Baron of Blasphemy (Lords of Scandal 12)

his sham wedding into a real one, she didn’t need fancier dresses or prettier flowers. If she wanted the responsibility her sisters got, she needed to start acting more like her sisters.

They sacrificed for other people’s happiness.

Drawing in a deep breath, she looked over at her new husband. “Tell me about your brother. How did he die?”

His face shuttered and his gaze dropped. “It started as an argument in a tavern.”

Her breath hitched. A baron in a bar fight? “How awful.”

“He had a penchant for fighting. So did my father.” Chad clasped his hands as he leaned his elbows on his knees. “They were hard men who were hardest of all on the people closest to them.”

“Tell me,” she answered, scooting further out on her seat.

He shrugged, leaning away again. “There’s nothing much to tell. My father sent me off to school at the first opportunity. I barely saw either of my parents. I was raised by a series of nannies. They quit often because on the rare occasion that my father did turn his eye on me, he rarely liked what he saw.”

“They quit?” she asked, sensing that there was a detail missing.

“He expressed his displeasure mostly with his fists.”

She gasped then, her hands covering her mouth.

“My brother was the bully of Eton. He’s legendary. Made a great many enemies.” He scrubbed the back of his neck. “When he ran out of money, he found a way to continue to supplement his drinking and gambling with my inheritance. Wasn’t legal, of course, but what am I to do about it now?”

She didn’t drop her hands because she didn’t want him to see her face. What would have happened to her if her sisters, rather than protecting her, had used her for their own gain? A shiver ran down her spine. “I shall never be cross with Eliza or Isabella again.”

That made his eyes widen in surprise.

And then he smiled. “You will. I’m sure of it.”

She dropped her hands, returning the smile. “You’re right. I likely will. Once I see them again.” She shook her head. “But I do begin to understand what they’ve done for me and why they act the way they do.”

“Do you?” he asked, leaning forward again.

She nodded. “You’ll like being in my family, I think.”

She saw him start, a visible shake trembling down his body. “Your family?”

She cocked her head to the side, giving him a long look. “Yes. My family. You gained three sisters-in-law today and three brothers-in-law too. I dare say they will be better brothers to you than your own, especially considering they are your business partners.”

His hand swiped down his face. “Jesus bloody Christ, they became my brothers today…”

“Yes, Blasphemy, they did.”

He grimaced. “Don’t call me that.”

“Then don’t curse like that,” she fired back. If she were going to take on the burden of his happiness, the way Eliza did for her, Abigail would also take on her sister’s bossiness. That was a mantle, she had to confess, she’d enjoy.

His jaw tightened. “Fair enough.”

She leaned forward taking his hand into hers. “Chad.”

“Abby,” he said as he leaned forward, reaching for her other hand too. She slipped her gloved hand into his.

“Why don’t you like it when I use that name? Blasphemy.”

He tried to pull his hands from hers, but she held fast.

“I don’t know.”