in a swish of velvet and hurried to his side. “Don’t go. Please. Not yet.” She twisted her hands. “Can’t we talk? Won’t you at least remain for tea?”
He’d stopped mid-stride and, against all better judgment and instinct, turned. “For what purpose would you want to have tea?”
Her chin thrust up. “Is it your intent to deny me forever?”
“I have never denied you anything, only the pederast thief you married. I can only thank God Becca never knew her father. Or the last two you wed.”
She gasped. “You are cruel, Erik. Exactly as your father was.” She delicately dabbed the corner of a handkerchief at each eye. “He took pleasure in his spite against me as well.”
Erik looked away, refusing to allow himself to be drawn into a discussion about what his mother had beenforced to endure with his heartless and arrogant father. He had long ago inured himself against her attack on a man Erik had never known.
“Wait. Perhaps if you gave me more income…I could travel. I could go away from this place. I wouldn’t have to be a bother to you.”
His mother detested traveling. She never went farther than the expensive and very private boutiques on Bond Street. “Have you already run out of your allowance, Mother?”
“You don’t give me enough. I am a pauper among my peers.”
“Three months ago, when we had this discussion, I told you I would not listen to your complaining. My accountants and solicitors go over your books and I have been reassured you have more than enough to live extravagantly. What I give you in a year is more than some families see in a lifetime.”
“Truly.” Tears filled her brown eyes and she looked away. “You cannot put me in the same category as a fishwife in Cheapside.”
“I wouldn’t insult the fishwife with such a comparison.”
He walked to the door and called for his cloak and hat before facing his mother. “If you stayed away from the cards and opium dens, you would have more to spend on your parties and your wardrobe. You could have spent more time with Becca, and Erin, if you ever cared to acknowledge my daughter’s existence.”
“Despite what you think of me, I have done my best under the extreme circumstances fate has forced upon me. Besides…” She tucked the handkerchief in her sleeve. “You owe me something for keeping silent all these years about Lady Elizabeth—”
Erik slammed shut the door.
She visibly swallowed. “It is only my intent to remind you how easily secrets can slip. Loyalty deserves compensation. Do you not agree? Five thousand more pounds a year should be no hardship for you.”
Bloody hell .
“Oh, Erik. Please.” His mother wrung her hands. “It was never my intent to push our relationship to this point.”
“What relationship, Mother? You have always been on the wrong side of every problem I have ever encountered in my life. You stood against me on the side of a man who could have hurt Becca.”
“He was my husband. Have you considered that it is you who was wrong and misjudged him?”
“Your loyalty has forever been to yourself or to the bloody useless cretins you continue to marry.”
“Please, Erik. I am in need. And I have kept your secrets.”
He lowered his voice in menace. “Whatever was between Elizabeth and me, my daughter is an innocent. I will not have her parentage questioned by the likes of you or this ton. If you ever , and I mean ever , breathe a word about anything Elizabeth wrote to you…”
Lowering her head, she nodded. “I know. I’ll do anything you ask. But I need the money, Erik.”
“Are you sure five thousand is enough, Mother?”
To her credit, she nodded and did not push him further.
Withdrawing a blank bank draft from the leather pocket book in his jacket pocket, he walked to a small secretary near the window and scratched out an order for five thousand pounds to be presented to his bank. If this was what it took to rid Becca of herinfluence and protect Erin, he would
He’d stopped mid-stride and, against all better judgment and instinct, turned. “For what purpose would you want to have tea?”
Her chin thrust up. “Is it your intent to deny me forever?”
“I have never denied you anything, only the pederast thief you married. I can only thank God Becca never knew her father. Or the last two you wed.”
She gasped. “You are cruel, Erik. Exactly as your father was.” She delicately dabbed the corner of a handkerchief at each eye. “He took pleasure in his spite against me as well.”
Erik looked away, refusing to allow himself to be drawn into a discussion about what his mother had beenforced to endure with his heartless and arrogant father. He had long ago inured himself against her attack on a man Erik had never known.
“Wait. Perhaps if you gave me more income…I could travel. I could go away from this place. I wouldn’t have to be a bother to you.”
His mother detested traveling. She never went farther than the expensive and very private boutiques on Bond Street. “Have you already run out of your allowance, Mother?”
“You don’t give me enough. I am a pauper among my peers.”
“Three months ago, when we had this discussion, I told you I would not listen to your complaining. My accountants and solicitors go over your books and I have been reassured you have more than enough to live extravagantly. What I give you in a year is more than some families see in a lifetime.”
“Truly.” Tears filled her brown eyes and she looked away. “You cannot put me in the same category as a fishwife in Cheapside.”
“I wouldn’t insult the fishwife with such a comparison.”
He walked to the door and called for his cloak and hat before facing his mother. “If you stayed away from the cards and opium dens, you would have more to spend on your parties and your wardrobe. You could have spent more time with Becca, and Erin, if you ever cared to acknowledge my daughter’s existence.”
“Despite what you think of me, I have done my best under the extreme circumstances fate has forced upon me. Besides…” She tucked the handkerchief in her sleeve. “You owe me something for keeping silent all these years about Lady Elizabeth—”
Erik slammed shut the door.
She visibly swallowed. “It is only my intent to remind you how easily secrets can slip. Loyalty deserves compensation. Do you not agree? Five thousand more pounds a year should be no hardship for you.”
Bloody hell .
“Oh, Erik. Please.” His mother wrung her hands. “It was never my intent to push our relationship to this point.”
“What relationship, Mother? You have always been on the wrong side of every problem I have ever encountered in my life. You stood against me on the side of a man who could have hurt Becca.”
“He was my husband. Have you considered that it is you who was wrong and misjudged him?”
“Your loyalty has forever been to yourself or to the bloody useless cretins you continue to marry.”
“Please, Erik. I am in need. And I have kept your secrets.”
He lowered his voice in menace. “Whatever was between Elizabeth and me, my daughter is an innocent. I will not have her parentage questioned by the likes of you or this ton. If you ever , and I mean ever , breathe a word about anything Elizabeth wrote to you…”
Lowering her head, she nodded. “I know. I’ll do anything you ask. But I need the money, Erik.”
“Are you sure five thousand is enough, Mother?”
To her credit, she nodded and did not push him further.
Withdrawing a blank bank draft from the leather pocket book in his jacket pocket, he walked to a small secretary near the window and scratched out an order for five thousand pounds to be presented to his bank. If this was what it took to rid Becca of herinfluence and protect Erin, he would
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