Page 59 of Temptress in Disguise
It’s why, with the optimism of a new day, he suggested they stop delaying the inevitable and visit Hartford Hall. He didn’t want her thinking he held an ounce of affection for the woman who’d used him so cruelly.
“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” Naomi said from the confines of the carriage as it rattled along Cornhill. “If you had any feelings for Melissa, you would have sought her out before now.”
She was right. He had nothing to prove, but he’d be damned if he’d add to his wife’s worries. “I assure you. I feel nothing but contempt for the woman who tricked me. Had I known she was married, I would never have entertained her.”
“Melissa is a desirable woman.”
“She’s rotten to the core.” He’d heard rumours it was Melissa’s insatiable need for attention that had led to the death of Jacob Adams. There was reason to believe she had caused the death of Naomi’s father, too, though it would be impossible to prove. “Like your sister, Melissa wears many masks to fool the unsuspecting.”
Naomi fell silent. She sat stiff in the seat and hadn’t stopped nibbling her bottom lip since they’d left Fortune’s Den. Did the thought of seeing her stepmother fill her with dread? Did her anxiety stem from a lack of faith in him?
Not being one who avoided awkward questions, he addressed the issue. “Do you trust me, Naomi?”
The blunt question had her jerking to attention. “I—I recall we both said we’d trust no one again. Trust is a fool’s game.”
Having faith in a woman had seemed as possible as escaping one’s shadow. Yet he knew, beyond any doubt, his life was safe in her hands.
You’ll know when you meet someone special.
Christian had failed to say it would hit like a bolt from the heavens. That thoughts of her would consume him and invade every waking hour.
“What we said the night we met and what we feel now are by no means the same.” Somehow, amid the chaos of two amateurs trying to solve a case, he had come to care about his wife.
She swallowed hard. “Can I be honest with you?”
A knot of fear tightened in his chest as he anticipated her confession. “I’m your husband. You can tell me anything.”
I don’t want you.
I’ve never wanted you.
This is nothing more than a business arrangement.
“I’m afraid, Aramis.”
A mocking snort escaped him. “Not of me?”
He was the monster of many a man’s nightmares.
Could he ever be the hero of her dreams?
“Of course not. You would never hurt me, not intentionally.” A blush touched her porcelain cheeks. “My heart is not as hard as yours. It’s like a stranded lamb on a hillside with nothing to shield it from the elements.” She waved her hand between them. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m not sure what is happening here.”
“I’m not sure either.” Strange thoughts and feelings assaulted him like ruthless footpads in the darkness. No matter how hard he tried, he lacked the strength to avert an attack. “But I trust you. I want you in my life, by my side, in my bed. What comes after that, I cannot say.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “I feel the same way.”
A wave of relief almost knocked him off the seat, as did the fierce need to kill the devil plotting to send her to the gallows. A burning desire to find the culprit overshadowed any personal need for vengeance.
“Then let us agree to live in the present moment and not worry about tomorrow.” It was easier said than done. Someone sought to ruin her life, but who? Melissa? Miss Gray? Lydia Fontaine? Until they discovered her identity, every moment together might be their last. “I think we should delay our trip to Hartford Hall.”
Her mouth fell open, and she clutched her chest. “Y-you don’t want to question Melissa?” Her tone held a thread of unease. “We must face her at some point.”
And when they did, he feared Melissa would pull a dreaded ace from her sleeve. She could do nothing to hurt him directly. He would thrust his arm into a lit brazier to save Naomi. But the thought of what she might do to his wife chilled him to the bone.
“We should deal with the most pressing matters today and visit Hartford Hall tomorrow. We cannot rely on your sister for help.” Chivers had made it clear he did not want Lydia embroiled in a scandal. Not if he meant to marry her and keep his yearly income. “Solving the murder must be our priority.”
“You weren’t to know a fiend would murder Budworth and attempt to blame you.” In a move that was quite unlike him, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. “Trouble is nothing new to me. And in case you’re in any doubt, I’d fight an army to clear your name and secure your inheritance.”
