Page 43 of The Gentleman Was Right
“You cannot be serious.”
“I could not bemoreserious. Our mother found love twice.” He held up two fingers.
“You’ve got to be kidding. You cannot use Mother as an example. I thought you of all people understood that.”
“I do,” he confirmed. “It’s just?—”
“Our mother cares for nothing except herself. That is not love. Our parents were—” He broke off and shook his head. “Never mind… but you must recognize that Emmeline and I were tremendously lucky. I was not looking for love. I didn’t want it, and I was nearly certain I didn’t have the ability to feel it. She agreed to marry me with the full knowledge of what I could offer her. If I hadn’t been so very wrong about what I needed, she would have spent her life undervalued and underappreciated. I do not want that for you. You deserve more.”
Edward raised his brow. His brother was making his point for him.
“It isn’t the same,” Sebastian insisted. “Emmeline didn’t have expectations. She took me at face value. She didn’t have an insidious plot to earn my affection. Nor my love. She didn’t attempt to force me, or push me, or try to convince me. Our love happened unintentionally.”
“Unintentionally,” Edward parroted.
“You know what I mean. I didn’t earn it. At least not in the beginning. We married for practical purposes and love developed in spite of our lack of expectations. I had no experience at being an adequate husband, and Emmeline deserved so much more than I offered. The fact that we ended up happy is astonishing. There is a part of me that still cannot believe it.”
Edward didn’t hesitate to correct his brother on the parts he had wrong. “If you truly think that Emmeline didn’t harbor hope from the very moment she pledged herself to you, you’re the one who is daft. The parallel between our situations is obvious. You married for reasons other than love, but it found you anyway. Why can’t passion lead to love for me and Violet too?” He glared at Sebastian. “I’m going to make it exceptionally easy for her to fall for me. I intend to be a doting and understanding husband. She will have no reason to regret marrying me.”
“It isn’t her regret that I am concerned about.”
“I can take care of myself.” They’d had a similar argument once before—when he’d dallied with Lady Hayden, and her husband had found out and created a minor scandal—and this time he refused to lose his temper or doubt himself. He appreciated that his brother cared, even though he didn’t welcome his attempted intervention.
“I know you can. However, you cannot force love. It must develop on its own,” Sebastian explained, as if Edward were a small boy prone to whimsical delusions.
“I don’t intend to force it,” he responded, more heatedly than he would have liked.
Herefusedto lose his temper. Especially when his brother meant well.
“Emmeline was not supposed to marry someone else,” Sebastian stated bluntly.
Edward flinched and his shoulders sagged. “You think it’s hopeless, then?”
“No. Not precisely.” Sebastian sighed as if he were not enjoying this anymore than Edward was. “It’s just…your expectations might be a tad high. You cannot compel someone to love you, and passion does not equal love, no matter what you think. I don’t wish to see you disappointed.”
“I shall not be disappointed.” Even though Sebastian had punctured his confidence a smidge, he would not waver in his belief that he would end up as happy as his brother.
“I hope you’re not.” Sebastian paused. “Just…be careful that you don’t confuse lust with love.”
“Excuse me.” Now he was truly offended. He had absolutely no trouble telling the difference, if only because he’d never fully experienced the latter in a romantic sense. He hadn’t even glimpsed it until he’d stood next to Violet with the sea twinkling in the moonlight, felt her lips against his, and realized that hewantedto marry her.
“You hardly know Violet, and what you do know isn’t terribly flattering. She lied about being our cousin. She intends to jilt her fiancé. At the very least, you should confirm the details of her supposed inheritance.”
“I don’t need to. I’m not marrying her for money.”
“That doesn’t mean you should ignore my advice.”
When Edward didn’t respond, Sebastian sighed. “I’m simply suggesting that it isn’t as if you offered marriage because you admire her character. Attraction is obviously guiding you and it can make you blind.” He winced as if he couldn’t believe he’d spoken those words aloud.
“Are you certain you wish to have this conversation?”
“Not at all, but you are my brother, and I have vowed to myself that I will do better in regard to our family.” Sebastian hesitated. “Do you want to talk about…feelings?”
“There is no need. Love and lust are not so difficult to separate.” He paused and then couldn’t help adding, “I seem to remember you view me as some kind of expert on lust.”
“Please don’t remind me ofthat.” Sebastian put his face in his hands. His next words were muffled, but still clear enough to understand. “I would appreciate it if you never mentioned it again.”
Edward chuckled a little, some of his tension releasing.
