Read Online The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp - Free Book Online
Authors: Candace Camp
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cool look. “Really, Archie, do try to bear up. We have scarce been here a quarter of an hour.”
“Well, I cannot imagine what you are doing, watching a dark house,” his cousin went on. “What the devil do you expect to see at this time of night?”
“I’m not sure,” Bromwell replied, not taking his eyes from the house.
“It is clear no one will be coming or going so late,” Archie pointed out. “I cannot imagine why you took it into your head to see Rochford’s house right now. Good Gad, it’s been fifteen years, hasn’t it? I thought you had finally forgotten about the duke.”
Bromwell gave the other man a long look. “I never forget.”
Tilford shrugged, ignoring through long experience the fierce gaze that would have quelled most other men. “’Tis long over, and Daphne got married anyway.” Bromwell did not reply, and after a moment, Tilford went on. “What are you about?”
Bromwell countered his cousin’s question with one of his own. “What do you know about Rochford’s sister?”
Archie sucked in a sharp breath. “Lady Calandra?” He hesitated, then said carefully, “You’re not thinking of…some sort of game involving the duke’s sister, are you? Everyone knows the man is devilishly protective of her—as you would know, too, if you had not spent the last ten years of your life buried up on your estate making money.”
Bromwell grimaced. “I’ve never known you to complain about the money that I have made for the family.”
“Heaven forbid,” Archibald responded mildly. “But you have made an ample amount, surely. You can enjoy some of it now. Live a normal life for a change. Isn’t that why you came to London—to enjoy yourself for a while?”
Bromwell shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Well, a normal life does not include sitting about in cold coaches, spying on dark houses.”
“You were going to tell me about Lady Calandra.”
Archie sighed. “Very well. The lady is young and beautiful and wealthy.”
“Suitors?”
“Of course. But she has rejected them all—at least all the ones who were not too scared of the duke to even try to court her. Rumor has it that she will never marry. They say that the Lilles are simply a cold family.”
The corner of the other man’s mouth quirked up a trifle, and he murmured, “I saw nothing cold about the lady.”
Archibald shifted uneasily in his seat. “I say, Brom, what exactly are you thinking?”
A half smile played on Bromwell’s lips. “I was thinking how nervous it made the duke tonight to see me with Lady Calandra. It was most amusing.”
His words did not appear to reassure his cousin, who looked even more alarmed. “The duke will have your liver and lights if you harm Lady Calandra.”
Bromwell sent the other man a sideways glance. “Do you really think that I am afraid of anything the duke might do to me?”
“No, the devil take it. I am sure you are not. But, frankly, I am scared enough of him for both of us.”
The earl smiled. “Do not fret yourself, Archie. I do not intend to harm the girl. Indeed…” His lips curved up in a smile that was anything but reassuring. “I plan to be quite charming to her.”
Tilford let out a low groan. “I knew it. You are planning something. This is bound to end badly. I am sure of it. Please, Brom, can we not just drive on and forget all this?”
“Very well,” Bromwell replied absently. “I have seen all I wanted to, in any case.”
He started to drop the curtain that covered the window, but then he leaned forward, peering out, and held up a hand to his cousin. “No, wait. There is someone coming out. A woman.”
“A servant? At this hour?” Even Archibald sounded interested and turned to lift the other side of the window curtain. “An assignation, do you think, with some footman or—”
“The devil!” Bromwell’s exclamation was low but forceful. “It is the lady herself.”
He watched as the woman pulled up the hood of her cloak, concealing
“Well, I cannot imagine what you are doing, watching a dark house,” his cousin went on. “What the devil do you expect to see at this time of night?”
“I’m not sure,” Bromwell replied, not taking his eyes from the house.
“It is clear no one will be coming or going so late,” Archie pointed out. “I cannot imagine why you took it into your head to see Rochford’s house right now. Good Gad, it’s been fifteen years, hasn’t it? I thought you had finally forgotten about the duke.”
Bromwell gave the other man a long look. “I never forget.”
Tilford shrugged, ignoring through long experience the fierce gaze that would have quelled most other men. “’Tis long over, and Daphne got married anyway.” Bromwell did not reply, and after a moment, Tilford went on. “What are you about?”
Bromwell countered his cousin’s question with one of his own. “What do you know about Rochford’s sister?”
Archie sucked in a sharp breath. “Lady Calandra?” He hesitated, then said carefully, “You’re not thinking of…some sort of game involving the duke’s sister, are you? Everyone knows the man is devilishly protective of her—as you would know, too, if you had not spent the last ten years of your life buried up on your estate making money.”
Bromwell grimaced. “I’ve never known you to complain about the money that I have made for the family.”
“Heaven forbid,” Archibald responded mildly. “But you have made an ample amount, surely. You can enjoy some of it now. Live a normal life for a change. Isn’t that why you came to London—to enjoy yourself for a while?”
Bromwell shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Well, a normal life does not include sitting about in cold coaches, spying on dark houses.”
“You were going to tell me about Lady Calandra.”
Archie sighed. “Very well. The lady is young and beautiful and wealthy.”
“Suitors?”
“Of course. But she has rejected them all—at least all the ones who were not too scared of the duke to even try to court her. Rumor has it that she will never marry. They say that the Lilles are simply a cold family.”
The corner of the other man’s mouth quirked up a trifle, and he murmured, “I saw nothing cold about the lady.”
Archibald shifted uneasily in his seat. “I say, Brom, what exactly are you thinking?”
A half smile played on Bromwell’s lips. “I was thinking how nervous it made the duke tonight to see me with Lady Calandra. It was most amusing.”
His words did not appear to reassure his cousin, who looked even more alarmed. “The duke will have your liver and lights if you harm Lady Calandra.”
Bromwell sent the other man a sideways glance. “Do you really think that I am afraid of anything the duke might do to me?”
“No, the devil take it. I am sure you are not. But, frankly, I am scared enough of him for both of us.”
The earl smiled. “Do not fret yourself, Archie. I do not intend to harm the girl. Indeed…” His lips curved up in a smile that was anything but reassuring. “I plan to be quite charming to her.”
Tilford let out a low groan. “I knew it. You are planning something. This is bound to end badly. I am sure of it. Please, Brom, can we not just drive on and forget all this?”
“Very well,” Bromwell replied absently. “I have seen all I wanted to, in any case.”
He started to drop the curtain that covered the window, but then he leaned forward, peering out, and held up a hand to his cousin. “No, wait. There is someone coming out. A woman.”
“A servant? At this hour?” Even Archibald sounded interested and turned to lift the other side of the window curtain. “An assignation, do you think, with some footman or—”
“The devil!” Bromwell’s exclamation was low but forceful. “It is the lady herself.”
He watched as the woman pulled up the hood of her cloak, concealing
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