The Most to Lose (19 page)

Uh-oh.

Her brother’s eyebrows shot up in sharp arches. Celie knew whatever happened next would not be good.

“Such as?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Well, Your Grace, all of society is well aware of your keen mind. Celie possesses the same sharp wit, except…”

“Yes?”

Amanda took a deep breath. “Perhaps I shouldn’t continue.”

“Perhaps that would be best,” Celie interjected before Amanda had barely finished her sentence.

“Oh, no, Lady Amanda. I insist. I’m sure your opinion of me will be very…enlightening.”

“Very well, but be forewarned. I’m often brutally honest when offering an opinion.”

The Duke of Hadleigh lowered his head in a regal nod that Celie knew he didn’t mean. “I’m sure my skin is tough enough to withstand your comments.”

“Well, as you know, Celie also possesses a sharp wit. The difference is, she doesn’t use her keen mind to degrade, but rather, to uplift and support.”

“Are you insinuating that—”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me. The world needs men like you.”

“Like me?”

“Yes, men who possess unwavering confidence and self-assuredness.”

Celie breathed a sigh. That wasn’t so bad.

“Men who are staunch believers that they are always right. And that anyone who disagrees with them is undoubtedly wrong.”

Celie flinched.

“Oh, yes, Your Grace,” Amanda continued. “It must be ever so exhilarating to know you are always right.”

Celie flinched again.

Her brother’s eyes narrowed. “I see. So you think I am inflexible and narrow-minded.”

“Oh, you misunderstand me. I wouldn’t exactly say you are narrow-minded. Perhaps
relentless
is a better term. Everyone knows of your dogged determination and uncompromising resolve.” Amanda sighed as if she were some besotted ninny. “What would we do without leaders like you?”

Celie closed her eyes and said a quick prayer that Amanda would stop now.

She didn’t.

“The fact that, once you set your mind on a certain course, there is no altering your opinion is a rare gift.”

“You admire my…hardheadedness?”

Amanda feigned surprise, and Celie watched the hole her friend was digging sink even deeper.

“Oh, I wouldn’t call you hardheaded, Your Grace. Perhaps
obdurate
would be a better term.”

“
Obdurate
.” Her brother’s gaze hardened. “Oh, yes. That’s much better. I can tolerate being obdurate so much better than if you had said I was obstinate.”

Amanda ignored his comparison and smiled. “Oh, Your Grace, I can’t imagine how reassuring you must find it to be so self-assured. It must be peaceful, indeed.”

Hadleigh walked from one side of the room to the other. He reminded Celie of a steam engine that was building steam and was about ready to blow.

“Let’s see, Lady Amanda,” he said, stopping too near Amanda for Celie’s peace of mind. “So far, you’ve used the terms
obstinate
,
uncompromising
,
relentless
,
narrow-minded
—”

“Oh, no, Your Grace.
You
referred to yourself as narrow-minded. I only said you were obstinate.”

“I believe the term you used was
obdurate
.”

“So it was.”

Amanda smiled one of her most innocent smiles, and Celie realized how much self-control it took for Hadleigh to hold his temper.

“It seems to me, Lady Amanda, that you must think that I am terribly bullheaded.”

Amanda clasped her hand to her chest as if she were shocked by Hadleigh’s accusation. “Oh, no, Your Grace. I don’t think you are bullheaded. In fact, I hardly think of you at all.”

After Hadleigh recovered from the blow Amanda leveled at him, he gifted her with another glaring look. “That is the first reassuring statement you’ve made since I walked through the door.”

Amanda placed her finger over her lips as if she were concentrating.

Celie had seen Amanda do this before and knew this wasn’t a good sign.

“I’m afraid I’ve offended you, haven’t I?”

Celie suddenly saw a side of Hadleigh she’d never seen before. Amanda had definitely put him on the defensive. That was, without a doubt, a new experience for him. He always possessed the upper hand in any conversation, had control of every confrontation. Except, this time…he didn’t.

The realization almost made her laugh out loud. She didn’t, though. She couldn’t risk adding fuel to an already explosive situation.

“Of course you haven’t offended me,” Hadleigh answered in a cavalier manner. “I’m simply wondering why you devote so much time to evaluating my uncomplimentary characteristics.”

“Oh, believe me, it’s totally by accident. My friendship with your sister has provided ample time for me to observe your personality. I’m quite impressed with your astute awareness of society’s many inferiorities and your supreme…um…”

Thankfully, Amanda stopped.

“My what, Lady Amanda? Please, go on.”

“No!”

Celie jumped to her feet and stepped between the two adversaries. “We really must be on our way, Your Grace. Are you ready?”

Her brother looked at her as if he couldn’t quite remember where they were going, then focused his attention on her rather than on Amanda.

“Yes.”

“If you’ll excuse me, then,” Amanda said, rising to her feet, “I think I’ll check to make sure my trunks get packed. I’ll meet you outside, Celie.”

Amanda opened the door and took a step through the opening before she stopped. “I can’t tell you what a pleasure it’s been conversing with you, Your Grace. I look forward to continuing our conversation. The trip to the country should prove ever so enjoyable.”

The Duke of Hadleigh lowered his head in a regal nod that wasn’t any more genuine than the last one. The minute Amanda closed the door, Hadleigh opened his mouth to speak, but Celie pressed her finger against his lips to warn him to remain silent.

He didn’t refrain from speaking his mind—that would have been asking too much. But at least when he spoke, he didn’t yell his thoughts loud enough to be heard through a closed door.

“That woman is the most insufferable creature God ever created,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “How on earth you can tolerate her is beyond me.”

“You have to get to know her, Hadleigh. Once you do, you realize how special she is.”

