Blackbrook gave him a withering stare. “My sister.”
James squinted, even as his innards twisted with concern. “What the devil are you talking about?”
“Last evening, you had a very specific look in your eye when you asked her to dance.”
“I had no such thing,” James protested. And it was true. When he’d asked Jack to dance, he had not thought of kissing her. Of yielding to his desire. He still hadn’t figured out how he had succumbed to such impulsive folly.
Blackbrook’s gaze grew more pointed as he added, “And then, when I was talking with you about Drexel, another very strange look seemed to overcome you. You are not thinking of asking to marry her, are you?”
“No. Good God, no,” James said quickly.
Blackbrook’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, that’s what I thought, so you stay the devil away from her. I should hate to lose my estimation of you as a gentleman.”
“You needn’t fear,” he assured him, wondering if he was in dire need of self-assurance more than anything else. But even so, he said with great conviction, “I am an excellent gentleman. I am your friend, and I am helping you.”
“Perhaps I do not wish for your help any longer,” Blackbrook said. “You’re making me devilishly nervous.”
James blew out a frustrated breath. “Why should I make you devilishly nervous? I would do nothing to ruin your sister. I promise you that.”
“Promises are dangerous things, Stone.” Blackbrook was silent for a long moment before he warned, “If you dally with her, it will break her.”
“I would never do such a thing,” he insisted, even as he thought of the kiss they’d exchanged and the promise that they had made to each other to meet that very night to practicebeing captivating.
What a word and what had he been thinking?
He hadn’t overly indulged in brandy and champagne, so he had no idea what had set him so entirely amok, but he knew that he was again in control. So this evening would be perfectly fine. He had no concerns on that score, but clearly, even though Blackbrook did not know what he intended, he was concerned.
“You’re my friend,” he said again. “I promise I will never ruin your sister. I promise I will never do anything untoward, and all I want is her happiness and yours. You know, when I was a boy, all I could do was admire your family. You were all so…perfect. So happy.”
Blackbrook looked at him as if he was babbling nonsense. “Us? Perfect?”
“Indeed,” replied James, reloading his pistol. “You all seemed so terribly happy romping about through the summer months. I remember the way that we used to take to the fields and the lakes, climb trees and make merry.”
Blackbrook eyed him warily before he grinned. “It is true. We did, did we not? But surely your life was not so very terrible, was it?” But then he grew silent. “Forgive me. That was a most foolish thing to say.”
And it was in that moment that he recalled that Blackbrook had come to stay once at the ducal castle and had borne witness to the severity of his problems.
The image of Blackbrook stumbling into a row between his father and his mother burned through him. He, too, had been there.
It had been a state of affairs that had left him in such a cowering state of dismay that he, even now, could not discuss it.
His father had grabbed hold of his mother, dragged her across the room, and yelled utter nonsense at her. About how she did not love him. How she was conspiring against him. With the servants. With everyone.
His father had railed at her and then taken up a glass of brandy, drank it to its dregs, and thrown it at the fireplace.
They had all stared in horror at a man who had clearly lost his wits.
All James could remember at this particular moment was Blackbrook staring at both of his parents, horrified. For he had clearly never seen adults behave in such a way and certainly not married people.
When they had been alone, he had barely been able to meet his friend’s eye. And Blackbrook he could still remember saying, “I don’t understand. Their love affair was legend. Thetonsaid that they were soulmates.”
“Soulmates,” he’d echoed. “Soulmates are the devil.”
After all these years, he still felt that way, knowing the way that such love could turn to hate.
Knowing that someone you loved could change before your eyes. How they could lose themselves and become a monster instead.
He’d never invited Blackbrook back, and it had been a near thing, keeping him as a friend after he’d seen his shame and his sorrow. James had longed to shut him out.