Page 14 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess
Andrew did not correct his cousin’s assumption that Kate was difficult to please because she wanted the very best for the wedding. Although, he had to admit she did seem to want things to be fabulous. Perhaps it was boorish to say otherwise to Harry. Instead, he held his tongue. It would be better for everyone if he simply agreed to everything Kate suggested and left the planning to her. He would acquiesce to her every suggestion. He had far greater things to occupy his time with than a wedding and all that accompanied it.
“Your attention to your bride’s wishes is to be commended, cousin,” Andrew said. “Miss Roves is fortunate that you were there to heal her broken heart.”
Harry didn’t speak for a moment. When he did, he kept his eyes fixed on the paddock watching the stallion prance across the green grass while a stable hand tried his best to hold tight to the lead. “I long admired Miss Roves from afar. She is a spirited and beautiful woman and a man like Lord Pembrooke would have been a poor match for her. When news of her broken engagement reached me, I admit it pleased me.”
Andrew called to the stable hand to bring the stallion to the fence. The chestnut stallion stood a good fourteen hands and would make an excellent ride for him. He didn’t like his horses docile. He wanted some spirit in his ride that with a firm hand he could control, but not break. When the horse whinnied as the boy brought it to the fence, Andrew reached out a hand and stroked its neck.
“It surprised me that the Viscount would act in such a heinous way toward his fiancée. And then for the gossips to attribute the rumors to issue from me was even more surprising,” Andrew said, his voice bitter.
Harry stood back from the fence. “Andrew, I’m not sure that stallion can be broken. It might be better to sell it and be done rather than risk harm to you.”
Andrew laughed. “He won’t harm me. All I have to do is look in his eyes to see that he is an excellent choice.” He turned to his cousin. “Now, tell me your plans for the evening.”
“I thought we would visit the gaming halls. My fingers itch which is a sign that luck is on my side. I feel tonight will be a big win for me.” Harry’s voice rose in excitement.
Andrew didn’t say anything, but inwardly, he sighed. His cousin had lost more than he won over the years. The estate his father had left him would only fund him for so long if Harry continued with his losing streak. When Andrew had counseled him, Harry had brushed him off.
“Unfortunately, cousin, I shan’t join you. If I am to return to Renwood Castle on the morrow, I will need to make an early night of it. I wish you good luck.”
Andrew returned to Renwood Castle late the following afternoon. Kate had expected him to return that morning, so they could finalize the dances and plan the entertainment for the guests in the days leading up to the wedding. When he hadn’t arrived by midday, she tamped down her frustration. She would try to be more agreeable upon his arrival. He could try her patience to no end, but she would persevere and not allow him to distress her.
When Mr. Scoville announced his arrival as she stood on the grounds taking note of areas that needed maintenance before the pre-wedding games, she stopped her discussion with the head gardener and greeted him. “I am pleased you were able to return, so we can continue our plans.”
“I am sure you have affairs well in hand,” Andrew said, his tone betraying nothing.
Kate narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “I thought yellow and red chrysanthemums should adorn the walkway the day of the wedding,” Kate said. She kept her voice neutral.
“Don’t you think they will appear rather plain?” Andrew asked. He noted that the gardeners had finished trimming the hedges on the path to the chapel. The stone walkway had been freshly cleaned and the stones had been leveled. Something he, himself, had noticed but dismissed as a minor issue.
Despite Kate’s promise that she would be agreeable, his immediate dismissal of her suggestion caused her temper to fray. “Must you argue with me on everything?”
Andrew’s own temper blazed, but he clamped it down. He would not let this wallflower prick his skin with her words. He shrugged and looked across the wide expanse of lawn rather than meet her eyes. “Anything you decide is fine with me. I’ve decided that planning this wedding is a trifling affair I don’t wish to be burdened with. You may decide what you wish, and I shall agree to your every request.”
“You can’t be serious!” Kate exclaimed. “What brought about this change? You have countered my every suggestion thus far, but now you lay down as if you were a lamb rather than a lion.”
He cocked his eyebrow at her likening him to a lamb, but rather than roar at her as she expected, he turned away.
“Oh, but I am serious,” Andrew said, his expression indifferent. He plucked a leaf from the hedgerow next to him in Renwood Castle’s garden. He strolled along the stony path. Kate hurried to catch up to him.
“I should have expected no less from a man such as yourself.”
He spun on his heel and loomed over her. “A man such as myself? And what, pray tell, do you mean by such words?”
“A rake and a scoundrel,” Kate stuttered, thinking of his kisses and how they made her feel. Only a rake would break his word.
Andrew lowered his gaze. His blue eyes focused on her throat, and he reached out a hand to touch her pulse. It fluttered beneath his touch. His smile turned from dark to seductive. “Perhaps I should demonstrate what a rake and a scoundrel truly is, Miss Avery.”
Kate’s mouth went dry. “Wh—what do you mean?”
His hand cupped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. “You claim to know what kind of man I am. You say I am a rake and a scoundrel.”
“Yes.” Kate’s pulse quickened with each breath. “You can’t be trusted.”
He released her and she stumbled away from him. “Be careful, Miss Avery. You tread on dangerous ground to speak of dishonor.”
“You, sir, have done innumerable damage to my brother and his honor. You have little room to talk.” Kate’s words tumbled from her mouth lest he realized how his touch made her long for more.
He pulled her back to him, his jaw tightened. “I am tired of my name being bandied about over such a trifle as your brother’s infidelity. I have done many things that some may consider depraved, but spending my time gossiping like an old aunt is not one of them. I am done defending myself regarding the Viscount and Miss Roves. I know nothing of your brother and his affairs or lack thereof.” His voice had grown in volume, so much so, that a bird took flight from a nearby bush disturbed by his anger.