“Then I’ll never discover her uniqueness because I don’t intend to get to know her well enough.”

Celie knew trying to convince her brother of Amanda’s special qualities was useless, so she changed the subject. “Was there something you needed before we left?”

“Yes, Cecelia. I’d like to make one last attempt to dissuade you from going.”

A heavy weight dropped to the pit of her stomach. They’d been over this several times in the last few days, and each time the end result was the same. Her brother didn’t want her to go, and she refused to abide by his wishes.

“I know the only reason you want to go to Hadleigh Manor is because Haywood will be close by.”

She tried to keep her expression even. She didn’t want her brother to see the excitement in her eyes or on her face. “Yes, he’s making several improvements to Haywood Abbey, and I offered him my help.”

Hadleigh’s expression turned more dour. “I don’t want you anywhere near him or his estate.”

Celie knew she’d run out of time. She had to tell him the one detail she’d kept from him for days. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that, Hadleigh. Not only did I offer to visit him several times while we were there, but I also invited him to ride with us.”

“You what?”

“I invited him to accompany us. It seemed a waste to take several carriages when one would suffice.”

Her brother’s look turned murderous. “Did you do this on purpose? Do you think that confining me with that murderer for several hours will erase the hatred I’ve felt for the last three years? Do you think that being forced to spend endless hours with him will evaporate the revulsion I feel toward him?”

A sense of hopelessness weighed down on her. “No, Hadleigh. I don’t expect your feelings for Haywood to change. I know you too well to hope for that. I do hope, however, that for my sake, you will tolerate his presence for the few hours it will take us to reach Hadleigh Manor. And I hope you realize how tragic it will be for both of us if you force me to choose between the two of you.”

Her brother’s face paled and his eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you telling me—”

“I’m not telling you anything. I’m only asking that you tolerate Lord Haywood for my sake.” She rose. “Now, it’s time to leave, if you still intend on accompanying us. If you would rather stay here, I’ll more than understand and bid you good-bye now.”

Her brother slowly rose to his feet. “You leave me no choice, Cecelia. I cannot in good conscience allow you to travel to Hadleigh Manor unaccompanied. And our relationship is too important to me to let my personal feelings destroy our closeness. Even though I cannot abide the man with whom you’ve chosen to associate, I promise I will be on my best behavior while we are in the country.”

This was almost like the brother she used to know. With tears in her eyes, she threw herself at Hadleigh and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Your Grace. You don’t know how much I appreciate hearing that.”

Hadleigh cleared his throat, then offered her his arm. Together, they walked to the front door and down the stairs to their waiting carriage. When Celie looked up, her eyes locked on the smile on Jonah’s handsome face.

The muscles in her brother’s arm beneath her hand tightened. The unleashed fury she felt frightened her, but she brushed it away.

She had her brother’s promise. And he’d never before broken a promise to her.

Chapter 13

T
he ducal carriage rolled through the English countryside with amazing speed. The weather was perfect for the trip to Haywood Abbey. Celie was happy beyond words that she and Jonah could spend the time in such close proximity. And, more importantly, Amanda and her brother had survived being confined in such tight quarters for nearly three hours and hadn’t killed each other. Although it was obvious Amanda’s pointed remarks had tested Hadleigh’s patience to the limit.

She let her gaze rest on Jonah’s features and smiled. He watched her as he’d done nearly the entire trip. There was something about being so near him that affected her in the strangest way. If the truth be told, she was relieved that she and Jonah weren’t alone. Her mind envisioned a variety of experiences she was certain she’d enjoy if they were.

“Are you quite finished making such disparaging remarks, Lady Amanda?” her brother asked in a strained voice.

“My intent is not to disparage, Your Grace. I’m simply stating an opinion.”

“And your opinion is that if the choice were left to you—heaven forbid—you would do away with the entire peerage system? That you would do away with our nation’s governing system as we know it?”

“Of course not, Your Grace. I’m simply stating that rank doesn’t necessarily equal intelligence, or respect. That many of the highest-ranking individuals in society regard themselves so elevated that they consider the working class synonymous to the Turkish carpet in their homes. That both are placed beneath them to be walked upon. Unfortunately, I fear most of the members of society haven’t used their brains in so long the intelligence God gave them has atrophied.”

“Of all the—”

If looks could kill, Amanda would be reduced to a pile of ashes. Celie smothered another laugh behind her hand.

“Please, don’t take my criticism personally, Your Grace.”

“But of course not,” he mumbled between clenched teeth. “Why would I think your words were intended for me?”

“Well, you
have
indicated on more than one occasion that you prefer to disregard my opinions.”

“That’s because it is highly unlikely you understand even one of the complex aspects of the measures that are under consideration in the House.”

“What is there to understand about the necessity for reform? Poverty and abuse abound. Working-class families are living in abject conditions. Children are starving. Women are forced to sell themselves to earn enough—”

“Enough, woman! Such matters shouldn’t even be mentioned in polite company.”

“Not mentioning them won’t make them go away, Your Grace. How can we expect to change government policies if we leave the idea of reform up to men and they’re of the opinion that not talking about the problem will solve it?”

“Reform movements advance slowly.”

“Tell that to the hundreds of children who go to bed each night hungry. And the scores of babies who won’t live to see the sun rise tomorrow.”

Amanda became more irate with each sentence, and Celie knew, for everyone’s sake, it would be wise to call a truce. She reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand as they made their way closer to the Abbey. “Your points are well taken, Amanda, but do my brother a favor and try not to argue with him any more today. He’s had a difficult afternoon.”

“Very well,” Amanda finally agreed, but not before she gave Hadleigh one last lethal glare. “I’ll have pity on him as a special favor to you.”