Robert noted the man’s grin. It seemed to suggest he liked that “difficulty” in his wife. Shaking his head, he glanced back to the woman under discussion and grimaced. “Well, Lisa is being difficult tonight. I found her on the terrace with Findlay. The man was moving in for a kiss as I arrived. And she was letting him,” he added with disbelief.

“Well, that is hardly being difficult. Perhaps she likes him,” Daniel said.

Robert frowned at the suggestion, not at all pleased by it for some reason. Shifting uncomfortably, he muttered, “Yes, well when I dragged her away and explained that she had to be more careful until we found out who the suitor was, she threw her drink in my face.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Daniel cleared his throat and said, “You are sure it was your explanation that had her tossing her drink in your face?”

“Well, it was after that really,” he admitted unhappily. “I may have said something that she didn’t appreciate.”

“Ah,” Richard murmured. “And what would that be, pray tell?”

Robert shifted again, and then grimaced and admitted, “She was behaving a bit . . . Well, she was laughing and smiling and flirting with Findlay and I may have said that her behavior was a bit loose.”

“Ahhh.” It was Daniel who spoke this time, amusement underlining the sound. “And then she threw her drink in your face?”

Robert nodded.

“Well, I think you got off lucky,” Daniel said dryly. “Suzette would probably punch me if I suggested her behavior was . . . er . . . loose. In fact, I am surprised you said it. If she was just talking and smiling—”

“As I said, he was about to kiss her when I arrived. And she was going to let him,” he protested.

“What do you care?” Richard asked patiently. “You don’t want her.”

“Or do you?” Daniel added.

“No, of course not,” Robert muttered, his gaze turning to Lisa again. At least he didn’t want her in the way they were speaking of. He didn’t want a wife, didn’t want his life to turn into the misery of an unhappy marriage. He did, however, want Lisa for other purposes, ones he couldn’t possibly carry out or even consider.

It was that damned see-through dress, Robert thought grimly. He couldn’t get the vision of her naked body beneath the filmy cloth out of his mind. The luscious curves, the dusky rose of her nipples . . . Damn. He could have happily lived a lifetime never having seen that. Now it had raised a whole passel of completely unbrotherly feelings in him for the girl that he just didn’t know what to do with.