Page 45 of Deceiving an Earl
“Of course I agree.” But Oliver felt a rising anger. Josie was a beautiful, accomplished young woman, and any man would be lucky to have her. Why Ellen thought she wasn’t good enough for Philip, he didn’t know, but he wholeheartedly agreed that the two couldn’t be together.
“Why do you agree?” she asked, confused.
“Because Philip has a hot temper and he’s spoiled and thinks only of himself. I don’t want my sister with someone like that.”
Ellen’s shoulders drew back, and fire flared in her eyes. “How dare you.”
“How dare I?” They were whispering, but the words and tone were angry on both sides. “He’s too quick to temper and uses his fists. Don’t forget I’ve spoken to the headmaster. I know exactly why Philip was kicked out of Eton.”
Her shoulders seemed to fold in on themselves, and her anger retreated. “Of course.”
“Why in the hell you don’t think Josie is good enough for your boy is beyond me, but I can tell you that Philip doesn’t hold a candle to my sister.” He was letting his anger take over, and he knew that he would regret the words. But right now he wanted to say them. He wanted to hurt Ellen, and he realized that the anger was not coming from the fact that Ellen thought Josie inadequate for Philip, but from a deep well of anger that he’d been carrying inside for years.
“I’m not… Do you think…?” She stood straight. “Just keep them away from each other,” she said and marched off.
Chapter Twelve
“Come, Josie, we’re leaving.” Oliver grabbed his sister’s elbow and practically dragged her away from Philip, who was standing far too close, in Oliver’s opinion.
And if Oliver wasn’t mistaken, the lad had a smirk on his face.
“Leaving?” Josie squeaked. “But why?”
“Because this is not an appropriate place for you.”
“But Amelie is here. And Philip.”
He bundled her into his carriage as she continued to protest.
“This is a great opportunity for me to learn,” she said.
“Learn what?”
“About the theater. And poetry. And music.”
“Then attend the theater, and the orchestra, and buy some poetry books.”
“Ooh. You are vexing.” She crossed her arms and turned her head toward the window. She refused to look at him the entire way home.
Oliver sat in the corner and stewed. Why did Ellen not think that Josie was good enough for her boy? If anything, Philip was nowhere near good enough for Josie. She was far too refined for such a lad, and their mother had groomed Josie to be the perfect wife to the perfect husband.
Even though Josie had been insisting for years that she didn’t want to marry except for love. But that was neither here nor there. Oliver would never allow Josie and Philip to be so much as in the same room together. Love was out of the question.
In that he agreed with Ellen.
…
Ellen found her son lounging in the corner, a glass of wine in his hand, as he surveyed the people milling about with hooded eyes and a guarded expression. Since when had he become so cynical? So closed?
“Armbruster dragged his sister off,” he said by way of greeting.
Good.
“He doesn’t like me much,” Philip said.
“And yet he’s willing to help you get back into Eton.”
He took a swig of wine and dangled the glass between his fingers. If she wasn’t careful, she could see him becoming quite the rogue, and Josie would merely be the first eligible woman forbidden to him by a respectable family. He was already cultivating an air of ennui, his gaze constantly roving for the next exciting adventure. He would not stop at swiving the help in the linen closet, and that frightened her.
