“Do not allow her to change you too much.”
Mary gave him a speaking look. “Do you wish us to remain unwed?”
“You would not remain unwed. Believe me. There will be any number of men who will fall at your feet.” He moved closer to her, looking down into her face. “Some man will find himself falling into those blue eyes, and all will be lost. He’ll want nothing but to be with you, to whisper into your ear, to kiss your cheek, your brow, your lips… .”
He leaned closer. Mary stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to look away. Unable, indeed, to move or even breathe. His words touched her like a physical caress, and she could feel her body tightening in response.
Abruptly, Royce turned away. “Many men will want to marry you.”
“Just not you.” Mary realized as soon as she spoke how her words sounded, as if she wanted him to marry her. She tried desperately to think of something that would somehow change her words.
But Royce seemed not to notice any awkwardness. “No. Not I. I have no intention of marrying anyone.”
“Ever?”
He shrugged. “I see no reason to. There are those who have to marry. Oliver, for instance. He will doubtless search until he finds the perfect woman to give him heirs and excel as the Countess of Stewkesbury. I have little interest in either heirs or my duty.”
“Some people have an interest in falling in love.” Mary wasn’t sure why his adamant words annoyed her, but she found herself wanting to argue the point.
“Love is for fools.”
Mary stared at him. “How can you say that?”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen enough of those afflicted with it. My mother was very much in love with Oliver’s father. So in love that they had little interest in the rest of us. All that mattered was their grand passion. Of course, there were also the jealous scenes, the tears and the tantrums, the remorse. And before you knew it, they were back in each other’s arms, madly in love.”
“My parents were in love, and they were not like that. They were happy with each other—and with us.”
“Then you are a lucky woman, and your parents were lucky as well. It is not the normal state of things.”
“I am not sure your view is either.” Mary paused, studying him. She could not help but wonder if there was more to his vehement dislike of love. There had been something so bitter in his eyes when he said that love was for fools. However, she felt sure that whatever it was, she would not get it out of him today.
“So …” she said lightly, “I am not the only female you have no wish to marry?”
A half-smile touched his lips. “True. There are any number of females I do not intend to marry.”
“At least I am not alone.”
“What about us? Do you forgive me? Are we friends again?”#p#分页标题#e#
“Were we friends before?” Mary asked.
“You wound me. After I have rescued you two—nay, three times? And we are not friends?”
Mary laughed at his mock indignation. “All right. Yes, we are friends.”
The truth was, she wasn’t sure what they were. There was still, she knew, an ache deep in her heart from what he had said the other night. Yet she believed him when he told her he had not meant to hurt her. She enjoyed his company. It would be pointless to try to maintain an icy aloofness with him.
But was it friendship when each time you saw a person, the first thing you thought of was kissing him?
Chapter 11
After Royce left, Mary went in search of her sisters. It did not take long to find them, as they were all roaming the upstairs hall, whistling and calling, “Pirate!”
Mary let out a groan. “What happened? Did you lose him?”
“Mary!” The others brightened when they saw her. “Have you seen him?”
“No. I thought you were bathing him.”
“We were,” Lily told her.
“Though I can tell you he didn’t like it by half,” Camellia confided. “My dress was completely soaked. Lily was supposed to dry him while I put on a different dress.” She looked pointedly at her younger sister. “And she let him go.”
Lily rolled her gray-green eyes. “I didn’t let him go. He escaped. He’s terribly slippery,” she confided to Mary.
“That’s why I told you to hold on to him,” Camellia reminded her.
“All right, all right.” Rose raised her hand wearily. “We have been through this before. It doesn’t matter. Pirate is gone, and we have no idea where he is.”
“Oh, dear.” Mary shuddered at the thought of the damage the small dog could cause in this elegant household. “Well, we must find him quickly. The earl expects us in his study.”