Page 76 of Burning Secrets of a Lady's Pen
“Are you?” Romeo teased as Corin and he came to a stop just out of earshot.
Corin shot his brother a look, his lips half-quirked. “Do not be an ass,” he returned succinctly.
“Hey, you’re the one dragging your new bride all the way to the old country estate to meet father.” Romeo laughed, holding his hands up as if to deflect any rebuttal. “Not even I, at nineteen, was so crazy.”
The word left a bad taste in Corin’s mouth, and from the looks of it Romeo’s, too. Their father was a sensitive subject still.
“Imelda has a way of drawing the best out of people,” Corin said with a shrug. He was still their father, despite all his shortcomings. “But I didn’t want to ask about that family member.”
“Ah.” Romeo sighed, his mask falling as he looked off past the crowd of their friends and family and shrugged. “Sybille is staying with her family for now, otherwise I’m sure that she would have come to see you off as well.”
Corin frowned, surprised by the news. “Have you spoken to her?”
Romeo laughed, but the sound was a sad one.
“I’ve done my fair share of talking over the years,” he reminded Corin blithely. “I’ve told her that I intend to change, but it is hardly the first time she’s heard that song and dance. I’m not sure she’s ready to hear me.”
“So she’s visiting her family for space?” Corin pressed, dipping his head to force his brother to meet his eyes.
“You just got married,” Romeo hedged, “surely this can wait.”
“Romeo.”
His brother sighed again, shrugging despite the tension that filled his shoulders at the question. “We are separated,” he said at last, the word like a curse on his tongue. “She has said that she has moved out. I endeavor to get her to change her mind but…”
“But, this is hardly the first time that you have said as much,” Corin surmised gently.
Romeo nodded.
Corin reached out, taking his brother’s shoulder as he squeezed comfortingly.
“You are a different man, Romeo. You’ve grown. I can see it. Give Sybille time. She will as well.”
Romeo looked dubious, but he nodded all the same, eying Corin consideringly.
“You’re a different man, too, you know,” he muttered after a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you…happy before.”
Corin grinned, his eyes slipping back to his wife.
Wife. There was the source of his happiness.
“If you love Sybille, Romeo, all of this will be worth it,” Corin promised, hearing his name from the group they had edged away from.
Romeo nodded again, lifting his hand to clap Corin’s opposite shoulder before pulling him into a hug. “You were just married,” he reminded Corin with a laugh. “Forget my marital problems, for once, and go take your new bride to the other depressing half of our family already.”
Corin snorted as they broke apart, falling into step with Romeo as they headed back toward the group gathered around the carriage.
“We have one stop to make on the way,” he sighed, grinning as they came alongside Imelda.
“A stop?” Sir John asked dubiously, looking up at the sky and frowning. “If that’s the case you’re already running late if you mean to make your country estate by nightfall.”
“It’s not out of our way.” Imelda laughed, sliding her fingers through Corin’s as they stood side by side.
“Still!” Aunt Lydia waved her hands. “Get on with the pair of you! Go remind your father that he has duties to society and whatnot. See if you can’t convince him to come with you back in time for my literary gala next month. You will be back by next month?”
“Yes,” Corin assured her, already helping Imelda up into the carriage under all the watchful eyes around them. “We have every intention to be back by next month.”
“Oh, sure,” Charlotte giggled, hanging off of Spencer’s arm. “Just like they had every intention of making it to the Bright Musicale.”
