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“It's a ritten part,” Logan replied, walking backstage with her as they headed to their respective offices
“And you play it brilliantly,” Julia said, her turquoise eyes filled with speculation She shtly “It see It's because of Maddy, isn't it?”
Although Logan was annoyed by her perceptiveness, he couldn't argue He responded with a surly grunt
Julia continued with obvious enjoy that you're not invulnerable”
“I never claimed I was invulnerable,” he returned evenly “And if I harbor any resentment toward my wife, it's for a very different reason”
“Really” Julia's gazeher blond head outside the door to add, “I shall enjoy watching you during the next fewto see which part of you in the battle—the half that wants to be happy, or the half that wants to flee froht dare to love you”
“Your talents are wasted as an actress, Your Grace,” Logan infor on his way “With your iination, you should have been a writer”
The sound of her laughter trailed down the hall after hian reached his office, he saw a familiar dark head above the back of his chair Andrew, Lord Drake, was enjoying a drink at his desk
“Ji broadly “What a fine need you look, scowling that way”
“What do you want?” Logan asked, shaking his hand in a firrip
Andrew smiled and indicated a crate beside the desk It contained a dozen brandy bottles, each tied with a jaunty bow “I brought you a gift, Jis ounded that you didn't ask me to stand up for you at the cere friendship, I decided to let it pass”
Logan took one of the bottles and inspected it ade was an exquisite thirty-year-old French brandy “Thank you, Andrew”
“I decided to sample a bottle while I waited for you,” Andrew said “Like nectar of the gods Care for a glass?”
“I'll get one froreenroom”
“Don't bother—I brought one for you Can't drink brandy like this fro but a proper snifter”
“I should have invited you to the ceree of the desk as Andrew poured “But it was all done rather quickly”
“So I heard” Andrew slanted hi “Word has it that your neife is carrying a bag pudding” He looked at Logan with mock horror “Can it be true? Will the Scott household soon be blessed with a little Logan?”
Logan accepted the snifter of brandy and nodded gri for further mockery
“Well done, then,” Andrew said abruptly, surprising him “She's a likely wench, not to mention easy on the eye…and you could hardly do better than the daughter of a viscount”
“No rean asked “I was certain you'd have so to say about that” He sipped his brandy slowly, rolling the fine flavor on his tongue
Andrew s You wouldn't have married her unless you wanted her”
Andreas right…the only reason he had married Madeline was because he wanted her, needed her The pregnancy had been a convenient excuse Strange, that Andrew could have seen that so easily
“We have no secrets fro at thethat they were indeed brothers Now he knehy they had rely felt the pull of their shared blood for years
“Not one,” Andrew agreed cheerfully
The urge to tell hian bit the insides of his lips to keep fro He drank deeply of the brandy There was no predicting for certain what Andrew's reaction would be to the revelation Perhaps he an doubted it More likely, Andreould be suspicious, skeptical, bitter He would turn against his father, and Logan as well, and cut hian had no wish to see his half brother e spree that could result in ruin
“Why are you looking athis dark brows “Just as my father does…like a scientist about to dissect a specimen”
“Sorry” Logan relaxed his features “I was just thinking that you see too much time at the hazard tables of late?”
“One night too h “But my confessions will keep 'til later I only caratulations”
“If you're in trouble—”
“I'm always in trouble” Andrew rested his boots on the desk, heedless of the books and papers beneath hisTell me, Jimmy…how does it feel to be a married man?”
“I've only been wed for a day,” Logan said dryly “It's too soon to come to any conclusion”
Andrewserved the saht for the rest of my life But, of course, aas he's discreet”
“I suppose,” Loganhis brandy absently Madeline was hardly in a position to object were he to take a mistress But he had no desire to insult her that way…and though he ht belie it, the truth was that no woman had ever appealed to him as she did
Andrew see with a spurt of incredulous laughter “Good God—don't tell me you're in love with her?”
“No,” Logan said swiftly, his eyes turning hard
“That's a relief Love is poison, Jimmy Just remember what happened the last time you succumbed to it”
“How could I forget?” Logan said, his voice tainted with sudden malice, and he stared at Andrew until the latter murmured uncomfortably and finished his brandy
“I must be off, Jimmy Good luck to you, and all that By the by, I heard a ru a ball for her at your estate If that's true, I'll be expecting an invitation” Breezily he waved good-bye and left the office, his booted feet echoing in the hallway
“There's no reason for Logan to host such a grand affair…not for my sake” Madeline stared in distress at sa to envision the prospect of six hundred guests pouring through Logan's elegant London mansion