21. A Sister Confides in a Brother
CHAPTER 21
A SISTER CONFIDES IN A brOTHER
M eanwhile, in a coach on the way to the Hotel Aiolos
When the hotel’s coach arrived at the taverna to take Antonio and Jane back to the hotel, it was well past dark. Although neither had said much to one another at the noisy eatery where mostly locals were enjoying food and drinks, Jane had been wanting to discuss what she thought she had witnessed in the caves earlier that day.
She couldn’t do it with the two protagonists sitting on either side of her at the taverna . What had happened to make Marcus Henley wish to hurt Lord Penton?
Could it be because Marcus had learned she was betrothed to Penton? Was he jealous? She remembered their time on the Acropolis the day before. Remembered the look on Marcus’ face when David had stepped up to her and not only taken her hand to his lips but had kissed her on the cheek as well.
Had they been in Spain, it would have been a perfectly acceptable greeting. Atop the Acropolis in the company of the sons and daughter of a British aristocrat, it was wholly inappropriate.
“All right. Spit it out,” Antonio said after he helped her step up into the coach. “Somethings’s bothering you,” he added when she scoffed softly at his edict. He took the bench opposite the direction of travel.
“Did Mr. Henley attempt to do violence upon David?” she asked. “I’m quite sure I saw David ducking in order to avoid being punched whilst we were in the caves today.”
Antonio chuckled. “I saw that, too. Rather immature of them, but they are second cousins, Sister. Prone to horsing around like most young men do,” he claimed.
“But... what if David hadn’t ducked down in time?”
Sobering some, her brother considered the query. “Well, I suppose your betrothed would have taken a hit to the nose,” he reasoned. “But I could tell it was all in good fun. Nothing to concern yourself with.”
“Oh,” she breathed in relief. Her brows remained puckered, though, and her brother noticed.
“Was there something else you wished to know?”
She dipped her head. “So... Mr. Henley’s attempt at fisticuffs wasn’t in some way a means to gain my attentions?”
Antonio stiffened on the bench. “Uh, well, he hasn’t exactly hid his regard for you.”
“Regard?” she repeated, tamping down the bit of excitement she felt at the thought of Marcus Henley fighting for her favor.
Once again chuckling, Antonio crossed his arms and leaned into the leather squabs. “Regard, yes,” he said a bit too forcefully. “Like every other man who meets you, Marcus seems to have fallen in love with you,” he accused, his voice betraying his annoyance.
“As women do with you,” she argued. She could see Antonio’s eyes widen when the exterior lantern bounced and cast its light across his face.
“They do?”
Jane scoffed. “You know they all do, Brother,” she said. “Well, maybe not all . Miss Diana didn’t seem to fall heels over head in love with you when she met you a couple of days ago.”
“Which is just as well, since Marcus claims she plans to be a spinster,” he countered. “Besides, I don’t think I would want a wife who remembers everything she reads or sees or has heard in her entire life.”
“What’s this?” Jane asked in alarm.
Antonio waved a dismissive hand. “Miss Diana. She is apparently very clever. Very well read. Marcus claims she would have graduated at the top of any of our classes at Cambridge.”
“Did you even attend any of your classes?” she asked in a tease.
He seemed about to put voice to a complaint, but the coach came to a stuttering halt in front of the hotel. Before the driver opened the door, Jane asked, “Do you think there is more to Mr. Henley’s regard than his attraction to my beauty?”
Antonio inhaled and let the breath out in a whoosh . “I think if he was allowed, he would marry you tomorrow, move to London, and get lots of babes on you,” he claimed, a moment before the door opened. He stepped out of the coach and turned to assist her.
But Jane remained on the bench, her mouth open in shock at hearing her brother’s claim.
The thought of marriage to Marcus Henley might have seemed far fetched to her the day before, but having spent the day in his company, she’d had the chance to admire the ease with which he conversed with others he had only just met. His confidence whilst navigating the terrain. His knowledge of their surroundings. His rugged handsomeness.
If only he hadn’t tried to punch poor David.
He was obviously jealous of David, for despite her brother’s assurances that Marcus and David were merely enjoying a bit of horseplay, she was quite sure Marcus intended to do harm to his second cousin.
To her betrothed.
She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it.
“Are you coming inside?”
Torn from her reverie, Jane gasped and immediately saw to exiting the coach. “Apologies,” she murmured, stepping down to the pavement in front of the hotel.
She took his proffered arm and glanced up to discover he was watching her. “Marcus is one of the better ones,” he said. “Should you decide you don’t wish to wait for Penton to grow up.”
Scoffing softly at hearing his opinion of David, she said, “I appreciate the information.” She didn’t try to hide her annoyance—how could anyone form a poor opinion of a young man who was so amiable?
“I’ll have water brought up for your bath and come to your door when it’s time for breakfast,” Antonio said, opening the door to her room for her. “We can go to Hadrian’s Arch and see what’s left of the Temple of Olympia Zeus,” he suggested. When she was beyond the threshold, he added, “Good night.” He closed the door before she had a chance to respond, and she was left alone in the dim room.
Settling onto the edge of the bed, Jane sighed. At the thought that they wouldn’t be in the company of any others from England the following day—Antonio hadn’t mentioned Marcus or the Bellinghams and their nephews—Jane wondered if it was for the best.
Time away from young men would be good. It was too bad she had to spend it in the company of her brother, though. He was as bad as all the rest.