Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

"He went ahead as soon as we left Edinburgh, my lord."

"Do you know where he was going?"

"Permission to speak frankly, my lord?"

"Of course," Ben said, waving his hand impatiently as he glanced at Elspeth to be sure she wasn't listening.

"He said he was going to find a whore." The man shrugged and smiled. "Not sure what put him in such a hurry."

As though Will needed an excuse.

Ben offered his arm to Elspeth and escorted her through the inn yard. "Where is yer brother?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea, apparently he rode on ahead."

Elspeth breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. I was so sure he would have heard us. I doona think I could ever look at him again."

"Ellie," he laughed. "You are my wife. I'm certain he has some idea of what happens between us." He pulled open the door to the taproom and directed her over the threshold.

As soon as Ben's eyes adjusted to the darkened room, he noticed his brother, relaxed and clearly sated, enjoying a pint in the far corner. With a rakish grin, Will lifted his mug in a mock toast.

"Found him," Ben muttered, though he wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

"Ah, Benjamin," Will called. "I've already acquired rooms for us. The beds are rather comfortable."

After more than a fortnight of travel, Elspeth had decided that even though her brother-in-law was an unrepentant rogue, she liked him quite a bit. William had a charming personality, though he seemed to irritate Ben to no end.

He knew about her healing powers, but not why Ben had sought her out. As London came into view, she stared across the coach at Lord William. Once they arrived in Town, she was sure she wouldn't see much of him. She had been wondering something about him ever since they met.

As Ben was sleeping, she knew this was her last chance to find out. "Will," she began quietly, "doona ye tire of yer debauched life?"

He winked at her. "My life is wonderful as it is."

"But Ben says there's a girl, a neighbor, who owns yer heart."

Will took a deep breath, his eyebrows knitting together. "Ben says more than he should."

"Who is she? And if ye care for her, why do ye…?" She waved her hand to encompass his entire person. After all, the man hadn't spent one night alone since their journey began. It had taken only one day for her to be glad he wasn't still in Scotland near Sorcha.

"Things with Miss Hawthorne will never come to fruition, no matter how badly I may want otherwise." His gaze flashed to Ben, she assumed to make certain his brother was truly asleep. "Since that's the case, there's no reason I should stop living my life, Elspeth."

"Why do ye say things willna come ta fruition?" He seemed so sad about the situation.

Will shrugged. "You haven't met her. Once she's made up her mind about something, there's no changing it. Prisca is the most stubborn woman I know."

She reached across the coach and squeezed his hand. "I am sorry."

"It wasn't meant to be." He pulled back the curtain and stared out at the ever-approaching skyline and let out a world-weary sigh. "So what is the plan, Elspeth? How do you and Ben plan to discover your father's identity?"

She leaned against her husband's shoulder. With him she always felt so safe. "Ben says we'll go see Major Forster, that there are records in yer Society that can be of help."

"It's a start. If you don't end up with your desired results, we'll think of something else."

We.

How nice to be part of a family. Her coven sisters were one thing, but now that she was part of the Westfield family, she realized how much she'd been missing. "Thanks." Then she cleared her throat. "Yer mother… Ben seems ta think she'll like me, but I'm a bit nervous."

Will dragged his eyes from the window and smiled at her. "Ben's right. She will love you, but if I were you, I'd wait to inundate yourself with the Westfields. Mother will demand your time. Simon's wife is a bit of a mother hen, though I must admit I don't know her well. Find your father, then step into our fray."

"He's right, love," Ben mumbled from beside her, stretching his arms above his head and groaning as he woke from his nap. "Steer a clear path away from the Westfield women, or they'll drag you down like a hare caught in a trap."

She punched his shoulder. "I thought ye were asleep."

"I was for a bit," he said, then shot an uncomfortable glance toward Will. "I only heard you when you began to talk about Mother."

"That's because you're a mama's boy," Will said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"There's nothing wrong with a grown man loving his mother, is there, dear?" he asked playfully as he dropped one arm behind Elspeth. "You should try it sometime, Will."

"Aye, I heard it said once that you can learn a lot from a man by the way he treats his mother. If he treats her like a prized possession, he's capable of lovin' with all his heart," Elspeth said, watching Ben's face as she said the last. He turned from her with an uncomfortable look on his face, as though he was suddenly ready to change the subject.

"You two know how to turn a man's stomach, don't you," Will broke in. "All this talk of love. It's all fluff and nonsense."

"Ye ken that's no' true," Elspeth scolded as the coach came to a stop.

"Ah, home at last," Ben sighed. He opened the door and stepped out of the coach. And out of her conversation about love.

Forty

Ben was quite happy to stand outside of his townhome in Mayfair and direct the servants instead of being swept inside with Elspeth and the household staff after introductions were made. In truth, his presence wasn't needed. His staff was competent, and he would be much more of a hindrance than a help.

"If I didn't know you better, I would accuse you of avoiding your new bride and her discussion of love," Will said from behind him. Ben groaned and turned.

"Can't a man get five minutes to himself to think about things?" Ben bit out. "You're too bloody nosy for your own good."

Ben stepped into the entryway of their home and glanced left and right.

"Playing hide-and-go-seek, now, are we?"

"Go to hell," Ben snarled as he walked toward the study. He cringed when he heard the clop of Will's shoes as he followed him. "Now you've taken to stalking me?"

"I believe you've forgotten that I live here, too," Will reminded him. He turned and poured two tumblers of whisky and then handed one to Ben. "You've a perfectly lovely wife, Ben. Congratulations."

Ben harrumphed and downed his liquor in one swallow.

Will would not be set off his path, evidently. "She's easy on the eyes."

"She's bloody gorgeous," Ben grunted as he tried to occupy himself with rifling through his correspondence and ignoring his brother.

"She's smart." Will filled Ben's glass again. He tossed it back. The bite of liquor soothed the bile that rose up in his throat like fear.

"Brilliant." Ben nodded absently.

"And head over heels in love. With you."

Ben glanced up quickly. There was no teasing glint in Will's eyes. There was no sarcastic twist to his mouth. Just a stare that searched him, reaching all the way to his gut.

"And you, my brother, are a fool," Ben growled.

"I am a fool about a lot of things." Will blinked once, obviously thinking about something. "A goddamn bloody fool." There was no doubt in Ben's mind that he referred to Prisca. Will placed his glass so hard on the table that it made a knocking noise. "But

that

woman is in love with you."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Ben said as he stood up to pace.

"Why did you marry her if you don't love her back?" Will asked.

Ben shrugged. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." He knew he sounded like a complete idiot. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his fists in frustration. "She didn't have anyone. Her grandfather had just died. And I wanted her."