Page 31 of An Inconvenient Duke

Grief panged hollowly in Dani’s chest.

She squeezed Dani’s hands again and said in hesitant stops and starts, “So I want to ask you…if you would…as my honorary sister…be my maid of honor.”

Her throat stung with emotion. “I would be delighted.”

Another hug, this one lingering, most likely so that both women had the time to control the tears threatening at their lashes.

“I’m worried about Marcus,” Claudia whispered, taking the conversation in a new direction without warning. “Truly worried.”

Surprise darted through Dani. Slowly, she pulled out of the hug and cupped Claudia’s face between her hands. “He’s been through a lot. But now that he’s home, everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

“It won’t be,” she whispered, her face long. “He’s so distant these days. He seems lonely, even when he’s in the same room with us. It’s as if—as if he draws back into himself, as if his mind goes some place far away. Surely you saw it for yourself tonight during dinner.”

Dani had. But unlike the others, she knew exactly where he’d gone in his mind. Into the private hell she’d helped cast him into.

“He hasn’t yet adjusted to being home.” She mustered a reassuring smile. “Just give him time.”

“No, it’s not that.” Claudia turned away and aimlessly crossed to the large desk to run her fingers over the smooth desktop. A worried frown pulled at her brow. “He seems…lost. As if his life has no meaning.”

“He has his family,” Dani reminded her.

“It isn’t enough. Don’t misunderstand me. He’s wonderful with Pippa and is the best brother I could have ever hoped for, and he’s taking all this wedding and marriage news in stride as best he can. But he needs other things to fill his life beyond Charlton Place—importantthings. And not even a new dukedom or a seat in Parliament seems to make up for what he’s missing.” Inhaling a tremulous breath, she turned toward Dani, a pleading expression darkening her face. “Will you help him?”

That question knocked the air from her lungs. “Me?” she squeaked out. “What do I know about retired soldiers?”

“Nothing.” Claudia shrugged. “Which makes you perfect for it. He doesn’t need someone who treats him like a general or a war hero—he gets enough of that already and is thoroughly sick of it. And he definitely doesn’t need to be treated like a duke. The society sycophants are already falling all over themselves to become ingratiated with him.” Her mouth twisted wryly. “He has me and Pippa, so he doesn’t need anyone who will treat him like a brother either.”

Well,thatwould be an easy one to avoid. Dani’s thoughts of Marcus certainly weren’t brotherly.

“He needs someone to hold his feet to the fire, who will stand up to him and read him the riot act if he deserves it. Someone who will push him to find that new purpose.” In exasperation, Claudia dropped her hands to her sides and stared pleadingly at Dani, as if willing her to understand. “He needs to be rescued from himself, and you’re the perfect one to do it.”

Dani shook her head. “What you’re asking…” It was one very big favor, and more of an uphill battle than Claudia realized, given what had happened last night. Dani couldn’t bear to spend more time with Marcus, which she would have to do to fulfill Claudia’s wishes. No, if she were to continue her work, then she needed to stay as far away from him as possible. Meaningful life be damned.

“I know. And I wouldn’t ask it of you if I had anyone else to turn to.” Her eyes darkened with worry. “But you know how my brother is.”

Dani once thought she did. Now, though, she wasn’t at all certain.

“At the very least please help me to distract him until after the wedding.”

She bit her lip. Oh, this wasn’t at all a good idea… “I’ll help however I can,” she vaguely offered, her resolve vanishing beneath Claudia’s pleading expression. “But I make no promises.”

“Thank you! You have no idea how relieved this makes me. With you looking after him, Marcus is now one less problem I have to worry about.”

Hmm.Thatwas yet to be seen.

Claudia kissed both of Dani’s cheeks, then bounced over to the door. “I’m going to dash upstairs to peek in on Pippa. I promised her that I’d stop up after dinner. I’ll be back in a moment, and then we can discuss flowers for the wedding. I want hundreds of white roses!”

Then she was gone, slipping into the hall and closing the door after herself.

Dani rolled her eyes heavenward. Dear Lord, what had she gotten herself into now?

Pressing her hand to her forehead, she began to pace the large room, now needing to burn off her uneasiness even more than before. Help Marcus Braddock to find purpose in his civilian life? What a laugh! Even if the man were willing to accept help, which he would certainlynotbe willing to do, she was the absolutely most wrong person in the world for the job.

If he ever found out what she’d just agreed to—heaven help her. But her acquiescence had put Claudia at ease. Given how nervous and emotional she would become as her wedding day drew nearer, this was the least Dani could do for her.

And if there was any bright spot to this fiasco—and she wasn’t at all certain there was, given how Claudia would now expect her to spend more time with Marcus while Dani would do everything she could to avoid him—at least no one would suspect anything more between them than distant friendship. To the world, they would be nothing more than two people forced together by Claudia’s wedding. Certainly not two people who were hiding secrets of life and death, who had so shamelessly enjoyed being in each other’s arms.

The door opened behind her with a soft click, and her shoulders sagged. Claudia was back, most likely having forgotten some other promise she’d intended to wrangle out of Dani.