Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor Book 3) by Rose Gordon

sweetly, running her index finger around the top of her glass. “I shall teach you how to talk to children in exchange for your help with my goal.”
    Simon stared at her. “Are you cracked?”
    Rae’s lips thinned into a tight line “No.”
    Her stiff reply tore at his heart. Simon raked a hand through his hair. “My apologies.”
    “Are as lacking as your abilities with children,” Rae commented. At some point during their last exchange the tea and biscuits had arrived. She snagged one and pulled it apart then cocked her head to the side. “Why is that?”
    “I don’t know,” he said honestly, annoyed.
    “Do you have siblings?”
    “No,” he said through clenched teeth. He sighed. “One.”
    Rae popped the rest of her biscuit into her mouth and made a rolling motion with her hand.
    “There isn’t anything more to say.”
    “If you treated him with the same cold indifference as you talk about him, I understand the strained relationship.”
    Irritation bubbled inside Simon. “That’s enough.”
    She blanched at the sharpness in his tone.
    “I apolog—”
    “Stop apologizing.” Rae poured them each a cup of tea then set the teapot down with a dull thump . “It’s a waste of breath if you don’t mean it.”
    “If you’re trying to shame me, it won’t work.”
    “If you’re trying to annoy me, it’s working perfectly,” she said with a smile.
    “I’m not trying to annoy you.” He grabbed one of the warm biscuits off the plate and bit into it. “I don’t understand what my relationship with my brother has to do with anything.”
    “All I did was ask about him,” Rae said quietly.
    Simon let out a deep exhale. “I’m so—”
    Rae held up a finger to stop him.
    Simon reached for her hand and pushed it down. “I mean it this time. I am sorry.” He drank his entire cup of tea in one swallow then put his cup down with another deep exhale. “Giles—Lord Norcourt—is my half-brother.”
    Rae folded her hands and gave a slow nod.
    Simon had no idea how much she already knew, but what did it matter what he told her? “We didn’t grow up together.”
    “He’s significantly older than you, no?”
    “Seven years.” Simon twisted his lips. “I think.” He half-expected Rae to make a comment about his not knowing being further proof of his inabilities. “I don’t know a lot about Giles,” he admitted, relaxing his shoulders and leaning back against the backrest of his chair. “My mother once told me when she was married to Lord Norcourt, they had a son, but he’d had his life’s cord wrapped around his neck.” He swallowed uncomfortably. “Foolish boy that I was, I just assumed that meant I was her only living child.” He felt his lips twist bitterly and he was powerless to stop it. “Apparently, all that time I had a brother living in an orphanage.”
    Rae could understand why he’d assumed such. Mama’s last baby had been born with a similar condition and hadn’t survived the night. “And you just learned all of this earlier this Season?”
    Numb head to toe, Simon did his best to nod.
    “I see how that could put a strain on things,” she concluded, reaching across the table.
    Simon looked down to where her hand rested on his forearm.
    “He’s betrothed to a young lady who has a child, yes?”
    Simon wondered how she knew that then dismissed the thought almost immediately. No doubt by now every private detail of Lucy’s life had been printed in the scandal sheets. “Seth.”
    “Assuming Seth already likes you,” she said with a wink. “You need my help to keep him liking you.”
    At that, Simon grinned. “Again, you have me pinned.” He covered her hand with his. “And it’s unnerving.”
    She brushed her thumb across his arm. “It’s my gift.”
    “Along with talking to children,” he added.
    Rae snorted. “When you’re the second eldest of nine children, you don’t have a choice but to acquire such an ability.”
    “Gads.” Simon grimaced. “So