A Lady’s Guide to Scoundrels and Gentlemen: A Victorian Historical Romance (The Harp & Thistle Book 1) by Arden Conroy

Author:Arden Conroy [Conroy, Arden]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2025-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The three McNab brothers sat together in Victor’s parlor after a heavy dinner. It had been yet another day of demolition, and the nearly two months since the fire were starting to blur together. Victor’s housekeeper ensured the cook prepared a feast for the starving men that would rival a twelve-person multi-course meal. Now full and satiated, they sat with whiskeys, regarding each other in exhausted silence. In the last few days, Dantes had noticed Victor was out of sorts, more so than usual. His worst characteristics—his broodiness, lack of humor, general bitterness—had only worsened. As Dantes was still reeling from the days-old news that Victor’s greed had screwed him over with insurance, and his brother’s lack of care over the blasted fireworks led to losing irreplaceable possessions, he had no sympathy for his anguished older brother and found he really didn’t much care what had caused his mood.

Ollie’s voice cut into the heavy silence. “I’m thinking about crossing the pond and joining up with the Barnum & Bailey Circus.”

Dantes tore a narrow-eyed look in Ollie’s direction. “What in the blazes are you talking about?”

Ollie grinned, nodding over at Victor, who hadn’t reacted. “The world’s strongest woman proposed to me and we’re going to elope.” A long pause. “I’m thinking about becoming a lion trainer, or perhaps an acrobat. What do you think about that, Victor?”

Victor grunted an approval.

Dantes and Ollie exchanged grins of amusement; however, the conversation quickly died again. But unlike Dantes, Ollie clearly couldn’t stand the silence and began talking again. “So, what is the news with Lady Vivian?”

Dantes took a hasty sip of whiskey, wishing the conversation had gone any other direction. “Not sure. Haven’t talked to her in a few weeks.”

Ollie tilted his head. “I thought you wrote to one another twice a day.”

“Not anymore.” Not with the way they’d parted last, when he’d visited her. When he’d kissed her, and then she’d all but kicked him out. Dantes shoved the memory away.

“I see. Are you going to meet her at the flower show tomorrow, then?”

Why had he made the mistake in telling Ollie about that? “No.”

“Why not?”

Dantes let out a frustrated sigh. “Christ, Ollie.”

“I’ll meet her, then.”

Dantes glowered but didn’t have a retort.

So, Ollie continued. “I’ll take her, charm her, entice her home with sweet words under the starlight. Since you aren’t staying with me, that shouldn’t be an issue.” He grinned in his usual easy-going manner. “Do her kisses taste like strawberries? Or mint? Personally, I think she looks more like the strawberry sort.”

Red rage exploded and Dantes dove over to Ollie, pulling him up from his chair and off the floor by the front of his shirt. Veins popped out of Dantes’s neck and Ollie responded with a cool gaze and a smug smile. Dantes realized in this moment he’d been had and released his brother. He pointed an angry finger at Ollie. “You’re lucky you’re not dead,” he said with a growl.

Ollie rolled his shoulders at being let go. “I was testing my theory.

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