A Certain Wolfish Charm(63)
Will's blood began to boil. He must have misheard her. "Are you saying Ben has been writing you?" He hoped he'd managed to keep the jealousy out of his voice.
"Why shouldn't he?" Prisca clasped her hands behind her back, raising her tempting breasts for Will's perusal. Did she do that intentionally? He believed in his heart that she did such things simply to torture him. "Ben has never forgotten me."
"For the love of God, Prissy, I did not forget you."
Her violet eyes pierced him, and he felt it in the depths of his soul. "Then that's worse." She took a steadying breath, never looking away from him. "I won't have this argument again, William. There's no point to it. That's not why I wanted to talk to you anyway."
"What then?" he whispered.
Prisca took a step away from him and began to pace a path in the study. "I find myself worried about Benjamin. I'd talk to Blackmoor, but I believe he'll be occupied with Lily, at least for the next little while. But you…"
"But I what?" he asked, knowing full well what she wanted of him. She wanted him to travel to Scotland, to yank Ben out of whosever bed he was in, and march him back to Hampshire, so she could see he was safe. And, fool that he was, Will was considering it just to see Prissy smile in his direction again.
She stopped mid-pace. "He is your brother, William. Aren't you the least concerned?"
He had been a bit concerned, but only a bit, right up until he realized his younger brother had been carrying on a correspondence with Prisca for God knows how long. Now he'd like to get his hands around Ben's neck. Disloyal mutt! "Ben is a grown man. He can take care of himself."
"But what if something's happened to him? It's not like him not to write at all."
Will's vision turned nearly black. Ben had better stay hidden for a very long time, if he knew what was good for him. What was he doing writing to Prissy?
She walked toward him, and, with each step she took, Will's heart pounded faster. Prisca laid her hand on his chest, tilting her head back to look at him. Will's fingers twitched, aching to touch her again.
"Please," she whispered.
Will tightly closed his eyes before opening them again. He was still a bloody fool where she was concerned. He stepped away from her, not able to look upon her any longer. Then he strode out of the library and down the corridor toward the terrace doors.#p#分页标题#e#
Billings stopped him before he could make his escape. "Lord William, are you all right? You don't quite look yourself."
Will didn't quite feel like himself either. "Tell His Grace that I've gone to Scotland."
The butler quickly masked his surprise. "Scotland?"
Will nodded tightly. Then he strode out the doors and down the path to the stables before he had the chance to come to his senses. When he found his younger brother, there was a very good possibility that he'd strangle him.
Twenty-Eight
"Billings!" Lily called loudly from Oliver's room.
Simon was already in pursuit of her when he heard her call. He stepped into the room and immediately knew something was amiss. She paced from one side of the room to the other, chewing on her fingernails. Simon crossed the room and plucked her hand from her mouth, then kissed the back of her knuckles.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked, his hand trailing up and down her arm in an attempt to comfort her. What he really wanted to do was drag her back to bed.
"Simon, Oliver's g-gone," she said. A tear pooled over her lashes and fell onto her cheek.
"I'm sure he's here somewhere," Simon said as he wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb. "Don't fret."
Lily thrust a piece of foolscap into his hand. "No, Simon," she nearly wailed. "He's gone."
He took the paper from her hand and read it.
Dear Aunt Lily,
Please do not be mad at me. I hate that you married the duke, but there is nothing I can do about that. Though I do not have to stay at Westfield Hall and watch your unholy union . Please be careful. If you ever got hurt, it would kill me. I love you so much.
Oliver
It was all Simon could do to keep from baring his teeth. The little bugger had turned tail and run. And had the nerve to try one of the oldest tricks in the book. Guilt.
Lily took the paper back from him and asked, "What does he mean by all that, Simon? What does he think is going to happen? Why on earth would he be so distrustful of you? He barely knows you."
Lily resumed her pacing. Simon scratched his jaw and wondered what the best way to answer would be. Because he's afraid I'll forget how to treat you in a fit of lust and claim you as a Lycan mate, he almost said. No. He couldn't say that.