Page 72 of Sloth: The Fallen Earl
Chapter 16
After an infernally long, godforsaken day, Wakefield had one last bit of business to attend to.
The minute Wakefield sailed through the entryway of his sister Katherine and brother-in-law’s, the Duke and Duchess of Bainbridge, his sister Katherine was there to scold him.
Wakefield attempted to head her off. “Dear sister!” He caught Katherine around her waist and swung her around in a bear hug. “This has been the highlight of my day,” he said, earning the anticipated bell-like laughter.
There, that’d been as easy as kissing a chambermaid.
The minute he set Katherine down, she frowned. “You are late,dear brother. I’d begun to expect you wouldn’t show.”
Alas, it appeared he hadn’t bagged the fox after all.
Oh, hell.
Wakefield slapped a hand to his chest. “I would never not respond to a summons,” he said.
Before his sister had a chance to turn her full ire on him, he turned to shake his brother-in-law’s hand. “Bainbridge.”
“Wakefield, a pleasure.”
Katherine crossed her arms. “I’d also said you were never late, but here we are, Benedict.”
Her eyes shone as bright as when she’d been a young lady who’d gone off gallivanting, gotten lost at the Frost Fair, and nearly drowned before being plucked from the icy waters by her husband.
A servant stepped forward to collect Wakefield’s cloak.
“Again, my apologies,” Wakefield said, handing the garment over to the liveried footman. “My business went longer than anticipated.”
His business being a slender, lithe, spirited ball of fire and innocence. The memory of her as she’d been during their charged exchange—The sound of his own breathing filled his ears.
“Worry not, Frost only just arrived too.”
He furrowed his brow. “Frost?”
Oh, hell. Frost, as in the Marquess of Kingsmore and the future Duke of Bainbridge.
“As in your nephew, Wakefield,” Bainbridge drawled.
“And godson,” Katherine interjected.
Now he recalled. “Uh, yes,” Wakefield said. “My meeting…withFrost.”
Katherine frowned. “You do remember,don’t you?”
Vaguely. “Certainly.” He spoke quickly, attempting to save face. “You wished for me to speak to the boy.” Wakefield tugged at his cravat. “What exactly is it I’ll be talking with Frost about?”
This time, the look his sister gave Wakefield was concerned. “Didn’t you read the note?”
He’d skimmed the top contents and now regretted not having read through the second paragraph. “Remind me, please.”
Katherine gave him another look and then laughed. “Oh, Benedict, I’ve missed you. Come along. He and Jasper are waiting.”
Oh, fantastic. Yet another meeting he was going to have to fake his way through and, worse, it was going to be in front of his brother-in-law. And given his sister’s involvement and parenting side by side with Bainbridge, Katherine would be there to take note of the fact he had absolutely no idea what was going on.
“How has Frost been?” he asked as they walked side by side through along the carpeted corridors.
“Given the reason for your visit, I rather expect you know.”
