“I believe that’s the plan. She’s keen to play matchmaker.”
“Good grief. Has she lost her mind?” Christian countered.
“Has who lost their mind?” Aaron said, joining them. The man moved with a panther’s silent grace.
“Eleanor,” Theo was quick to say. He’d explain all to his wife later. “She was considering hiring Anna Franklin when she settles into new premises.” It was not a lie.
Not wanting to work in New Bridge Street, she had given notice. The upstairs apartments were too small for a married couple, and so Theo had purchased a house on The Strand.
“Personally, I wouldn’t trust a woman who had stolen from me,” Aaron said. “But Eleanor’s heart is as huge as yours. I suspect she’ll give Miss Franklin an opportunity to prove her worth.”
“Without Miss Franklin, we wouldn’t have known about Wrotham’s treachery,” Theo reminded him.
“Wrotham is dead,” Aaron blurted. “He succumbed to his injuries last night. They’ll not transport Franklin for forgery but hang him for murder.”
They all fell silent. While they lived to punish their estranged family, they were not heartless men. Mrs Dunwoody had received the lesser sentence of seven years transportation and loss of her assets.
“Forgive me,” Aaron said, his gaze sliding to Eleanor and Miss Lovelace. “It’s your wedding day. It’s a time to celebrate the future, not dwell on the past.”
“Good.” Aramis gripped Aaron’s shoulder. “You may as well know, Naomi is with child. You’ll be an uncle in the spring.”
The muscle in Aaron’s cheek twitched. “Someone fetch me a brandy? On second thoughts, bring the decanter.”
Everyone laughed but Aaron.
Keen to join the revelry, Eleanor approached with Miss Lovelace. “What’s so amusing?”
Theo reached for her hand. “We were discussing how quickly our family has grown.” He turned to Miss Lovelace, who was dressed in a fetching turquoise ensemble. “Do you think you’ll ever marry?”
“Me?” The lady pressed her hand to her chest and chuckled. The girlish laugh sparked a light in Aaron’s dark eyes. “Heavens no. I have enough to deal with managing the club.”
Aaron couldn’t wait to offer his opinion. “If you married well, your husband would provide for you.”
“You mean if I marry for money.”
“What other reason is there?”
The lady scanned Aaron’s broad shoulders and impeccable attire. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a man who’d wait hours in the rain just to spend a minute in my company.”
Aaron snorted. “I doubt such a man exists.”
Theo begged to differ but remained silent.
“Which is why I’m happy to remain a spinster.”
“I thought you were a wallflower.”
Miss Lovelace shrugged. “Some women are hard to define.”
The air thrummed with palpable tension. Aaron would probably beat his sparring partner to a pulp tonight.
Theo caught Eleanor’s covert jerk of the head, meaning she wanted to speak to him alone upstairs.
He cleared his throat. “Would you excuse us for a moment?” He turned to the alluring lady who he prayed had the means to overthrow his brother. “Did you know Aaron has an interest in medieval history?” He wanted her to know his brother had brains and brawn.
“Early, High or Late Middle Ages?” Miss Lovelace asked as Theo took Eleanor’s hand and made a quick retreat.
They raced upstairs, keen to spend a private moment together.
“I’m glad we’re staying in a suite at Mivart’s Hotel tonight,” he said, cupping her cheeks and kissing her wildly. “Aaron will be like a bear with a thorn in his paw once he learns of Miss Lovelace’s plans.”
“Theo, we must help them.” Eleanor was so excited she could barely stand still, and it had nothing to do with his fervent kisses. “Miss Lovelace admitted she likes riling his temper, and you know what that means.”
“What does it mean?”
“That she wants his attention.” Eleanor hugged herself and laughed. “If she didn’t care, she would ignore him. She would refuse his assistance, refuse to enter this house.”
No man wanted to dash his bride’s hopes on their wedding day, but they’d vowed to be honest. “Aaron will do everything in his power to push her away. She’s not strong enough to withstand his harsh temperament.”
He could not imagine Aaron holding a woman tenderly, kissing her, and making love to her like she was life’s most precious gift. All was lost. Unless Daventry had something special in his box of tricks.
“Never underestimate a woman on a mission,” his wife reminded him. “Admit I caught you off guard when I stormed into your theatre box.”
He smiled at the cherished memory. “You knocked me sideways. Kissing you was a means of bolstering my defences, though it left me wanting. I left the theatre determined to have you.”
She straightened and braced her hands on her hips. “You sound rather sure of yourself. Perhaps my desire came from desperation.”
He laughed, capturing her chin. “I’m the King of Hearts. No other man could make you ache like I do. No other man knows the secret door to your heart. I’m a scoundrel who’s in love with one woman. A scoundrel who’ll love you until your dying day.”
