Which is why I stayed away.” He muttered something to himself and murmured, “I suppose I can only blame myself for letting you love me far more than I loved you. And for that I’m sorry. I should have kept our association to what it had always been: friendship.”
Leona said nothing.
Malcolm flexed his hands, trying not to get riled knowing how she had been so vilely taken advantage of by the two people she had trusted most. It reminded him of the way he’d been taken advantage of.
After waiting all afternoon at a garden party hoping to have a moment alone with the ever worldly and vivacious Miss Silverthorn, he cornered her, confessed his interest and then savagely kissed her in an effort to damn well prove it. The kiss lasted only long enough for him to realize she wasn’t kissing him back. When he’d pulled away, she started sobbing.
He’d never forget it. He spent the whole day writhing in guilt and reliving that moment, thinking his method of forced seduction made her cry. A few days later, she used him to terminate the last of whatever relationship she had with his brother. A relationship James had never told him about because their association was too damn dark to speak of. That had been his first introduction to ‘passion’. And needless to say, he’d been avoiding it ever since. For the safety of those involved.
Ryder veered his gaze to Malcolm. “I can’t have my son living like this. I can’t. And her aunt…that woman is— I’m done dealing with this. I have a right to my son. Do you have a calling card I can pass on to my lawyer?”
The bastard still wasn’t letting this go. Even knowing about the betrayal. Ingrate. Malcolm shifted his jaw, dug into his pocket and pulled out his silver case. Opening it, he retrieved a card and snapped it out. “Direct all inquiries to me, Mr. Blake, if you’re really that anxious to tear a boy from his mother. Until this is resolved, don’t pester either of them. They have endured enough. Are we understood in this?”
Ryder took it and inclined his head. “Yes.” He tucked the card away, and after a moment, offered his own.
Malcolm grabbed it, shoved it into his pocket and pointed at the door. “Good day, Mr. Blake.”
“Good day.” Ryder stiffly walked over to the door. Opening it, he glanced back at Leona, then stepped out and quietly shut the door behind himself.
Jacob stumbled over to Leona and braced her legs.
Mrs. Henderson sat up and wobbled her head, quivering the lace cap on her head. “I hope the floor opens up and hell grabs my cousin by the leg. I cannot believe Judith, my Judith, would do such a thing to her own niece. I knew she had grown incredibly bitter after being abandoned by that idiot but I never thought…” She glanced at Malcolm and then Leona. “I suggest you two create an alliance. Get married. That way no one will touch the child.”
Malcolm choked.
Leona glared. “Mrs. Henderson, please. That isn’t very helpful. After all, if Lord Brayton were at all interested, he would have proposed to me right now. And why wouldn’t he? I certainly have so much to offer him and every man. A child that isn’t his and a morally corrupt aunt who swindled her own niece out of enough money that could have very well sent Jacob into Eton alongside every last duke and earl!”
A breath escaped Malcolm. This bloody reeked of pandemonium. “We will resolve this, Miss Webster. But it won’t be resolved if I stay here. I have to go. I’ll see you this Thursday at three. I promise to do everything within my means to help you.”
She lowered her gaze to the table she was tidying, her hands visibly trembling. “I don’t even know what she would have done with all that money. She was never one to spend money on anything. She always wore the same dresses, the same bonnets and gloves for years and years. Even well before my father died.” She paused, her features flickering with hope. “Maybe she plans to surprise Jacob and me.
Leona said nothing.
Malcolm flexed his hands, trying not to get riled knowing how she had been so vilely taken advantage of by the two people she had trusted most. It reminded him of the way he’d been taken advantage of.
After waiting all afternoon at a garden party hoping to have a moment alone with the ever worldly and vivacious Miss Silverthorn, he cornered her, confessed his interest and then savagely kissed her in an effort to damn well prove it. The kiss lasted only long enough for him to realize she wasn’t kissing him back. When he’d pulled away, she started sobbing.
He’d never forget it. He spent the whole day writhing in guilt and reliving that moment, thinking his method of forced seduction made her cry. A few days later, she used him to terminate the last of whatever relationship she had with his brother. A relationship James had never told him about because their association was too damn dark to speak of. That had been his first introduction to ‘passion’. And needless to say, he’d been avoiding it ever since. For the safety of those involved.
Ryder veered his gaze to Malcolm. “I can’t have my son living like this. I can’t. And her aunt…that woman is— I’m done dealing with this. I have a right to my son. Do you have a calling card I can pass on to my lawyer?”
The bastard still wasn’t letting this go. Even knowing about the betrayal. Ingrate. Malcolm shifted his jaw, dug into his pocket and pulled out his silver case. Opening it, he retrieved a card and snapped it out. “Direct all inquiries to me, Mr. Blake, if you’re really that anxious to tear a boy from his mother. Until this is resolved, don’t pester either of them. They have endured enough. Are we understood in this?”
Ryder took it and inclined his head. “Yes.” He tucked the card away, and after a moment, offered his own.
Malcolm grabbed it, shoved it into his pocket and pointed at the door. “Good day, Mr. Blake.”
“Good day.” Ryder stiffly walked over to the door. Opening it, he glanced back at Leona, then stepped out and quietly shut the door behind himself.
Jacob stumbled over to Leona and braced her legs.
Mrs. Henderson sat up and wobbled her head, quivering the lace cap on her head. “I hope the floor opens up and hell grabs my cousin by the leg. I cannot believe Judith, my Judith, would do such a thing to her own niece. I knew she had grown incredibly bitter after being abandoned by that idiot but I never thought…” She glanced at Malcolm and then Leona. “I suggest you two create an alliance. Get married. That way no one will touch the child.”
Malcolm choked.
Leona glared. “Mrs. Henderson, please. That isn’t very helpful. After all, if Lord Brayton were at all interested, he would have proposed to me right now. And why wouldn’t he? I certainly have so much to offer him and every man. A child that isn’t his and a morally corrupt aunt who swindled her own niece out of enough money that could have very well sent Jacob into Eton alongside every last duke and earl!”
A breath escaped Malcolm. This bloody reeked of pandemonium. “We will resolve this, Miss Webster. But it won’t be resolved if I stay here. I have to go. I’ll see you this Thursday at three. I promise to do everything within my means to help you.”
She lowered her gaze to the table she was tidying, her hands visibly trembling. “I don’t even know what she would have done with all that money. She was never one to spend money on anything. She always wore the same dresses, the same bonnets and gloves for years and years. Even well before my father died.” She paused, her features flickering with hope. “Maybe she plans to surprise Jacob and me.
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