yourself.”
“I have not.”
“No need to be embarrassed. It’s about time you remembered there’s a fair sex,” Charles said, clearly enjoying himself. “Being a widower doesn’t have to mean a life sentence of loneliness. Laura wouldn’t—”
Jason shook his head. “Don’t.”
“I miss her as much as you do, but you need to live your life. Edward is still at an age where he could benefit from a stepmother.”
“What could a stepmother give him that I don’t?”
“Lessons in how not to be so defensive?”
Jason massaged the tendons in the back of his neck. “My apologies. Edward hasn’t been well and I haven’t had enough sleep as a result.”
“Damn. I keep hoping he’ll outgrow it.”
“Maybe he will. He went months without an episode before this last one. As you just pointed out, he’s still young. Christ, I just feel so helpless every time it happens. He tries to be so brave. . . .” His throat swelled, making it impossible to continue talking.
Charles got to his feet and moved to stand next to Jason. “Wouldn’t it help to have someone to share that burden with? I don’t mean to say Edward is a burden, of course, but there’s comfort in being able to let down your guard and confide in someone.”
“Someone like a wife, you mean. What do you know about it? I don’t recall you being married.”
“It doesn’t have to be a wife,” Charles argued. “Laura was my confidante from the time we were children, ever since our mother died.”
“I know. I always envied you that.”
Charles was silent for a long moment. “I didn’t realize. Is that why you disliked me so much in the beginning?”
Jason laughed. “I disliked you because you were ill-mannered and bent on ruining yourself, neither of which made your sister happy. You’ve grown up, though, and I’m glad to see you finally taking an interest in your estate.”
“I . . . er . . .” Charles stammered, caught off-guard by the unexpected praise.
Jason grinned at him. “Don’t mistake me, you’re still an annoyance. Thank the Lord I only have to put up with you for a few weeks every year.”
“Oh, good. For a moment there I was beginning to wonder who you were and what you’d done with my stuffy, sneering brother-in-law.”
Jason sketched a bow. “At your service.”
“Now, about Miss Weston . . . ,” Charles started.
Jason sighed. “I thought we were finished with that topic.”
“Hardly. We have barely begun to skim the surface. A very pretty surface, too, though I haven’t yet had a chance to closely examine it.”
“Nor will you ever,” Jason growled.
“So possessive already? How touching.”
“Charles,” he warned.
“Why is it so hard for you to admit that you’re attracted to her?”
“Very well, I’m attracted to her. She’s a pretty young woman and I’ve seen few of those in past years.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“If I could think of a way for it to be yours, I would.”
Charles’s face broke into a huge grin. “No such luck, old man. It was all you. Fortunately for you, women seem to like the dark, brooding type. The harder to catch, the better to have or some such rot.”
“Am I a fish to be hooked?” He meant the question to come out lightly, as a joke, but he couldn’t conceal the underlying bitterness of such a situation.
“Do you mind if the bait is as enticing as Miss Weston?”
Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve no wish to be trapped.”
“Does marriage have to be a trap?”
“Getting leg-shackled is always a trap. They don’t call it the parson’s mousetrap for nothing.”
Charles shrugged. “That may be. But from what I’ve seen, and from what I remember of you and my sister, sometimes it is worth it.”
Jason could see the discussion was going nowhere or, if it was, it wasn’t someplace he wanted to go. “All right, you’ve had your say.”
“And you yours.”
“Right, then. Just so we’re clear . . .”
Charles set
“I have not.”
“No need to be embarrassed. It’s about time you remembered there’s a fair sex,” Charles said, clearly enjoying himself. “Being a widower doesn’t have to mean a life sentence of loneliness. Laura wouldn’t—”
Jason shook his head. “Don’t.”
“I miss her as much as you do, but you need to live your life. Edward is still at an age where he could benefit from a stepmother.”
“What could a stepmother give him that I don’t?”
“Lessons in how not to be so defensive?”
Jason massaged the tendons in the back of his neck. “My apologies. Edward hasn’t been well and I haven’t had enough sleep as a result.”
“Damn. I keep hoping he’ll outgrow it.”
“Maybe he will. He went months without an episode before this last one. As you just pointed out, he’s still young. Christ, I just feel so helpless every time it happens. He tries to be so brave. . . .” His throat swelled, making it impossible to continue talking.
Charles got to his feet and moved to stand next to Jason. “Wouldn’t it help to have someone to share that burden with? I don’t mean to say Edward is a burden, of course, but there’s comfort in being able to let down your guard and confide in someone.”
“Someone like a wife, you mean. What do you know about it? I don’t recall you being married.”
“It doesn’t have to be a wife,” Charles argued. “Laura was my confidante from the time we were children, ever since our mother died.”
“I know. I always envied you that.”
Charles was silent for a long moment. “I didn’t realize. Is that why you disliked me so much in the beginning?”
Jason laughed. “I disliked you because you were ill-mannered and bent on ruining yourself, neither of which made your sister happy. You’ve grown up, though, and I’m glad to see you finally taking an interest in your estate.”
“I . . . er . . .” Charles stammered, caught off-guard by the unexpected praise.
Jason grinned at him. “Don’t mistake me, you’re still an annoyance. Thank the Lord I only have to put up with you for a few weeks every year.”
“Oh, good. For a moment there I was beginning to wonder who you were and what you’d done with my stuffy, sneering brother-in-law.”
Jason sketched a bow. “At your service.”
“Now, about Miss Weston . . . ,” Charles started.
Jason sighed. “I thought we were finished with that topic.”
“Hardly. We have barely begun to skim the surface. A very pretty surface, too, though I haven’t yet had a chance to closely examine it.”
“Nor will you ever,” Jason growled.
“So possessive already? How touching.”
“Charles,” he warned.
“Why is it so hard for you to admit that you’re attracted to her?”
“Very well, I’m attracted to her. She’s a pretty young woman and I’ve seen few of those in past years.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“If I could think of a way for it to be yours, I would.”
Charles’s face broke into a huge grin. “No such luck, old man. It was all you. Fortunately for you, women seem to like the dark, brooding type. The harder to catch, the better to have or some such rot.”
“Am I a fish to be hooked?” He meant the question to come out lightly, as a joke, but he couldn’t conceal the underlying bitterness of such a situation.
“Do you mind if the bait is as enticing as Miss Weston?”
Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve no wish to be trapped.”
“Does marriage have to be a trap?”
“Getting leg-shackled is always a trap. They don’t call it the parson’s mousetrap for nothing.”
Charles shrugged. “That may be. But from what I’ve seen, and from what I remember of you and my sister, sometimes it is worth it.”
Jason could see the discussion was going nowhere or, if it was, it wasn’t someplace he wanted to go. “All right, you’ve had your say.”
“And you yours.”
“Right, then. Just so we’re clear . . .”
Charles set
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