to make sense of what Brandon was suggesting.
“Your change of heart is so abrupt, I’m not sure how to answer you.”
“It seems abrupt because of the stupid, ill-considered things I said last night. I haven’t wanted to admit it, but I’ve been changing since you and Myles came into my life. It’s been coming on gradually, but I suddenly realized the depth of my feelings today in the ballroom.”
Perhaps the years of abuse at the hands of the Howleys had made Larken singularly mistrustful, but she couldn’t ignore Brandon’s formerly dismissive attitude. And yet…she yearned for a loving marriage. Children. Everything she’d been told she couldn’t have.
“How do I know you won’t change your mind again?” she said.
“I’ll convince you otherwise. Just allow me woo you, like I should have done from the beginning. I-I’m not asking for you to take me into your bed right away.” He had the grace to blush. “Do you think you could ever care for me?”
Although she suspected she cared for him more than she wanted to admit, she was reluctant to say so. If Brandon wished to woo her, let him work at it.
“Perhaps.”
His dazzling smile was meltingly beautiful, but she held up her hand in warning.
“Brandon, this isn’t as simple as you might suppose.”
“What do you mean?”
“We have to consider Myles’ feelings. He wants us to fall in love. What will we tell him if we don’t?”
“For me, I’m afraid it may already be too late.”
When Brandon took her hand and kissed it like he had in the ballroom, Larken made a soft sound deep in her throat. Her reaction seemed to embolden him, and he trailed fiery kisses along the bare skin of her forearm. Before he could go much further, the butler interrupted to announce dinner. Larken felt the disappointment down to her toes.
“Thank you, Seagate,” Brandon said.
Although Brandon released her, his lingering half-lidded gaze left no doubt in Larken’s mind as to what he wanted. Truth be told, she wanted the same thing, but it was far, far too soon. She would allow him into her bed when he’d earned her trust completely and not before—no matter how sorely she was tested.
Fortunately for her resolve, Brandon’s demeanor shifted from seductive to solicitous over dinner. They compared notes about favorite books and music, and he asked her questions about her childhood. When the conversation turned to her pretend friends, Larken laughed.
“Mrs. Howley thought it was the accident that made me odd, but I’ve always had an active imagination. Of course, my whimsical nature came out a great deal more often when I lived with the Howleys because I lacked playmates.” She giggled. “I still regret having to leave Mr. Marmalade behind.”
“I was quite fortunate to have a brother as a playmate. We were so close in age, many people mistook Theo and me for twins.”
“You miss him terribly, don’t you?”
Brandon’s expression became bleak.
“I’m tortured by his death…even more so now that I realize Mariah wasn’t the woman for me. If only I’d been more gracious, my father wouldn’t have disinherited Theo and she wouldn’t have left him.” He shook his head. “Because of my selfishness, my brother took his own life.”
His hand, which had been resting on the table, clenched. Larken covered it with hers.
“I’m so very sorry,” she murmured.
With a visible effort, Brandon got his emotions under control. “Thank you.”
“I can’t help but think you’re being too hard on yourself. How do you know he took his own life? With no evidence to the contrary, Theo’s death could have been an accident, or a robbery gone horribly wrong.”
“The police identified him by a pocket watch he always carried, engraved with his name. If it had been a robbery, the watch would have been taken. Theo went to Liverpool to talk Mariah out of setting sail for America. When he failed, I believe he decided to end it.”
“Even if that’s
“Your change of heart is so abrupt, I’m not sure how to answer you.”
“It seems abrupt because of the stupid, ill-considered things I said last night. I haven’t wanted to admit it, but I’ve been changing since you and Myles came into my life. It’s been coming on gradually, but I suddenly realized the depth of my feelings today in the ballroom.”
Perhaps the years of abuse at the hands of the Howleys had made Larken singularly mistrustful, but she couldn’t ignore Brandon’s formerly dismissive attitude. And yet…she yearned for a loving marriage. Children. Everything she’d been told she couldn’t have.
“How do I know you won’t change your mind again?” she said.
“I’ll convince you otherwise. Just allow me woo you, like I should have done from the beginning. I-I’m not asking for you to take me into your bed right away.” He had the grace to blush. “Do you think you could ever care for me?”
Although she suspected she cared for him more than she wanted to admit, she was reluctant to say so. If Brandon wished to woo her, let him work at it.
“Perhaps.”
His dazzling smile was meltingly beautiful, but she held up her hand in warning.
“Brandon, this isn’t as simple as you might suppose.”
“What do you mean?”
“We have to consider Myles’ feelings. He wants us to fall in love. What will we tell him if we don’t?”
“For me, I’m afraid it may already be too late.”
When Brandon took her hand and kissed it like he had in the ballroom, Larken made a soft sound deep in her throat. Her reaction seemed to embolden him, and he trailed fiery kisses along the bare skin of her forearm. Before he could go much further, the butler interrupted to announce dinner. Larken felt the disappointment down to her toes.
“Thank you, Seagate,” Brandon said.
Although Brandon released her, his lingering half-lidded gaze left no doubt in Larken’s mind as to what he wanted. Truth be told, she wanted the same thing, but it was far, far too soon. She would allow him into her bed when he’d earned her trust completely and not before—no matter how sorely she was tested.
Fortunately for her resolve, Brandon’s demeanor shifted from seductive to solicitous over dinner. They compared notes about favorite books and music, and he asked her questions about her childhood. When the conversation turned to her pretend friends, Larken laughed.
“Mrs. Howley thought it was the accident that made me odd, but I’ve always had an active imagination. Of course, my whimsical nature came out a great deal more often when I lived with the Howleys because I lacked playmates.” She giggled. “I still regret having to leave Mr. Marmalade behind.”
“I was quite fortunate to have a brother as a playmate. We were so close in age, many people mistook Theo and me for twins.”
“You miss him terribly, don’t you?”
Brandon’s expression became bleak.
“I’m tortured by his death…even more so now that I realize Mariah wasn’t the woman for me. If only I’d been more gracious, my father wouldn’t have disinherited Theo and she wouldn’t have left him.” He shook his head. “Because of my selfishness, my brother took his own life.”
His hand, which had been resting on the table, clenched. Larken covered it with hers.
“I’m so very sorry,” she murmured.
With a visible effort, Brandon got his emotions under control. “Thank you.”
“I can’t help but think you’re being too hard on yourself. How do you know he took his own life? With no evidence to the contrary, Theo’s death could have been an accident, or a robbery gone horribly wrong.”
“The police identified him by a pocket watch he always carried, engraved with his name. If it had been a robbery, the watch would have been taken. Theo went to Liverpool to talk Mariah out of setting sail for America. When he failed, I believe he decided to end it.”
“Even if that’s
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