Ten Ways to Ruin

Louisa sat down across from him. “You know that is not true. We are barely above you in rank, and some in the know would say equal or lower. And neither one of those things was my concern.”

He tilted his head and stared at her. “What is your concern, then?”

“That you will hurt her, Simon. Bolton’s rejection devastated her. She’s not the same carefree lady she had been.”

She had never been carefree that Simon had seen. In fact, the opposite was true. Perhaps the antics he’d caught her doing lately was her way of recovering herself after losing her fiancé.

Louisa continued, “And you aren’t exactly the marrying type of man. I hardly think my sister would like to be a man’s mistress.”

Especially his mistress. He remained silent for a long moment before nodded. “I agree.”

“But why aren’t you?” she asked in earnest.

“Aren’t I what?”

“The marrying type of man.”

Simon stared into his brandy as the painful memories of his parents’ marriage came to mind. His stepfather’s beatings and the heated quarrels between his mother and Albert Kingsley. “It’s a long story that I am not about to speak of with you.”

“Just because the duke didn’t claim you until his death is not a reason to hold a grudge against him or marriage.”

“Louisa, you know nothing about this mess.”

She leaned forward in her chair. “Then tell me, Simon. I’m not some young missish lady who has never seen the darker side of life. Don’t forget that I lived with the idea that my father was dead for years only to find out that he was alive and in prison. Not knowing that the only thing keeping him from the hangman’s noose was the money from Tessa’s late husbands.”

He sipped his brandy. “And how is your relationship with your father?”

“Touché. But it never stopped me from loving your brother or marrying him.”

“There is far more to this story than a dead father coming back to life.” She would never understand the torment his father, no Albert Kingsley, put him through. He placed his snifter on the table and rose. “If we are through, I would prefer to bathe and change before dinner.”

“Do you love her, Simon?”

He took two steps toward the door and then stopped. “No, Louisa. I do not love your sister.”

“And if you did?” she uttered so quietly he barely heard her.

If he loved her? That was not a possibility. He’d never fallen in love with any of the women he’d been attracted to, making him assume quite plainly that he didn’t know how to love. Except he did love the woman in this room. He loved Louisa, not as a lover or husband, but as the sister he’d always wanted. But what if he did love Emma? What would he do if he fell in love with Emma Drake?

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

“Then, stay away from her for both your sakes.”

He closed his eyes for a minute before responding, “I have every intention of doing that.”

There was only one thing he knew to do. And staying here would prevent him from the position he did love. “Louisa, I am leaving in the morning. I need to get back to Hell.”

She let out a slight gasp. “Oh? I thought you would stay here and keep Harry company.”

“He has the love of his darling wife and his children. The last thing he needs is the company of his reprobate brother.” Simon knew her deepest concern. “Have no worries about your sister. I shall do my utmost to ignore her if, perchance, we even cross paths in town.”

“Thank you, Simon.”

FOR TWO DAYS, EMMA thought of nothing but her reaction to Simon’s kisses. There had to be a reason she would desire a man who was all wrong for her. But this morning, she decided to put it all aside and walk in the park. With a footman trailing behind her, she nodded to the people out to be seen. As she neared the Serpentine, she remembered a beautiful thing.

Simon was still visiting his brother at Worth Hall.

He could not interrupt her if she decided to scratch off an item on her list. With a smile, she headed for home, determined to find something for tonight.