Page 14 of Two of a Kind
Outside on the terrace, he guided Guy over to a secluded spot away from the other party guests. He could only hope that Guy wouldn’t risk losing his temper and creating a scene.
He had made a promise to Leah; he owed it to her to carry it through. Only a young woman with nothing left to lose would have made such a reckless gamble.
“What?” Guy asked.
“Leah lured me into a private room and before I knew what was happening, she was kissing me. She didn’t hold back. I have serious concerns as to whether she is the right girl for you. Could you trust her as your wife if she is going to try that sort of thing with your friends?” James stilled; his gaze locked on Guy’s face. He had basically just branded Leah as a tease or worse. A drip of cold sweat slid down his back. If Guy chose to punch him in the face here and now in front of other guests, there was nothing he could do about it.
One eyebrow raised then lowered. Guy looked away; his eyes fixed on the pot of flowers at the end of the terrace. Then a soft, knowing smile crept to his lips. It started small, before growing wide. A chuckle soon followed. He turned back to James; amusement written all over his face. “Did she now? Thelittleminx.”
James swayed on his feet, taken aback at Guy’s reaction to his sordid confession.
Guy patted him on the shoulder and drew in close. “And was it good? She hasn’t let me near her yet, so I am interested to know.”
“Did you hear me? The girl you are courting lured me into a room and then kissed me. You can’t possibly wish to marry her after that; she cannot be trusted. Your future wife will make a cuckold of you,” replied James.
“Relax, James. I thought she might try something to dissuade me. Though I hadn’t counted on her trying it with you. Of course, I am still going to offer for her. I am going to be a politician and I shall need a political wife. If sexually innocent Leah is prepared to kiss you before she is wed, imagine what she will do to further my cause once we are married.”
“You cannot be serious,” replied James.
“I am perfectly serious. Once she is well trained in bed, I shall instruct her as to which gentlemen she should lure to rooms at parties. Leah will make the perfect political wife.”
James stood and stared at Guy dumbfounded. The man he had known at Eton was not the man who stood before him. This man was a stranger.
Guy shook his head. “You are so naïve, James, that at times I feel sorry for you. But don’t worry about Leah trifling with you in the future. Once we are married, she will have plenty of other men to deal with. All you need to concern yourself with is writing your best man speech for the wedding breakfast and organizing my bachelor party.”
Guy turned on his heel and headed back inside. Leah soon appeared in the ballroom and Guy quickly marched over to her before taking her firmly by the arm. James watched as Guy led Leah away, sadness filling his heart as she shook her head when Guy leaned in and spoke to her. He dreaded to think what Guy was saying now that he knew she had kissed James.
Not that the conversation really mattered. What did matter was that the woman whose kiss had rocked James’s world was now destined to marry his best friend. A man who had revealed himself to be ruthless in his ambition.
And it was all his fault.
Chapter Ten
Mary Radley marched into the breakfast room and pushedThe Timesunder James’s nose.
She pointed her finger to an entry under the betrothal notices. “Well, it is official. Guy is getting married. I cannot begin to tell you how happy Mrs. Dannon is to finally know her son is taking on a wife. It was all she could talk about at the luncheon yesterday.”
James managed the barest of smiles at his mother’s news. Leah and Guy’s betrothal was a fresh piece of hell for him. After Leah’s plea for him to help her avoid marrying Guy, James felt heartsick. He had failed her.
He stuffed a hearty portion of scrambled eggs into his mouth before washing it down with a gulp of tea. It was a display of poor manners, but he needed to eat and leave the house soon. With his mother’s arrival in the breakfast room, his father would not be far behind. James was keen on avoiding Hugh this morning. Today of all days, he did not need another lecture about his life choices.
“I won’t be home for supper this evening, Mama. I am seeing Timothy Walters and Timothy Smith after I finish work. They are due to head off to Derbyshire shortly for a painting commission,” he said.
His mother nodded but said nothing.
James was envious, but happy for his friends and their success. They had talent, and they both worked hard. The one thing he was prepared to admit being jealous of, was that their families had given them the opportunity to pursue their passion for painting. He could only dream of being able to paint and have patrons who supported his work.
Rising from his chair, he wiped his face on his napkin and made ready to make his escape. He got as far the breakfast room door before it swung open and his father marched in. Claire and Maggie followed close on Hugh’s heels.
“Good morning, Radley family. Lovely to see you all here,” said Hugh, clapping his hands loudly together. The Bishop of London was always a little too effusive in the morning for James’s taste.
He made to step past his father and hurry from the room, but a smiling Hugh looked over his reading glasses at him. “Come now, James, you can spare a few minutes to break your fast with your family. Your Uncle Charles is not that much of a tyrant to expect you at your desk right on the crack of nine. And he would want you to arrive with a full stomach.”
“I have already eaten,” explained James.
Hugh gave a quick glance in the direction of James’s unfinished plate of food, then pointed at it. “Wasted food is a sin. Now sit down, lad.”
A reluctant James followed behind Hugh, Claire, and Maggie, and resumed his seat. The only bright side of being made to go back to the table was that he could finish the remainder of his breakfast.
