Page 85 of My Kind of Scoundel
“Daventry had no part to play in my relationship with Eleanor.” Daventry had not encouraged him to steal her sewing box. He had not persuaded them to kiss, make love, or forge an unbreakable bond.
Aaron frowned. “No, he’s subtle and manipulates events from behind the scenes. I’ll be damned if I know why.”
“Perhaps he understands the value of emotional connections. Daventry had a difficult upbringing. Meeting his wife changed his life. He’s an example to us all.”
Aaron fell silent.
Theo’s thoughts turned to Eleanor, sleeping upstairs in his bed. And how he had no choice but to hurt the man he loved most in this world. How he would fail the person he admired and respected above all others.
He pinched the bridge of his nose to stem a swell of emotion. “I’m in love with Eleanor,” he said, feeling a dreadful guilt for being happy. “She’s everything I could want in a woman—kind, compassionate, intelligent.” Beautiful inside and out. “She understands me like no one else.”
Aaron kept his gaze on the gameplay. “Does Miss Darrow know how you feel about her? Might your regret over stealing her box account for these temporary feelings?”
“My feelings are not temporary,” he said with unwavering conviction. Being with her felt like coming home.
“Are they reciprocated?”
His mind flashed to their interlude in the carriage. She’d missed him. She touched him at every opportunity, made love to him like he was the most desirable man alive. “I can only hope I have not misread the signs. If I’m wrong, I shall be inconsolable.”
“Who wouldn’t love a man with your kind heart?” Aaron faced him. Shadows of loneliness flickered in his eyes, but he smiled. “Go to her. Tell her how you feel. I can deal with things here. Sigmund will help me throw this rabble out.”
Theo’s chest tightened. Not because he was afraid to confess his love but because he sensed a gulf opening between him and his brother. They had walked the same path their entire lives. Now, the path had diverged.
“I’ll stay until the last patron leaves.”
“I’m fine on my own.”
If only that were true.
Sensing Theo’s discomfort, Aaron gripped his shoulder with brotherly affection. “You don’t need to concern yourself with me. I’m renowned for being robust. Follow your heart. It has served your siblings well. You deserve the best life has to offer.”
He swallowed past the thump in his throat. “There’s no one I admire more than you. I want you to know that I love you, as a brother, as a friend.”
Perhaps the smoke from the candles or the patrons’ cheroots had made Aaron’s eyes water. “I trust my actions always convey my feelings. All I have ever wanted is for you to be happy.” There was a sudden shift in Aaron’s mood, and he slapped Theo playfully on the back. “Go now. You know where to find me if you need me.”
Aaron crossed the room under the guise of speaking to the croupier.
With a heavy heart, Theo mounted the stairs to his chamber.
Perhaps Daventry had a plan for Aaron. The agent was the only person skilled enough to topple Aaron’s barricades. The road to love would be rocky. Too arduous for most women. He might help by making Miss Lovelace see Aaron wasalmosteverything she would want in a husband—strong, honest, fiercely loyal. If only he could love her with the same fervency.
Theo forgot Aaron’s plight the second he walked into the softly lit chamber and found Eleanor in her shift, brushing her hair before the freestanding mirror.
“I thought you’d be asleep.” He crossed the room and stood behind her, threading his arms around her waist. Happy just to hold her. “We have a busy day tomorrow. Hopefully, everything will go according to plan.”
She leaned back against his chest and gazed at him through the looking glass. “Deception is a complex game. What if I can’t convince both ladies to meet in Hyde Park?”
“We’ll think of another way to discover the truth.”
“What other way is there but kidnapping and torture?”
He laughed. “I imagine you’re ruthless when the mood takes you.” He moved his hands to her shoulders, gently kneading her tight muscles. “Bed for you, Miss Darrow. You’ve had a long day.”
A soft hum left her lips. She tilted her head, her body swaying to the rhythm of his fingers. “That feels so good.” All moral intentions left him when her mouth parted, and she whispered, “Don’t stop, Theo. You have such magical hands.”
He watched their dancing reflection in the glass. As he stroked her temple with his cheek, their eyes met in a shared moment of intimacy.
She wanted him. He was in no doubt.
