Page 38 of The Insufferable Duke
“I never said that.” Robert shrugged his arm out of his brother’s hold. “You don’t need to be here for this. You’re like a shadow at my shoulders.”
“Indeed, I am!” Christopher raced to catch up with his brother as he hurried through the streets again. “You have allowed yourself to be absorbed in one scandal; don’t think I won’t protect you from another. If you are intending to see Lady Julia today, then I will be your chaperone.”
“Must you be?” Robert asked tiredly.
“You are not married yet.” Christopher tapped Robert round the arm in reprimand. “You have no patience for a wedding. Good Lord, why is it so hard to wait for time with your bride?”
“I’ll make you answer that question when you fall in love,” Robert muttered.
“Me?” Christopher spluttered at the idea.
“Well, you won’t marry for anything less than love, will you?” Robert asked, shrugging his shoulders as they circled street performers and headed to a row of shops. “Someday maybe you will have a scandal as you own and be as incapable of being patient as I am.”
“I may be waiting for love, but I am not quite the hopeless romantic you are. Naïve, even. Did you honestly think all your secret meetings with Lady Julia in the gardens would go unnoticed forever?” Christopher hissed.
“They did for a year,” Robert muttered.
“You’re foolish.”
“You’re unwelcome. Go home, brother.”
“No, you need a chaperone.” Christopher took hold of Robert’s shoulder and jerked him to a sudden stop. “No more of this. Just tell me the truth, you are seeing her today, are you not? Where are you meeting her?”
“I…” Robert’s eyes flicked to a glovemaker’s door behind them. The door opened, and the bell overhead tinkled.
“Oh, look who it is,” a familiar voice said.
Christopher released his brother’s shoulder and turned around, finding himself not only face to face with Lady Julia, who was so delighted she could not stand still, with a vast smile on her face, but also looking at Lady Helena. The latter’s eyes went straight to Christopher with her lips pursed together.
That is hardly a welcoming look.
There was a jolt in Christopher’s chest as he looked at Lady Helena. A jolt he was becoming familiar with now.
“What a surprise,” Christopher muttered, glancing at his brother. “Quite a chance meeting, is it?”
“Yes, quite a chance,” Robert said and stepped forward, bowing to his betrothed. “What a pleasure to bump into you, Julia.”
“And you,” she whispered softly.
Lady Helena rolled her eyes and shook her head, beating Christopher before he could do the same thing.
“Come on, you two, enough pretense,” Lady Helena said. “The parkland is a short walk away, so why don’t you walk ahead, and the Duke of Bridstone and I will chaperone.”
Lady Julia clearly needed no more encouragement. She took Robert’s arm, and the two hurried down the street together. The moment they stepped away, Christopher burst out laughing, finding he couldn’t hold it back when he saw Lady Helena with raised eyebrows.
“Subtle, aren’t they?” she asked.
“Incredibly. I fear my brother would never make a good spy.” He walked ahead, hurrying to follow Robert with Lady Helena racing at his heels to keep up. “You came to chaperone then?”
“Yes. When Julia told me about this meeting, I thought it necessary, especially after their last incident alone,” she reminded him in a deep tone. “I must confess myself surprised to see you here. You came to chaperone, too?”
“I did. Maybe you think I take scandal in my stride, Lady Helena, but I don’t.” His words must have captured her attention, for she looked sharply at him then raised a gloved hand to rub a sore spot on her neck. “I do not want any more scandal to follow my brother or your sister.”
“You seek to protect them?” she murmured in a whisper.
“I do.”
They walked around a street performer juggling then hurried back to one another’s side and walked ahead, trying their best to keep up with Robert and Julia.
