Lydia Dare - Wolf Next Door

"I had a hard time sleeping," he mumbled.

Elspeth frowned. "So did the dowager, I'm afraid. Her cough dinna sound good ta me."

Ah, yes. He'd heard his mother coughing through the night as well. Though his brothers and their wives had nearly drowned out that sound.

"She has been a bit under the weather, which is unlike her." Lily slid into a spot across from Will and smiled as a footman poured a cup of coffee for her.

"I'll see what I can do ta relieve her pain today," Elspeth promised. And since she had a healing touch in her fingertips, Will had no doubt his mother would be up and around in no time.

That idea had promise. "Do you have a nice sleeping draught?" he asked his young sister-in-law. It could certainly come in handy if he was going to remain at The Hall for any period of time.

Elspeth's green eyes flashed to him. "Hmm. Ye do look a wee bit tired."

"A wee bit," he agreed.

"Too tired to accompany us to Langley Downs?" Lily blew into her cup to cool the steaming coffee.

Langley Downs? Will's eyes widened. "You're visiting the Hawthornes?"

The duchess nodded. "Prisca invited us yesterday. Emory sent a note asking you to come along as well."

Will's pulse pounded at the thought of seeing

her

again. He shook his head. Would he never stop being a fool over Prisca? Apparently not, if just the thought of her made his breath catch.

"No?" Lily asked.

Had he said something? "No?" he echoed.

"You shook your head. If you don't want to escort us, I can ask Simon; but you know how irritable he is around Prisca."

Will forced a smile to his face. "I was thinking of something else, Lily. Forgive me. I would hate to put Simon in a foul mood. The rest of us would pay for it the remainder of the day. I'd be happy to see you and Ellie to Langley Downs."

"What a gentleman to make such a sacrifice." Her hazel eyes twinkled as though she knew his heart's desire.

"She did seem quite lovely," Elspeth added.

Meddling sisters-in-law he didn't need, well intentioned or not. It was difficult enough to be around Prisca without worrying what Lily or Elspeth would dream up. "I am going to Langley Downs to see

Emory

. It's been an age."

"Of course." Lily smiled into her coffee cup before taking a dainty sip.

Will rose from his spot. "Do let me know when you're ready to go." Then he escaped into the corridor before Lily could question him further or Elspeth could cast any more knowing glances at him. He could do without either.

After spending the morning in his own company, Will ambled into the library. There he found his brother Ben sitting in the far corner, perusing an old tome, which was fairly un-Ben like.

Will folded his arms across his chest and grinned at his younger brother. "Has Elspeth taught you to read? How industrious of her."

Ben's eyes shot up, and he closed the book with a thud. "Always so clever, aren't you? I was just waiting to speak with Major Forster, if you must know."

"Oh? Has he arrived?" Will strode into the room. He shouldn't have been surprised that Elspeth's father was going to join them for the holiday, but the major hadn't mentioned it when Will saw him the prior week in London.

"This morning," his brother replied. "He's visiting Mother now. I've been listening in all day. They want to persuade me to convince Ellie to move to London."

Will snorted. "She hates London."

Ben sighed. "She does. And she needs to be with her coven, but he missed Ellie's childhood, and with the babe on the way, Forster wants a second chance."

A second chance. "Lucky man. We don't all get those," Will said to himself, but Ben heard it just as clearly if he'd bellowed it.

A playful smirk lit his brother's face. "Honestly, I don't know what you're waiting for. You should take Prisca to bed and get it over with. You'd both be happier."

Will gaped at Ben. "I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing."

"Of course, you can believe it. You dance around each other in the strangest mating ritual I've ever seen. It borders on the bizarre."

Mating ritual? "She hates me." She always would.

Ben shook his head. "You might be surprised."

If only that were true. "If she doesn't despise me, she puts on a rather good show."

"Both of you truly are the most stubborn pair in all of Hampshire, and that is saying something as Simon's here as well."

An irritated growl emanated from somewhere deep in the manor, most likely the duke's study.

"I don't think he appreciated that," Will laughed, dropping into a soft leather chair by the roaring fire.

Ben shrugged. "I can't help that he doesn't have a sense of humor."

"You always bait him. No reason to go poking a rabid dog."

Ben didn't even bother to hide his amusement. "Oh, there's a reason. It's both enormously fun and satisfying."

A delicate cough from the doorway alerted them to a female intruder in their midst. Will glanced over his shoulder to find Lily glowering at the two of them. Obviously, she'd overheard that last bit. She was as protective of Simon as he was of her.

Distraction would work best with the duchess, something he'd learned from her nephew. Will rose from his seat and nodded in her direction. "I take it you and Elspeth are ready to venture over to Langley Downs."

Ben choked on a laugh. "Langley Downs! Good God, the ritual's already begun, has it?"

"I'm visiting

Emory

," Will growled.

Ben managed to bring his levity under control, though his eyes still sparkled with mirth. "Of course, you are. Don't know what I was thinking."

"It's amazing to me that you can think at all." Will grumbled. He brushed past Ben and started toward the duchess. "Your humble servant, Lily."

She glanced past him at Ben. "Don't antagonize my husband while we're away."

"Then I'll wait until you return." Ben winked.

"Benjamin Westfield!" Lily's voice raised an octave, which caused a sudden ringing in Will's ears.

It must have had the same effect on his brother, because Ben winced and nodded in agreement with feigned contriteness. "I promise to be on my best behavior."

Which meant absolutely nothing, not that Will would tell Lily that. He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her down the corridor. "Where's Elspeth?"

"Already in the carriage."

Will soon found himself seated across from his two sisters-in-law, and while they chatted about the wonders of Scotland, he settled his gaze out the ducal carriage window. What if Ben was right? What if Prisca didn't hate him? What if…?

He'd gone down that road before. Every time he tried to charm her, every time he tried to make things right between them, she rebuked his every effort. Ben had never been right a day in his life. Only pure foolishness tempted Will to put any faith in his younger brother's advice now.

Before he even realized they'd arrived at Langley Downs, the carriage jolted to a stop. He reached out instinctively and kept Elspeth from tumbling to the floor. "Are you all right, lass?"

She nodded quickly and dropped her hand to her rounded belly. "We're fine."

"Blasted Jenkins!" Lily muttered. "Don't know what has been wrong with the man lately."

A moment later, the door opened and the apologetic coachman poked his head inside. "Very sorry, Your Grace." He reached for Lily's hand.

"You are fortunate no one was hurt, Jenkins." She frowned at him.

"It was an accident."

"And even more fortunate His Grace is not here."

The coachman blanched. "It won't happen again. I swear it."

"See that it doesn't." Lily allowed the man to help her from the conveyance, and then he offered his hand to Elspeth.

Will followed them up the stone steps that led to the pillared entrance of the Hawthornes' residence. Almost instantly, anxiety gripped his heart as he caught the scent of… He sniffed the air again and shook his head. Not possible.