Michael arched a brow. “So selfishness and immaturity should be excused?”
She frowned at him. “He’s only twenty.” She held up a hand before he could speak. “And I know what you were doing at twenty, a man’s work in the army. But ... Oliver isn’t you.”
“You are being too lenient with him,” Michael said in a sober voice. “You expect nothing of him, so he gives you nothing.”
“He is still practically a boy,” she insisted.
He realized she was going to continue to protect her brother because of the death of Appertan’s twin. She was a woman of many layers, and, for the first time in his life, he wanted to see beneath, to find out everything about her.
“Appertan is your brother,” he answered, giving her a brief bow. “You know him best. I’ll take my leave.”
And he walked out of her room before he did or said something he’d regret.
Chapter 6
It had taken a long time for Cecilia to fall asleep. In the morning, she felt fuzzy and drowsy going through the estate ledgers, startling easily whenever someone knocked at the study door. She kept hoping Oliver would come apologize for what had happened, but he didn’t—of course, he probably wasn’t awake yet. He’d come home in the wee hours, according to Talbot.
Cecilia’s mood only worsened during luncheon. Lord Blackthorne joined them for the meal, and he was watching her every time she glanced his way, as if he thought she would break down. Oliver coolly asked to speak with her afterward, and Lord Blackthorne left, signaling to the footmen as he went to shut the doors for their privacy. Oliver glowered at her when they were alone.
She sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get an apology for his friend’s behavior the previous night. “Is something wrong, Oliver?”
“I permit you to do as you wish with the estate,” he said crossly, “but my entertainment is my choice. I did not care for how you challenged my authority in front of my companions last night.”
She gaped at him, feeling sad and frustrated. “Oliver, how can you speak to me that way after what Sir Bevis did?”
He reddened. “It was uncalled for, I know. But it was an accident. It had nothing to do with—”
“It hadeverythingto do with my own reaction!” She threw down her napkin. “How can you think I’d want such a man in my house? He may have misunderstood my identity, but he was about to force an unwilling woman to ... to ... be alone with him!”
Oliver’s gaze sidled away. “I know. And it was wrong.”
“Are you even grateful that Lord Blackthorne intervened? Or did that embarrass you, too?”
“Of course not. He was right to do so. Perhaps I wishIcould have been the one to help you.”
She stared at him, her anger and indignation deflating and the first tears springing to her eyes. “Oh, Oliver,” she whispered. “I know what happened wasn’t your fault. And it is kind of you to wish you could have been the one to make things right. But regardless, you must understand why I don’t wish such entertainment in our home.”
“I’ll explain your concerns to my companions,” he said after a long hesitation. He used his knife to trace a pattern across his dirty plate. “About Blackthorne.”
She tensed. “Yes?”
“What do you plan to do about him? He seems to be—hanging about, intruding on everything. I don’t like his superior airs.”
“He is my husband—for now. You know I’ve written to my lawyers to discover my options. Until I hear back and make a decision ...” Her voice trailed off.
“He knows he’s unwelcome. If he were any kind of man, he’d leave.”
“Leave?” she replied, bewildered. “He’s injured, Oliver. And he promised Papa he would see to our welfare.”
“By his clothing, he doesn’t have any money to do so,” Oliver said with a faint sneer.
“He’s been in uniform for years.” She felt suddenly tired. She’d been defending Oliver to Lord Blackthorne, and now she found herself defending Lord Blackthorne to Oliver. “And it’s not about money. You know that.” But there was always a deep part of her that worried that maybe money really did play a part in Lord Blackthorne’s sudden appearance. “Be patient, Oliver. I appreciate your spending time with him. He has little enough to do here, and I don’t wish him to be bored.”
“If he’s bored, he’ll leave sooner.”
“No, he won’t. Surely you see that. He believes that it is best we stay married.”
“Of course he does,” Oliver said with sarcasm.
