The Lady and the Earl (12 page)

“Are you t
rying to make me feel guilty?”
Lucas asked with a laugh.

“No, I’
m
simply
saying—
”

“Good because you are failing miserably,” Lucas said, shaking his head. 

Connor sighed.  “Look, Lucas.  When it comes to women, all you see is the end result.  You
don’t
even see a woman anymore, just an object to be conquered and added to your list of
trophies.  Does it not get old?   Do you not wish for something more?” 

“What
…
like love?  I haven’t seen this side of you since…
,
” Lucas trailed off.  “Well, it does
n’
t matter,” he finished, looking away from Connor and taking a drink.

“S
ince when?
 
Sinc
e Sophia?
  That’
s what you were thinking
, wasn’t it?
  Let’s discuss this once and for all.  You think I was a fool for falling in love with her,” Connor said angrily.

“Well, look at the outcome—
”

“I have never blamed her for that!  You were the one who could not handle losing once more to me, so you took matters into your own hands.  Take her before I could.  I was in love with her, Lucas.  I loved her!  Did that
not
mean something?”  Connor glared at Lucas who couldn’t seem to look his friend in the eye.  A dark laugh escaped Connor’s lips.  “What you failed to notice, though, is I had already bedded her.
  For a
n entire
month before you got your clutches into her
.  S
o you see?  You still lost,” Connor finished sadly.

Lucas
eyed Connor.  He looked unsurprised.
  “I did not do it to win.  I did it because I
refused
to lose my friend to a lowly maid.  And not just any pathetic maid either.  A maid who did
n’t
even have the decency to give you her real name until you
were
already smitten with her.  I apologize, Connor, but I thought
she
was playing
you
for a change.
”

“You had no right
!
  She was my choice
!
  If she was playing me, it was my problem, not yours,”
came
Connor’s defense.
  “And I knew her
real
name.  I simply chose not to use it.  It was her wish.”
 

“
Either way, y
ou were too blind to see
anything but her
.  I knew if you found us together, you would
see what she truly was, a gold digger.
  But not even that stopped you from searching for her,” Lucas replied.  “It was your own fault your
pride
was
injured
.”   

“What?  I would do it all again just for the chance to be with her.  If you understood love,
you would understand that.  It’
s why I cannot blame you for what happened either,” Connor said irritably.  He wanted to blame Lucas, but his friend was heartless.  He didn’t understand needing someone like Connor had Sophia
, or Josephine.  Whichever name she went by, she was still his dearest Sophie.
 

“You…do
n’t
blame me?”
Lucas asked hesitantly.  He looked surprised and even humbled.  “All these years I thought…
.
”

“No, I do
n’t
blame you.  I should.  I want to,
but I d
on’
t,” Connor answered.  He looked at Lucas long and hard.  “You should stop, Lucas.  Stop
The Game
before you become so callous
you never know love.  Stop before you become incapable of love or any emotion for that matter,” Connor finished with conviction.

Lucas laughed quietly.  “How do you know I have
n’t
stopped?” 

“Because if you had, you would not have told me about Maggie,” Connor said matter-of-factly.

“
Maggie was months ago, Connor. 
Months.”

“And?”

“Do you not understand what that means?  I
have
stopped,
” Lucas replied.

Connor looked at him skeptically.  “I don’t believe it.”

Lucas sighed. 
“
Look at me, Connor.  I
’
m a mess.  I hardly sleep, I hardly eat, and all I want is a nice d
rink to calm my nerves.  And it
’
s all because I
have
stopped.  I have
n’t
been with a woman since Maggi
e,” he said irritably.  “And it
’
s all because of Allana.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Connor said dangerously.  “You leave her out of this.”

“Why?  It
i
s
the tru
th.  She’
s everything I have ever looked for in a woman, Connor.  All I can think about is her.  She makes me want to be a better man.  It
’
s insane,” Lucas said with
that tint of irritation still in his voice, making Connor actually believe what he was saying.

“I do
n’
t care.  You might think you
’
ve changed for her, but I know you Lucas.  As soon as she refuses your advances or gives into them,”
which
she’d
better not,
“you will move onto the next girl
or back to Maggie.  It’
s because she
hasn’t
given in to you yet that makes you so drawn to her.  I w
ill not have you disrespect
her like you have so many others.”  Connor was ready to duel Lucas to keep him away from Allana if necessary, and
Lucas was the better at both the sword and the pistol.
  Yes, Connor could throw a better punch than Lucas or out wrestle him, but Lucas had grown deadly with the pistol and had mastered the sword
over t
he years, surpassing Connor’s skills by far.

