follow Joseph.
“Not a bit of it, my lord,” his man of affairs said, looking bright-eyed as he took in the house and surrounding gardens.
“Alders,” Will said to the hovering butler. “Please assist Mr. Blake in unpacking the carriages while I discuss something with my brother.
“At once, my lord.”
“I shall see you soon, Freddy,” Will said before following Joseph inside.
Joseph’s office had been their father’s and grandfather’s before that. It was big, impressive and smelled of leather and books. Thick rugs sat on polished floors and the furniture was expensive and sturdy. It was a man’s domain, and before he left Will had hated the room and all it had stood for. Located at the front of the house, it had a huge arched window overlooking the driveway so its occupant could see anyone coming or going.
Will watched his brother sink into the high-backed chair behind the desk and then took the one in front. The last time he had been in this room had been the day he and Joseph had argued, the day he had left the house for London.
“I am pleased that I can now put that memory to rest,” Joseph said.
“Pardon?” Will wasn’t sure he had heard those words correctly.
Joseph leaned his head back on the chair and looked at him, his eyes steady as they searched his face.
“The memory of our last argument here. I can now put it to rest.”
The man seated before Will seemed suddenly different from the harsh, unyielding duke he’d always known. He noted the laughter lines around his mouth, and even his posture was less rigid.
“Penny talked at me for endless hours last night about you. Demanding I unbend enough to actually have a conversation with you, William. For some reason, she believes we have never communicated with each other, and that this is the time to start and more importantly I, as the eldest, must be the instigator. She fears that you will leave again if I do not and… I do not want that.”
Will just stared at his brother. He had expected a lecture and harsh words, but never this.
“Well, say something,” Joseph said when he remained silent. “Or must I beg?”
“Beg for what?”
“Your forgiveness.”
“But there is nothing for me to forgive, Joseph. I was at fault, not you.”
The Duke braced his elbows on the desk and then put his head in his hands in a very un-dukish manner.
“I do not like speaking of emotions and have trouble articulating them as do most men, but I will try or my wife has informed me she will sleep in my son’s room until I do.”
Shaking his head, Will wondered if he was actually hearing these words.
“I would pray every day that you were not in any danger and that your horse would appear so I could take those words back.”
“I thought you would be relieved to see me go. At the time, I was fairly certain you were not overly fond of me.”
Snorting, Joseph shook his head. “I wanted to place my fist in your jaw, but that did not mean I didn’t care for you, Will. You are my brother, and while I did not like the man you were turning into, I believed you could be saved or I would not have bothered to try.”
Had he been wrong in believing his brother wanted to
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