Page 27 of The Taming of a Wicked Rogue

He wasn’t a rake, not really—that was what she had convinced herself when she let him take her to bed. Or perhaps he was, perhaps the years had done more than she realized, and she was a fool to believe he hadn’t changed from the boy she’d known.

Leo grimaced and blew out a breath, his hand clasped around the delicate stem of the crystal wine glass. “A young lady found herself in an unfortunate situation.”

“I very much doubt she justfoundherself in such a situation.” Rebecca pursed her lips, unable to keep the bitterness from her tone. Her father had left plenty of women in similar circumstances. “They do not usually manage to get in such conditions alone.”

Adam chuckled. “She’s not wrong.”

“But what does it have to do with the three of you?” She glanced around the table, distinctly aware of Leo tapping his fingers against his glass.

“Whoever did it looks a little like us,” Leo explained. “So it has been assumed that one of us has left her in said situation and is unwilling to admit to it or claim the child as our own.”

She opened her mouth, closed it and twisted to view Leo. “But it was not you?”

“It wasn’t any of us,” Alexander said firmly.

“Why did you not tell me of your reason for being here, Leo?” she demanded.

“It would hardly have persuaded you to stay now would it?”

“If you have done nothing, you have no reason to keep it from me.”

“Says the woman who has been hiding in the east wing,” he muttered.

“At your invitation.” She inhaled deeply, glanced at his brothers and rose from the table, gesturing for them to stay. “Forgive me but this was a mistake. I am so sorry.”

Rebecca fled the room swiftly and moved blindly through the rooms until she found one of the drawing rooms, shutting the door behind her and sinking onto the sofa, her head in her hands.

It did not matter what Leo did, she reminded herself. Or even if he had hidden his reason for being here. She would be gone as soon as she found the diamond.

So why did it hurt?

Because some small part of her hoped their situations would somehow magically change. That the people on Langmere would accept her back and Leo would declare his love for her, and she could pretend the past nine years had never happened, and he had never bedded his way through London society.

Her love for him and Langmere had never faded.

“Rebecca?” She lifted her head to see Leo pop his head around the door and then step in. “I did not get that woman with child.”

She eyed him while he strode toward her.

“You know me better than that.”

“Do I?” She swallowed and glanced around, unable to view his earnest expression without her heart aching. “It has been so long, Leo. Goodness knows, I am different.”

“You are certainly stronger and more independent and that is no bad thing. In fact—”

“Wait!” She lifted a finger. “How long has this been here for?” She plucked a book from the side table next to the sofa and fingered the embossed lettering. “A Guide to Langmere and the Lakes,” she murmured.

Leo shrugged. “I think Mrs. Jones has been reading it. She must have left it there.”

She flicked open the book. “It talks of my father.”

“Do not read it, Rebecca—it will not help you.”

“No, do you not see? I should have read it. It might very well help me.”

“How so?”

“I know it talks of his arrest here. Maybe there is some clue as to his movements, as to where the diamond is.” She gave a dry laugh. “I should not have been such a coward.”

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