Page 38 of In Compromise with the Earl
She plucked up a pawn. “It seems he only wants me by his side because I am not like the other ladies, and I have a rebellious air about me. Apparently being a hoyden is my pulling factor to him.”
“Nothing more?” Oswald asked, his tone dropping to unbelief. “Not your intellect, or your beauty?”
Her brow lifted. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“There is no denying it,” he said directly. “And he is a fool not to acknowledge it.”
“Jameson is only concerned about himself,” Aphrodite said. “Narcissus had little clout on him. He has an unrealistic sense ofsuperiority and belittles others as inferior. If he ever says I’m beautiful, it will only be to sweet talk me into being an accessory on his arm.”
“Do you think he will stop pursuing you?” Oswald began rearranging the pieces into their proper places.
“Not until I’m either on the shelf or dead,” she moved a pawn a space. “I don’t know which, but I have to find a way to stop him.”
After moving his pawn two spaces, she moved another pawn two spaces. Oswald gently lifted his King and placed it in check to her Queen. Aphrodite smiled and slid her Queen to checkmate him. “If it were only so easy to remove him from the game.”
“Perhaps it is,” he said, gesturing to the board. “You’ve proven yourself a strategist, perhaps you can find a way to scare him off. What does he hate?”
“People taking what he thinks is his and his only,” Aphrodite’s lips pinched. “Which might apply to me too.”
“And how will you prove that you are not his in any form of the word?” Oswald asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Besides taking a page out in the Times and the Gazette to publicly tell him to leave me alone, I am blank.”
Feeling compassionate, Oswald replied, “I happen to know one thing or two about strategies. If you come up with one, I’ll help you refine it.”
Her eyes went a touch wide with surprise. “You will?”
“Yes, even after this farce of a matchmaking retreat is done with.” He made to stand—but she held onto his arm, lifting herself halfway from the seat as well. Warmth spiraled up his arm and congregated in the hollow of his chest.
“Why are you willing to help?” she asked, her gaze searching his. “I don’t think I have earned your…compassion, at all.”
“Compassion or not, there are standards of human decency that we must live by,” he said, gently pulling his hand away. “And, confusion about why aside, I will be lying if I do not admit that for some odd reason, I want to look out for you.”
“You’re telling the truth—” she said quietly.
“I am not one to lie,” he said. “I’m serious. When you find the way, whatever it is, I’ll help you.”
She sank back to her chair. “Thank you, Oswald.” Her voice trembled as she said his name, and, while he doubted she’d realized it, one thing was clear, he loved hearing her say his name.
“Say that again when we get this cur off you,” he nodded curtly and left the room.
He left the room knowing that he had given her a carte-blanche promise and he wondered what she would come up so he could help her. There was not much one could do against a persistent suitor that did not present any danger, like the Duke. But Oswald did not like the looks the man gave to Aphrodite when she was not looking—that level of possessive or covetous thinking could turn dangerous.
He headed out to the stables where a part of his calmness rested. If the Duke did decide to take some drastic actions to get Aphrodite—what could he do? Oswald had given up on participating in any of the activities Lady Pandora wanted for him, as he had suspected, it was all foolishness.
Goliath was stomping in his stall as Oswald approached. “A bit antsy are you?”
He unlatched the stall and reached to pull the gate open when hurried steps came from behind him and a hand slammed the door back into place. Oswald turned and faced the Duke’s fuming glare. “Why—”
“Stay the bloody hell away from her,” the Duke snarled, “or there will be hell to pay.”
“Step aside or I will make you!” Oswald’s tone was lethal.
“She is not yours, you bloody disgrace,” the Duke said mockingly. “You are a laughingstock of thetonand an utter joke. You are a sorry example of what a man is and if you have any semblance of honor, you will excuse yourself from our noble ranks.”
Incensed, Oswald’s grabbed the Duke’s collar and bodily lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. “I said,StepAside.”
Gasping in horror, the Duke wrestled himself away, inspected his jacket, and his expression darkened at the sight of a tiny tear on the sleeve “What the devil did you do that for, you uncouth ruffian? This is a new Weston, by God.”
