Page 88 of A Momentary Marriage

“No, you are rather leery about those. But it’s not merely numbers. You’re good at anything mental. You’re well read; you can debate on numerous issues.”

“Not a habit that necessarily makes one a welcome companion, I fear.”

“You know a great deal about art and music. Look at you; you even ride well. I suspect you waltz perfectly.”

He shrugged. “I manage to get around the floor.”

“You demand perfection in what you do. But you set such a low bar for everyone else that they are failures from the start. You don’t ask for affection or even friendship from anyone. Indeed, it’s only those who force it on you like Graeme whom you will admit into your affections.”

“Graeme. Of course.” His lips twitched in irritation. “But then Graeme is perfect, isn’t he?”

“Don’t try to distract me. We’re not talking about Graeme. We’re talking about you.”

“I am well aware of that fact,” he retorted drily.

“Have you ever expected Patricia to be anything but silly and flighty? Or for Claude not to be envious? Have you ever asked him for help or advice?”

“No. Why would I?”

“Because he’s your brother.”

“He’s not—”

“Don’t tell me he’s not your brother. So what if you have a different father? You have the same mother. You grew up in the same household. You’re brothers.”

“You think he wouldn’t have tried to murder me if only I’d told him not to?” He raised his brows in cool inquiry.

“First of all, you don’t know that he is the one who did it.” Laura began to tick her points off on her fingers. “Second, that supercilious tone of yours won’t deter me. Third—” She let out a little shriek as his arm lashed out and clamped around her waist, pulling her off her horse and onto his.

“Last, I know that there’s no way I can win an argument with you except this . . .” He kissed her.

Laura made no objection, merely twined her arms around his neck and enjoyed his kiss. When he lifted his head from hers, she smiled up into his eyes. “That’s not winning; that’s just delaying.”

James began to laugh. “I surrender.” He kissed her again, and after that, all other thought fled.

It was the way many conversations between them ended. Whether they argued or laughed or teased, heat and hunger were never very far beneath the surface for them. But later, as they rode home, James said, “What of Walter? How is it I have failed him?”

“You haven’t failed him.” Laura reached out to lay her hand on his arm. “You haven’t failed any of them. Sir Laurence left you with a great deal of responsibility, and you have done everything you could to live up to that trust he had in you. You aren’t to blame for whatever might be amiss with them. I only meant that you have shouldered too much, perhaps, and not left enough of their burden on them.”

“Walter was still a lad when Sir Laurence died. I never knew what to do with him.” He glanced at her. “If only I had been wise enough to marry you then, no doubt he would have come out better.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Walter. And no one can blame a young man for not knowing what to do with a stripling boy. He admires you, James.”

“Walter?” James looked startled. “He scarcely talks to me.”

“He is, I think, a little in awe of you. He’s not a confident young man, and I think he’s afraid of displeasing you.”

“If he was so afraid of that, one would think he would try harder to stay in school. I don’t understand him. He’s not unintelligent. He used to always have his nose in some book or other.”

“I get the impression he’s bored.”

“School is always boring.”

Laura laughed. “Not all his subjects bore him. He likes history. But he’s uninterested in most of the others.”

“It’s clear he’s not destined to be a scholar, but I cannot see that he has the slightest aptitude for anything else, either. He hasn’t any sense for money. He’ll buy a book or go to a play when he hasn’t enough left of his allowance to eat. He’ll lend money to anyone with a sad story.”

“He has a good heart.” Laura paused, then took the plunge. “He wants to write books.”