Page 46 of Married to the Icy Duke
“It was not athreat, man! Now, if you don’t sit down, I shall put your head straight through that window there. Now,thatwas a threat. Perhaps you’ll remember what a threat is in future, instead of bandying about a word you do not understand.”
Fury flared in Gabriel’s eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something that would have no doubt inflamed the situation.
Isaac was destined never to hear the man’s answering insult, because at that moment the library door was flung open and Charlotte came striding in, eyes blazing.
“What onearthare you two doing?” she cried. “You look set to come to blows. You are upsetting Thalia, brother.”
To Isaac’s amazement, the anger disappeared from Gabriel’s eyes at once, replaced by something wistful and a little regretful.
Heavens,he thought.Love really does change a man.
“Well, that wasn’t my intention,” he muttered. “I was here to defendyourhonor, sister.”
“Pshaw,” Charlotte snorted. “I defend my own honor.”
“By eavesdropping?” Isaac enquired sweetly. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“At any rate,” she continued evenly, “this talk of duels and whatnot is ridiculous. You areembarrassingme, brother. If you must know, the duke herediddefend me quite ably. Lord Bentley was …” she paused, groping for the right word. “He was strange at first, if you understand what I mean. I suppose I simply thought he was an old friend and put my own discomfortdown to my own misunderstanding. I shan’t do that again. His anger was not aimed at me.”
She did not saywhohis anger was aimed at, which Isaac was irrationally relieved about. Of course, anybody could guess.
“Now,” Charlotte said at last, lifting her chin. “Enough of this nonsense, and enough talk ofduels. You ought to go and see your wife, brother.”
Gabriel wavered for a moment, pursing his lips. Then he heaved a sigh and shook his head. Just like that, the anger and tension drained out of the room. To his surprise, Isaac found that he was relieved.
“Don’t think that I have given up watching you,” he muttered warningly, shooting a dark stare up at Isaac as he passed by. “Where might I find Thalia, Charlotte?”
“In the parlor.”
He grunted and passed by, trudging along the hall and out of earshot.
Isaac pursed his lips. “Please, Stonewell, make yourself at home in my house,” he muttered. “Stamp away down the hall. Slam doors as if you own them.”
Charlotte rounded on him, arms folded. “You should not provoke him.”
“Provoke? You have no idea which of us did theprovoking. It was not I.”
“Oh, come off it,Your Grace. I was listening at the door, remember?”
Isaac bit back a smile. “Oh, yes, I forgot. That is not a very ladylike thing to do. I’m sure your sister-in-law, being a very proper woman, would be shocked at such behavior.”
“Ha! You don’t know the first thing about Thalia, let me tell you. It’s just as well that Iwaseavesdropping, because it seemed like you and my brother were about to arrange a duel.”
Isaac sniffed, striding over to the window. Early afternoon sunshine was shining through the windows, dappling over the floor. Charlotte came to stand beside him, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise at her presence. Her proximity felt warmer than the sunshine.
“There was not going to be a duel,” he said at last. “It was all hot air.”
“Yes, that’s what all men say, until there’s a whisper of honor involved, then they lose their heads. The next thing you know, it’s pistols at dawn.”
He chuckled. “Well, you needn’t worry about that. You rather neatly saved your brother.”
Charlotte turned to face him, eyes narrowed. “Or perhaps I savedyou. You would not have won, you know.”
He grinned. “You think not? Perhaps we should agree to disagree.”
She rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before he saw her bite back a smile.
“You’re insufferable.”
