Page 28 of Without Pride and Prejudice
A sinking feeling fell over me. I knew I had to know, but I feared asking. “What photo?”
Kingston hesitated to respond. “Perhaps it should wait.”
“Kingston, please, I must know.”
“Sir, it’s of Miss Monroe and you at the airport. It paints her in an unflattering light.”
“Damn it.” I threw myself back against the chair. It was my worst nightmare coming to fruition. “What did it say?”
Kingston swallowed so hard I could hear it over the phone. “Just that she seems a tad quirky, and the article questioned if she was suitable for you and your title.”
No doubt Kingston was sugarcoating it. I was sure the author of the article hadn’t called herquirky.
“Shall I make a threatening call on your behalf?” he offered.
“No. That will only add more fuel to the fire. Hopefully it will blow over. Is my mother having kittens over it? No doubt she has seen it.” She would never admit it, but she thrived off gossip in any form.
“She has delivered two litters over it,” Kingston quipped.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, even though this was no laughing matter.
“I hope Miss Monroe doesn’t see it. She is ... if you don’t mind me saying, incredible. Quirky”—there was a smile in his voice—“but incredible.”
“I know, Kingston,” I sighed.
“I was hoping you would figure that out.”
His admission surprised me. Perhaps I hadn’t hidden my feelings as well as I thought. But he had to know I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have more than friendly feelings for Monroe. I didn’t miss faculty meetings for anything. “Actually, I’d been hoping to confess my feelings for her tonight. Perhaps I should wait.” I didn’t know why I was admitting this to Kingston. But he was the closest thing I had to a friend outside of Monroe. His advice was always thoughtful, and I valued it.
“Permission to speak freely?” Kingston asked.
“You never need to ask that. Just know I might not like what you say.”
“I will take your warning to heart, yet I must tell you that women like Miss Monroe don’t come along every day. It’s obvious she sees you, not your title or what you have to offer her. And I’ve known no one as caring and loving as she is.”
Nor had I. But ... “Can she be the Duchess of Blackthorne?”
“I believe she can be anything she wishes to be, but that is a question only you can answer.”
I felt as if Kingston were politely putting me in my place because he knew what I was really asking. His rebuke, as gentle as it was, made it no less uncomfortable, so I changed the subject. “Were you able to find out anything about Monroe’s ex-fiancé?”
“I’m still working on it. You’ll be the first to know when I find something.”
“Very good.” I knew he would findsomething. What, I wasn’t sure.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
“No, Kingston. Wait ... Perhaps you could send me the photo and the article.”
Kingston paused before he responded. “I will, but ... I hope it doesn’t change your plans for tonight. Good night, sir.” He abruptly and uncharacteristically hung up on me.
I scrubbed a hand over my face before loosening the cravat around my neck, knowing I’d just come off as an insensitive berk. Yet, I stared at the phone in my hand, waiting and dreading the photo and article that would appear. I had to know what Monroe and I were up against. It didn’t change my feelings for her, but it did give me pause. She didn’t deserve this kind of treatment, no matter how quirky she was. Her quirks were part of her charm.
It didn’t take long for the photo and the unflattering article to appear. The photo showed Monroe handing me a dress, wearing a bonnet, with dresses still wrapped around her shoulders. Whoever took the photo had captured her with her mouth wide open, which made her appear deranged. The caption read,Could this be the new Duchess of Blackthorne? Please, no.
I tossed my phone on the chair next to me, knowing damn well what the rest of the article would say.Unflatteringwas probably the kindest word Kingston could have chosen. No doubt they’d ripped Monroe to shreds and questioned why I would choose someone like her.
I closed my eyes, and several visions of Monroe ran through my mind. Everything from her singing and playing duets on the piano with my sister, Anna, to her being covered with puppies and giggling with delight, to her knowing every song to every musical and belting them out like the star she was in my life. The brightest star. The night sky would be grim indeed without her in my life. If not for her, I would just lose myself in my work and research. I would be more of a selfish bastard than I already was. Or did trying to thrust my life on her make me even more of one?
