Page 72 of Kiss Me Lady One More Time
He only nodded and crossed his arms and leaned back against a wall.
“You know,” Tensford mused. “You gave me some very good advice, back when I came to Town, searching for a bride. I thought I needed money for Greystone, more than anything else. It was because of what you said that I chose Hope, even though I believed her to have only a small dowry and though I knew we would have to make hard choices.” He leaned in. “Must I remind you now to take your own advice?”
Sterne brooded.
The earl waited.
“No,” he answered at last. “I know you are right.Sheis right—aboutnearlyeverything.”
“What is she right about?” his friend asked gently.
“All of it. How I feel. How she feels. How right we could be together. Damn it, I love her. I tried not to. I’m nowhere near worthy of her, not even close to ready to give her the life she deserves.”
“The life sherequires?” Tensford said with a laugh.
“That was a mistake. I knew it as soon as it came out of my mouth. I should not have phrased it so. But there is one thing she isnotright about.”
Tensford waited.
Sterne brooded.
“I donotview her as I do my mother,” he insisted.
“What?” That startled the earl.
“I know! Ridiculous. Shouldn’t I worry that her feelings may change? That resentment and disaffection might grow if we must live on her dowry, in a set of rooms instead of a manor, with no servants or luxuries?”
“Sterne. Stop,” Tensford ordered.
“She’s wrong, isn’t she?”
“Utterly. Yes.”
“I knew it.”
“In this vignette, Sterne,youhave taken on the role of your mother.”
His jaw dropped.
“It’s true, I’m afraid. Here you are, thinking that love demands perfection. That it will be withheld if the Grand Plan in your mind is not adhered to, step by step.”
His head spun.
“I recognize the situation, because you are doing the same thing to me,” Tensford said directly.
His arms dropped. He couldn’t step back, he was already pressed against the wall.
“I do not blame you for the loss of that damned fossil, Sterne. I’ve told you so. It wasn’t your fault. Even if it had been lost due to some extreme negligence on your part, still, it would not affect our relationship. Yes, I might cuff you on the head and give you a good cursing for a moment, but you would still be one of my closest friends. To all intents and purposes, you are my brother, Sterne. I intend to entrust the guidance of my son—or daughter—to you. You are not perfect. None of us are. We don’t ask it of you, just as you should not ask it of us. We work fine—the lot of us—in our own odd ways. Nothing will ever change that.”
He stared at his friend, his mind whirling.
“Now, all of those months ago, you gave me some excellent advice. You bade me imagine my life with Hope. And to imagine it without her. Why don’t you do the same with Penelope?”
Everything in him shied away. He didn’t want to think of a life without her bright mind, interesting observations, her quick wit and ready smile. He wanted her—
“Never mind.” Tensford put a hand on his shoulder. “Think of it later. Look, Sterne!” His voice was rough with excitement. “You were right! A servant just went into that room!”
With difficulty, he dragged his head and heart back into the ballroom. “Let’s go.”
