Free Desires of a Baron by Rose Gordon

meant,” Sebastian said a moment later. “Even if you think she might marry your brother, it wouldn’t do for you to have an uncomfortable relationship with your new sister-in-law.”
    “ Why does it matter?”
    “ You mean because you don’t even have a relationship with Simon?” At Giles’ nod, Sebastian continued. “That goes back to what I was talking about before. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but since you’re my friend, I want you to know. Belle mentioned that Simon told her that your mother means to make amends by helping you find a bride.”
    “ I know.”
    “ But I don’t just mean by asking Lady Cosgrove to host the house party, Giles.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “Do you think it might be possible that your mother might have asked Lord Cosgrove to help bring you here?”
    Giles sat stock-still. His mother had seemed extremely interested in him since his return. She’d agreed to host a dinner party when he’d asked her to a month ago. She’d even gone so far as resuming her title Lady Norcourt for the evening to act as hostess when she’d been content to be styled as Mrs. Appleton for twenty years. Then, at the house party, she’d sought him out whenever she could and had introduced him to some of who she’d considered to be the “finest” unattached young ladies. He’d found them annoying, but apparently she didn’t. She’d even told him that she’d like to help him find a match. But did her desire to find him a match go so far as to issue threats to get him to return? His heart pounded and sweat beaded along his brow. He looked to Sebastian. Sebastian didn’t lie. Not to Giles. He wouldn’t suggest this if he didn’t think it was a real possibility.
    Hurt and anger swelled up inside of him, then just as quickly vanished. Just as it had when she’d admitted to having had the house party planned to help Giles find a match. Did it really matter that she’d used deceitful tactics to get him to return to England? He sighed. No. Almost everyone he’d ever met manipulated him. Why should his own mother be any different? “Thank you, Sebastian.”
    “ For what?”
    “ The truth,” Giles said simply, standing.
    Sebastian leapt to his feet. “Are you going to confront her?”
    “No.”
    “ Then where are you going?”
    “ You were right.”
    “ About?”
    “ Everything.”
    Sebastian arched an eyebrow. “I doubt my wife would agree with that statement.”
    Giles didn’t know what to say to that. “My mother is quite desperate to have a relationship so I’d better go apologize for what I said to Lucy.”
    An expression Giles didn’t understand came over Sebastian’s face, then he stepped to the side and used both of his hands to gesture toward the door while giving a slight bow. Sebastian was a strange friend, to be sure, but many probably thought the same about Giles. Which was likely why they’d gotten along as well as they had in the past six years.
    Less than five minutes later Giles found himself standing in front of the tall, light grey stone building that housed the Norcourt Lending Library. Though he was told he owned it, he’d never actually been inside before.
    Clenching his hands into fists, he commanded his heavier-than-lead legs to carry him inside. The overwhelming smell of paper and glue filled his nose as soon as he opened the door. A second later he was assailed by a cloud of dust.
    “Do forgive me,” chirped a red-haired urchin holding a limp feather duster. “Mrs. Appleton hates it when any dust is visible on the books.” She lowered her voice. “She thinks people will assume the dusty ones are the ones not worth readin’.”
    His mother was smart. Very smart. Of course he already knew she was clever and deceitful, but she was also smart. How ironic, those three adjectives often went together. “Is L—er—Miss Whitaker here?”
    The girl turned her head to the side. “Who?”
    “ Miss Whitaker. She’s about this tall—”