“Connor, what were yo
u just lecturing me about? 
Quit your ways
,
you said,
or you’ll never love.
  I thought it was already too late for me until I saw Allana again.  I want to marry her.  That is, if she will have me,” Lucas said with sincerity.  “I think I love her, Connor.  Now that
is
insane,” he finished, giving a nervous laugh. 

If
not
for the sinking feeling in his stomach, Connor might have believed this too.  “I am sorry, Lucas, but I
don’t
want you courting her.  She is
n’t
for you.  I suggest you find someone else to fancy,” Connor said dangerously.

“
Lucas?
” a
musical voice asked from behind. 
“I thought that was your voice I heard.”  Allana
stood
in the doorway, smiling pleasantly, yet when Lucas was not looking
,
Connor did
n’
t miss the icy glare she sent his direction.

He cursed under his breath.  The girl had been eaves dropping.

“Allana,” Lucas said
,
standing as she entered the room.  “You look as lovely as always.”

“Thank you, Lucas.”  She replied
,
smiling sweetly to him, eyes warming at the sight of him.  “What brings you here today?”

“The usual,” he said
.  He smiled
at her in return and shar
ed
a look with her Connor did not like. 

An alarm was going off in Connor’s head telling him he needed to stop whatever was going on between Allana and Lucas before it was too late.

“May I ask what you two were t
alking about?”
Allana asked sweetly, but the coldness Connor had seen earlier was back w
hen she looked at him
.  He was pretty
certain
she’d
heard his last comments.

“It was nothing, Allana.  We were just reminiscing,” Connor replied.  He could feel a storm brewing as he watched Allana’s eyes flash colors.  When she was mad, her calm, green eyes grew darker and seemed to swirl with bits of red and black, warning those around her
of her darkening mood.
  She definitely heard what he had said to Lucas.

“Then I suggest you leave me out of your little conversation, especially if you plan on making my choices for me,” she said angrily.

“Allana, this is
not
the time for this,” Connor told her irritably.  They had been arguing constantly since the funeral. 
He’d
seen her with Lucas that day, comforting him and standing by his side as though they were already wed.  Connor cornered her later, forbiddin
g her from seeing Lucas again. 

“W
hen is the time, Connor?  You’
ve been home
five
days, and you are already trying to run my life.
”

“
The time is when we
don’t
have company,” Connor argued.

“Does it truly matter?  I do not recall you ever scolding me in private when we were younger.  Instead, you insisted on doing it in front of Lucas as I am,” she shot back.

Lucas laughed.  “She does have a point there, Connor.” 

Connor glared at him
.  “It is childish.  She wants me to see her as a grown woman,
yet she
argues as a child would in front of guests.”  He knew comparing her to a child would anger and embarrass her.  He hoped it might also have an effect on Lucas.  Point out her immaturity and hope Lucas remember
ed
the youth she
’d been
instead of the woman she
was
.

“What better way to get your attenti
on than in such a way?  If you’
re not hearing her arguments when
I’
m not around, perhaps you will be more susceptible to them when I am,
” Lucas
replied
instead.

Allana flushed from embarrassment.  “No, Connor is right.  This is between him and me. 
I am very sorry, Lucas,” she said apologetically. 

“I know a way you could make it up to me,” he said smoothly
.
  “
Go for a walk with me.  It i
s a lovely day outside.  The sun is almost out
, and there’
s hardly a breeze.  Slightly chilly still, but we could keep each other warm.” 

Connor ground his
teeth at those words.  “No!” h
e said angrily.

“I would love to walk with you, Lucas,” Allana replied sweetly, flashing Connor a quick glare.

“Perfect. 
T
hank you for the drink,
Connor
,
” Lucas said
,
handing Connor his glass without really looking at him.  He offered Allana his arm, which she took readily
,
hanging on him, watching Connor fume. 
“Until next time.”

“But…
,
”
Connor sighed in frustration as Lucas guided Allana out of the small room. 

*
             
*
             
*

“I do
not
think your brother approves
of me
,” Lucas whispered in Allana’s ear. 

She smiled bitterly.  “He will simply have to find a way to accept
it
, then, won’t he
.
” 

Conn
or’s actions made her furious. 
She thought he would be
pleased
to see
Lucas
courting her
.  After all,
the two men had been close
friends since youth.
Yet he was not pleased at all.  Why was he trying to keep her from Lucas? 

The day really was beautiful.  The snow crunched softly under their feet as they walked toward the garden.  They talked about the weather and the prospects of spring.  Lucas was a perfect gentleman, and then they reached the
privacy
of the garden. 
H
e swept Allana behind the bu
shes and kissed her thoroughly
.