Page 9 of When Hearts Are Wylde
Her heart lurched. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve heard nothing,” he said. “But Isuspectedsomething had happened between you and Hartley. And now Iknow.”
She went still, realizing that she’d given away far too much. “That’s a vile trick.”
“It’s not a trick,” he snapped. “It’s a brother trying to understand how the sister he loves is being destroyed from the inside out and won’t speak a word of it. Whatever this is—and I stayed out of it, trusting that you knew your own mind and knowing that I’d have no power to stop you anyway—it’s eating you up inside.”
“He is simply who is. And whatever occurred between us, my feelings for him are irrelevant as his feelings about the state of marriage have been made perfectly clear.”
He stilled, tension sweeping through him. “This wasn’t simply a flirtation, was it? Did he—Hermione, if he did something?—”
Something in her expression must have given her away entirely, because Phinneas bit out a harsh curse. “I will kill him. I will see him on the field of honor at dawn and I will end his miserable life!”
Hermione grabbed at his arm, halting his progress as he made for the door. “No! You mustn’t… It isn’t at all what you think.”
“Then tell me!” Phinneas all but shouted. “Tell me so that I can understand and so that I can help you!”
Hermione turned away, folding her arms around herself, the shame rising thick and hot in her chest. She had not wanted to speak of it—not to him, not to anyone. But now that it was out, she could not bear to let him believe it had been Hartley’s seduction that had brought her low.
“I went to him,” she said softly, her voice barely more than breath. “He didn’t ask for me. I wasn’t lured. I wasn’t coerced. I walked into his house of my own volition and with full knowledge of what I was seeking out. I climbed the stairs. I let myself into his chamber. And I—” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard before continuing. “I threw myself at him.”
The silence that followed was thick with disbelief.
When she finally dared to glance at Phinneas, his expression was unreadable. He stood utterly still, arms rigid at his sides, jaw clenched tight, and his eyes—those kind, fierce eyes—were filled with something between heartbreak and helpless rage.
“Why?” he asked, the word hoarse.
“Because I love him,” she said. “Because I was tired of being afraid I would go through my entire life without ever knowing what it was to have passion, or desire. Because I knew that I would find myself married out of necessity to the sort of man who would never inspire such feelings in me… and I simply grew tired of waiting because I knew he would neverask.”
Phinneas turned away, raking a hand through his dark hair in a gesture more weary than furious. When he looked back at her, his expression had changed. The fire was still there—banked but not extinguished—but something else had surfaced beneath it. Sadness, perhaps. Or helplessness.
“And did he say he loved you?”
Hermione swallowed. “He did.”
“And was there talk of marriage?”
“Indirectly… it was more that he outlined all the reasons why he would never marry. And I never expected to change his mind or alter his intent. I knew, Phin, perfectly well what I was doing. What I was risking.”
“The poor bastard never stood a chance, did he?,” he asked, his voice quieter now, more measured. “Not when you’d made up your mind.”
She blinked, startled by the shift in his tone. “You’re not… angry?”
He gave a rough laugh and shook his head. “Of course I’m angry. I’m angry because you didn’t come to me. Because you were alone with this—whatever this is—and you didn’t trust me enough to share it.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, hot and unwelcome. “It wasn’t about trust. I was ashamed. Iamashamed. I’ve let you down.”
“By being human? By having faults and flaws and all the things the rest of us are burdened with? I hardly think so, Hermione. I’ve never been disappointed by you, certainly never been ashamed of you. But I am worried. Because whatever this is—it’s beyond heartache or disappointment. You are afraid. I’ve seen it. And I want to know why.”
She let out a breath, unsteady and full of everything she hadn’t said for weeks. “I didn’t want to drag you into this,” she whispered.
“You didn’t drag me anywhere,” he replied. “But I’m here now. And I’ll stand beside you, whatever comes next. Just tell me.”
“Someone knows. Someone has information about my… affair. And they are blackmailing me.”
“How could they know?”
“I can’t say for certain. I talked to Leo about it and he insists he’s said nothing to anyone… and for all that it is worth, I do believe him. But there were letters that we exchanged. Verypersonal letters,” she confessed. “And if even one of those was taken, it would be very damning.”
