I like an older woman… Sinclair
CHAPTER 23
Eden felt sick inside as she stumbled on the cobbled stones along the pathway and grasped Sinclair Moberly's muscular forearm more tightly.
He glanced down at her in genuine concern, noting her still-whitened face and shaken demeanor. He felt that he could wring Randall's neck. It had taken his circle of friends more than a week to bring her out of her shell when she had first moved into the Mangrove Townhome with her best friend Sophie and her husband Elias.
Sinclair had no idea why Randall went to all the trouble of sending a missive to his older brother Daniel to keep an eye on her while he was gone just to return and shake her up. Something havy-cavy was going on here, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
"There is a stone bench just beyond that balustrade there - would you like to sit and rest for a moment?" he asked, guiding her even as he spoke.
Eden nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Sin, that will be just the thing."
After they were seated, Sinclair could not help but notice that her usual lightheartedness or her easy conversation were not apparent.
"Eden, please tell me what the matter is, and I promise you I will do whatever I can in my power to fix it."
Her eyes flashed to his, and for the smallest of moments he caught raw heartache, wild uncertainty, and the sheer desperation of a woman that didn't have the slightest idea of what she wanted or how to express herself. But then it was like a curtain closed over her lovely face, and she smiled a practiced smile.
"You are too kind to me, Sin. But let me assure you, all is well. I know that you have been a very good friend to me, and I do thank you for it. But surely there is some young thing in there waiting to have her heart stolen by a handsome buck like yourself?"
He scoffed, "She's going to have to wait a long time then."
Eden laughed heartily, "You, rogue! How are you to find a wife if you are forever trailing after me?"
"I thought I had asked to marry you," he grinned.
Eden rolled her eyes at him, "I am seven months older than you."
"I like an older woman... that is terribly attractive," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"You are deplorable," she swatted his arm, "Let's go back in before I accept your suit and watch you faint dead away or burst into tears."
Sinclair laughed as he rose and helped Eden to her feet, tucking her arm underneath his own, "You know, if I had to marry you, it really wouldn't be so bad."
The first real smile since entering the garden crossed Eden's face, "Thank you, Sin, you wouldn't be such a terrible husband yourself."
It was probably for the best that Phillip did not hear the conversation that the two of them had been having, because as it was, he had only witnessed them entering the ballroom all cozy and friendly and he seemed to want to punch someone, anyone really.
"Why are his bloody hands on her?"
Daniel's eyebrows rose at Phillip's harshly uttered words.
"Randall, you asked that we keep an eye out for her," Daniel responded slowly as if speaking to a child. "Sin, Ben, Sam and I have all been keeping pretty close tabs on her."
Phillip rounded on him seeing red, "What the hell, Daniel?"
Daniel's eyes widened impenetrably, "Can you bring it down about ten octaves? We are in a ballroom. Do you want everyone to know your business?"
Phillip had the decency to look contrite, "I am sorry, but why on earth would you think that I would want a bunch of disreputable rakes around her? The one person in this entire world that I care about most of all is her. And I asked you, Dan.... I asked you to take care of her. To make sure that she was safe. I asked you because I knew that you would take it seriously. I thought that you knew how I felt about her, and you go and get everyone involved. What the bloody hell?"
Daniel tried to backpedal, "Look, how was I to know that you loved her?"
Phillip looked at him in disgust, "I told you I loved her."
Daniel hung his head, "Alright, so here is the truth... Sin found the letter. And then I had to bring Ben in on it, and once he found out, we couldn't let Sam be out in the cold - it wouldn't be right. Don't be mad, everyone thinks Eden is amazing, and they are all rooting for you and her to be together. But, Randall, did you know that she is living with Elias and Sophie?"
Phillip looked at Daniel in confusion, "Why ever would she do that?"
He shook his head, "I don't know all of the details, but something terrible happened, and there was a big falling out between Eden and the duchess."
Phillip's brow furrowed, "There are a lot of things that I do not like about that woman."
"You and me both," Daniel agreed. "Just know that there may be more to Eden's story than you originally thought. She is a beautiful girl."
Phillip growled a bit, "But she is mine."
His friend smiled faintly, "So you say. But I know that there are a few of us, if she said the word, might give you a run for your money."
He left Phillip standing there in the middle of the ballroom floor with his jaw hanging open. Sadly, this was an expression that Phillip was becoming all too accustomed to.