Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Iwant you to touch me.
He’d been tempted to tackle Tessa onto the bed after that. Thank God he hadn’t because it was more of the same. She didn’t want him. She wanted his comfort, his friendship, his cock. Frankly, his cock was elated with the suggestion. It was his heart that objected. Vehemently.
He needed a drink.
“Remington Ives,” Kit drawled, popping out of the family sitting room at the end of the hallway.
“Yes?” Remmy tried to pass him, but Kit caught his arm and steered him into the room.
Daphne was inside, sans baby but with a suspicious wet spot on her sleeve.
His older twin brothers—Horace and Frederick—were present, as well, looking absolutely identical and identically malevolent.
There had always been more devil in their good looks than charm.
Kit sat Remmy in a chair, and they surrounded him.
“Good to see the lot of you,” Remmy said. “How long’s it been? Six months, yes? Since Christmas? How’s Manchester, Horace? And the navy, Freddy? You’re looking quite roguishly weathered.”
“Do stop rambling, Remmy,” Daphne said, “I have no more than a quarter hour until a child requests my presence on pain of death for anyone who does not produce me forthwith. We do not have time for chatter.”
Remmy sank lower in his chair. “Then tell me why I’ve been abducted.”
“We saw you coming out of Tessa’s room,” Kit drawled.
“You mean Nora’s room.”
“That is not currently who’s inhabiting it”—Daphne kicked his foot—“and you know it.”
“Of course he knows it.” Horace gave a dark chuckle. “He always knows where Tessy is.”
Remmy waved his hand carelessly. “It’s a practical necessity. She’d literally have died several times without me nearby. Remember when we were ten, and she almost fell from the—”
“And what near death experience”—Daphne wrapped her hands around the chair arms and leaned in until they were nose to nose, her distended belly nudging his knee—“did you save her from today? Inside her bedchamber?”
Herself. And him. Though she didn’t know it. She might guess it, though, considering…
“I think”—Kit replaced Daphne, and the chair arms creaked dangerously beneath his grip—“Remington is the danger to Tessa.”
Bloody mind reader.
Remmy pushed his brother out of the way and made for the door with a snort. “I have somewhere to be.”
“Don’t play with her feelings, Remmy.”
He stopped in the doorway, grasped the frame on either side and squeezed. “I’m not playing with her.”
“She’s like a sister,” Horace said.
“You’ll respect her,” Freddy added.
“We saw you.” Daphne’s voice was sweet as always but held a sharp edge he’d heard few times in his life, every one of them serious.
“Saw me?” Remmy turned around.
“On that rock,” Frederick said. “First day of the party.”
“And in the window seat,” Horace added.
“Don’t forget the stables,” Kit drawled, inspecting his nails.
“Bloody hell.” Were his family spies for the crown?
“What are you doing?” Kit demanded quietly. “What are your intentions?”
“We’ll not let you ruin her,” Daphne said.
“Unless he already has,” Frederick added.
That was it. He’d had enough. “I do respect her! I’m in love with her, you boot brains!
” He thumped a fist so hard against his chest it would likely bruise.
“I should ruin her. Who knows how many tickets ruining an innocent would sell. But will I? No! Because I’d like her to love me back and that will never happen.
At least she looks at me like a man now!
There’s that comfort, but for her it’s more of a convenience.
” So she can have a comfortable fuck with a friend should she decide to be a spinster.
“It’s mortifying. And it hurts. Here.” He thumped his chest again, dropping into his recently vacated seat. “And I’d rather not talk about it.”
In the following silence, he realized he’d said too much. His siblings stood like statues around him, frozen into poses between startled and amused. Damn Kit.
Remmy rubbed his eyes and brows. He’d already stepped into the waters of absurdity, why not dive all the way down?
“A week ago, I never thought to see her again, and now every cursed thought I’ve ever had about her has resurfaced, and I can’t seem to control myself. But no more. I promise. I’m not going to keep making a fool of myself over a woman who… doesn’t…” want his heart.
Another silence, this one just as heavy.
Remmy rose, trying to remain steady, to control the trembling as he brushed a hand through his hair.
“She could love you, I’m sure of it.” Daphne grasped his arm as he passed her on his way toward the door.
Remmy shook her off.
“She’s right,” Kit said. “Don’t be so defeated. You didn’t give up this easily on the Folly. And if your love has lasted six years then—”
“Six years?” Remmy scoffed.
“Are you going to pretend you haven’t loved her all this time?” Freddy asked.
“What gives you that idea?”
“You originally wanted to name the theatre after her,” Frederick said.
Horace snorted. “The Tessandra.”
“Oh, how horrid,” Daphne said. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”
Kit scratched his jaw, thinking. “And your first two years’ worth of lead actresses were all redheads.”
Daphne wrinkled her nose. “That’s rather telling. Oh! And the handkerchief! Do you still have it?”
“I possess many handkerchiefs, Daphne. I’ve no idea what you mean.”
Horace and Frederick shared a look, a nod.
Then they attacked.
Remmy grunted when he hit the floor. He threw out one knee, another arm, but the twins were too much for him, and before he could connect a single fist to a single eye socket, they picked his pocket and jumped to safety.
Frederick waved something light and filmy over his head. “I’ve got it!”
“It’s rather dainty,” Horace said.
“The initials in the corner are TK.” He grinned. “Tessa King.”
Remmy rolled to his back and stared at this ceiling. How had it come to this?
Frederick appeared above him, dropped the handkerchief in his face. “We can help you, you know.”
Remmy tucked the bit of linen back into his pocket.
Horace appeared above him. “We can help you make her fall in love.”
There was Daphne now. “The great June Rake himself? Ha. Surely he does not need our help.”
Kit appeared, arms crossed over his chest, single eyebrow raised high.
Remmy closed his eyes, sighed, said, “I, erm… It appears as if… I have been harboring a… a tender for Tessa for… a small period of time.”
“The first step in winning a woman’s heart,” Daphne said, “is certainly not to lie about how long you’ve loved her.”
“Come on, then, sit up,” Kit demanded.
Remmy obeyed, pushing to his feet, unable to face them. “What am I supposed to say? I cannot remember a time I have not loved her.”
“That’s exactly what you say.” Daphne patted his shoulder.
He did not have to suffer such indignities. Tackled to the floor, oohed over like a mewling infant. “Very well then. I’m off.” He stomped out of the room.
“Woo her,” Kit called after him.
“Tempt her!” That Daphne.
“I should have been an only child,” he grumbled.
“You don’t mean that,” the twins said.
“You love us!” Daphne called out.
He waved a dismissive arm.
He did love them, unfortunately. Made it deuced difficult to be too irritated with them.
He jolted down the stairs, needing some fresh air. The hallways above smelled too much like Tessa, but before he could find an exit, he glimpsed a particular shade of red through an open door on the first floor.
Yes, there she was, across a drawing room, near a window, sunlight making a perfect riot of her curls as she grinned at whoever she was chatting with.
That someone shifted closer to her, out from behind another group of guests.
Tilbury. Of course. And he put a few fingers on Tessa’s gloved wrist, let them linger, and Remmy knew the homicidal desire to rip those fingers off his hand.
Tessa wanted choices, and he’d make sure she knew he was one. If she could finally see him, want him, as a man, then she could learn to see him, want him, as a husband, too.