Chapter Thirty-One
Storm was torn from his unconsciousness by a glass of water being poured over his head. Cursing he sat up ready to fight whomever the culprit was. He was in need of a good fight. Lord knew he had enough anger in him. Of course, it would be helpful if the room would stop spinning.
“You look like hell.”
Hunter.
“I feel worse.”
“Indeed.” This time his brother offered him a glass of water instead of pouring it over his head.
“Drink this. You will need to get your wits together if you are going to find Miss Pinecrest.”
Storms eyes met his brothers so quickly, his head began pounding again.
“I cannot follow her.”
He groaned at the sound of his own desperation.
“Brother, you listen to me. Really listen to me. Do you understand?”
Storm nodded.
“You and Bonnet have made countless sacrifices for this family. You both think we do not know, but we do. We all do. This time though, none of us will let you sacrifice your heart. So, you are going to put the blasted bottle down, take my horse and go find her. With any luck in time for the wedding, because none of us want to hear Bonnet’s dissertation on how much trouble it will be to have to make different arrangements.”
Storm actually laughed at that. Blasted, how on earth could he have managed a laugh?
“Hunter, I will not make you sacrifice your heart either. You told me the lady who has captured your heart would never manage as a Duchess.”
For the first time, Storm looked to his brother. Hunter had grown up. It seemed a ridiculous thought. They were only a few years apart, but somewhere while Storm was off being the duke, he realized Hunter had become a man. And right now, he was a determined man.
“Storm, these past few weeks, watching you and Miss Pinecrest…”
“Eleanor.” Storm cut in.
“Fine, watching you and Eleanor, well it was hard not to compare it to our parents. And if there is one lesson I had forgotten since they passed, it is that love, real love, will survive anything. That is what I want for all my brothers and sisters. It is what our parents would have demanded from us. Their love is in us, it survived well after their death. If Miss Barrett cannot love me because I am to inherit a title and the responsibility that comes along with that, then she is not the woman I am meant to love. But you have that love, and you need to hold onto it for the rest of your life. So, go. Right now. Before Bonnet can stop you. There is a ridiculously bad storm heading this way.”
Storm just stared at Hunter, unable to gather his wits enough to understand when his brother had grown so wise. There was so much to speak about. So much lingering in the air around them both, but Storm knew his brother. Even this new version of his brother, and Hunter was being honest. If he was meant to inherit, he would not run from the responsibility. But more than that, he knew the Hunter was setting him free of yet another burden that was on Storms shoulders.
“If I marry her, you will inherit the title, Hunter. You would have to leave Newmarket, your horses, everything that makes you the man that you are now. Why should you be forced to sacrifice the things you love so that I may have the woman I love.”
Hunter shook his head and poured himself a brady. Taking a seat across from him, Storm noticed that his brother was not only wiser, but he looked older. He had been so caught up in his own matters this season he had completely overlooked everything going on with his closest brother.
“Storm, I am not going to sit here and tell you it will not be hard. I do love my life in Newmarket. I do love the stud and the races, but in the end, I love my family more. Our family has never failed each other and it will be harder for me to lose my brother than for me to lose anything else. I am done being selfish. You have the love of a remarkable woman, Storm. One, I may add, that this family adores. She belongs here, more than anything I know that. And, dear brother, you seem to forget the fact that I do not inherit unless something tragic happens to you. Both of us know that between Eleanor and Bonnet’s nagging you are no doubt going to live to be a very very old man. Their stubborn enough to force life back into you if ever you passed.”
Storm found himself laughing again. At the truth of it. From the moment they had lost their parents, his family went about living their lives as if it could end at any moment. It was time for them to start trusting that they may have a long future ahead. It was one thing to be prepared for the unpredictable but it was another to be afraid to make plans for the future. Maybe he would never have a child but he was suddenly very aware that if he did not marry Eleanor, he would also never have a wife. Now that he had found her, now that he knew what it meant to love someone, he would have no future with anyone else.
“Are you sure Hunter?”
“I brought you my fastest horse. Do you have any clue where she may be?”
Did he? He had no idea.
“Maybe we should ask her brother.”
Storm felt the anger surge in him again.
“No. I fear if I see her brother right now he would be beaten within an inch of his life.”
“Oh, well then, perhaps not.”
Storm looked to Hunter. His brother did not deserve this either. He wondered if he would ever be able to make up for this.
“You two have spent plenty of time together. We all know that you snuck out practically every night to go see her.”
Storm sighed.
“Are there truly no secrets in this family.”
“None whatsoever."
They both laughed at that. For the first time since he received that blasted letter, Storm felt the vice on his heart loosen. All he had to do was to find her and bring her home. Home. Eleanor was his home now. Always. He conjured her image to his mind; the one of her twirling in his rose garden. Even without children he would make her know that happiness every day for the rest of his life. And suddenly, he knew exactly where she was.
“I… I think I do know Hunter. I really do.”
“Then go bring her home.”