don’t believe you. You’re lying,” she said heatedly. “The Edward I know would never behave as you have.”
His expression hardened, the skin stretching tight over his high cheekbones. “You are quite correct. I am not the same man. Your Edward died a thousand deaths on battlefields across the Continent.”
Her eyes filled. “So what is left of him?”
“Nothing.”
The impact of his words hit her like a blow to the stomach and she winced at the pain. “This cannot be happening.”
“Shall I escort you back?” he asked in a solicitous tone. “I do hope we shall always be friends.”
Friends. As if she and Edward could ever be friends. “Have you no feeling?” she whispered.
“No.” Darkness clouded his face. “I’ve none.”
Unable to bear the sight of him for another moment, she spun away and stumbled out of the room with sorrow throbbing in her chest. She bolted down the corridor and tried desperately to recall the route back to her bedchamber. She couldn’t possibly face the other guests.
“There you are, darling. I wondered where you’d got to.” The familiar warm voice cut through the fog of despair and misery.
The sight of Laurie standing at the end of the corridor prompted relief to flood her body. “I’m here.” She went to him and took his arm, grateful for the solid strength he offered. “Oh Laurie, I’m so fortunate to have you.”
His eyes widened slightly, perhaps because he sensed her remark was genuine rather than motivated by the flirtatious banter she usually employed with him. “I hope you shall always be so pleased to see me.” The palpable affection in his voice soothed her jumbled nerves. “Even after I’ve lost my hair and my teeth.”
She squeezed his arm under her hand. Dear Laurie. Honest and loyal. So good when she was so faithless. “Especially when you are old and toothless,” she said fervently. “I swear it.”
Chapter Seven
Edward stood motionless in the darkness of the solarium long after Kat left him, replaying her stricken expression over and over again in his mind.
“Your plan, it appears to have worked, querido .”
“Astoundingly well.” He blinked in the direction of the familiar voice. Elena stood in the doorway. “Although that’s hardly surprising. Strategy is supposed to be my strong suit.” It had, after all, won him an earldom.
“She was most distressed.” Elena moved closer, her eyes fixed on him. “It is as you wished, no?”
“Absolutely.” He swallowed against the ache in his lungs. Erasing any lingering doubts Kitty had about wedding the viscount was his final gift to her. Sinclair would give her what she deserved: a devoted, honorable husband who wasn’t mad.
“And how about you, my friend?” she asked gently. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Despite outward appearances, I’m quite dead inside. Surely, you of all people know that.”
Her expression softened. “I know nothing of the sort, mi corazon .”
…
“Excellent round.” Laurie bowed to Peter Fawson after a turn of fencing. “Will you have another go?”
“Not I.” Fawson headed for the door. “Breakfast is calling my name. I’m hoping to catch the Spanish strumpet there.”
Laurie frowned. “Rand’s gel?”
“The very same. She’s one hot senorita. Have you seen the dairy on her?”
“They’re hard to miss.”
“I’d like to squeeze my Thomas between those diddeys and grind her good and hard.” Lawson chuckled. “Think she’s one to take it into her mouth?”
“I’m sure I cannot say.” Laurie had no fondness for Rand’s mistress, yet Lawson referred to her as one would a common whore and the crude references didn’t sit well with him. “She seems devoted to Randolph.”
Lawson shrugged. “Word is she does as she pleases. I’d like to think she’d be pleased to entertain all sorts of possibilities with me,” he said with a wink before walking out the door.
Glad to see the back
His expression hardened, the skin stretching tight over his high cheekbones. “You are quite correct. I am not the same man. Your Edward died a thousand deaths on battlefields across the Continent.”
Her eyes filled. “So what is left of him?”
“Nothing.”
The impact of his words hit her like a blow to the stomach and she winced at the pain. “This cannot be happening.”
“Shall I escort you back?” he asked in a solicitous tone. “I do hope we shall always be friends.”
Friends. As if she and Edward could ever be friends. “Have you no feeling?” she whispered.
“No.” Darkness clouded his face. “I’ve none.”
Unable to bear the sight of him for another moment, she spun away and stumbled out of the room with sorrow throbbing in her chest. She bolted down the corridor and tried desperately to recall the route back to her bedchamber. She couldn’t possibly face the other guests.
“There you are, darling. I wondered where you’d got to.” The familiar warm voice cut through the fog of despair and misery.
The sight of Laurie standing at the end of the corridor prompted relief to flood her body. “I’m here.” She went to him and took his arm, grateful for the solid strength he offered. “Oh Laurie, I’m so fortunate to have you.”
His eyes widened slightly, perhaps because he sensed her remark was genuine rather than motivated by the flirtatious banter she usually employed with him. “I hope you shall always be so pleased to see me.” The palpable affection in his voice soothed her jumbled nerves. “Even after I’ve lost my hair and my teeth.”
She squeezed his arm under her hand. Dear Laurie. Honest and loyal. So good when she was so faithless. “Especially when you are old and toothless,” she said fervently. “I swear it.”
Chapter Seven
Edward stood motionless in the darkness of the solarium long after Kat left him, replaying her stricken expression over and over again in his mind.
“Your plan, it appears to have worked, querido .”
“Astoundingly well.” He blinked in the direction of the familiar voice. Elena stood in the doorway. “Although that’s hardly surprising. Strategy is supposed to be my strong suit.” It had, after all, won him an earldom.
“She was most distressed.” Elena moved closer, her eyes fixed on him. “It is as you wished, no?”
“Absolutely.” He swallowed against the ache in his lungs. Erasing any lingering doubts Kitty had about wedding the viscount was his final gift to her. Sinclair would give her what she deserved: a devoted, honorable husband who wasn’t mad.
“And how about you, my friend?” she asked gently. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Despite outward appearances, I’m quite dead inside. Surely, you of all people know that.”
Her expression softened. “I know nothing of the sort, mi corazon .”
…
“Excellent round.” Laurie bowed to Peter Fawson after a turn of fencing. “Will you have another go?”
“Not I.” Fawson headed for the door. “Breakfast is calling my name. I’m hoping to catch the Spanish strumpet there.”
Laurie frowned. “Rand’s gel?”
“The very same. She’s one hot senorita. Have you seen the dairy on her?”
“They’re hard to miss.”
“I’d like to squeeze my Thomas between those diddeys and grind her good and hard.” Lawson chuckled. “Think she’s one to take it into her mouth?”
“I’m sure I cannot say.” Laurie had no fondness for Rand’s mistress, yet Lawson referred to her as one would a common whore and the crude references didn’t sit well with him. “She seems devoted to Randolph.”
Lawson shrugged. “Word is she does as she pleases. I’d like to think she’d be pleased to entertain all sorts of possibilities with me,” he said with a wink before walking out the door.
Glad to see the back
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