Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What on earth am I doing,” Algernon murmured to himself.
He had stayed with Beatrice until she had eaten every bit of food and had drunk the entire pot of tea, but the meal had been finished in a tense silence. Not that he could blame her. He was not at all sure what to say either.
Now, in his own bedchamber, he paced the floor before the fireplace, wondering how he had gone from speaking of her marriage to Henry to kissing her.
“What a foolish thing,” he murmured to himself and shook his head.
Yet even as he said so, he felt the lingering pleasure of their kiss upon his lips.
He reached up, touching his fingertips to his mouth.
In his younger years, he had had much fun chasing women and visiting brothels.
It had been an excellent way to blow off steam and let loose from the tight restraints and pressure that came from being not just the Duke of Morcaster but also the guardian of his younger brother.
After a while, though, he had grown bored with such a lifestyle and had turned his focus solely on his duties. Which, unfortunately, had led to him not keeping an eye on Henry, and now, they were in such a predicament that had Algernon bringing Beatrice into his home.
“I should apologize,” Algernon said aloud, still pacing back and forth.
Yet even as he said so, he knew it would do no good. The kiss had been an accident, but since he was going to have to teach her the art of flirtation, it would have been a necessary lesson eventually.
He then thought back to what Beatrice had told him about her father and stepmother—how they had made her a servant and ceased her education completely.
It was no wonder she had no idea what wine would do to her head, he realized.
It also made sense as to why she had been so hesitant to eat in front of him and Henry.
She’d had no proper training on etiquette and had not wanted to embarrass herself.
He would have to be more careful with her, he decided.
He would have to keep in mind that so much of her birthright was stolen from her.
Such a thought angered him, despite the fact that they had barely known each other a week.
Yet even so, he felt more determined than ever to help her change Henry’s mind.
Even if he could not make the two of them fall in love with one another, even if a strange sort of possessiveness overtook him at the thought, at least by marrying the two, he could provide them both a safety net.
He just had to help Beatrice convince Henry to change his mind.