Page 6 of One Wicked Secret
“I’m the man you remember,” he said, the words bursting from his mouth before he could reclaim them. Life would be easier if she hated him.
“The man I remember would not have won a woman in a wager. He would have throttled those who’d dared to dishonour me.”
Trust me, someone will pay for making me hurt you.
“I told you. I had no choice.”
“There you go again,” she said, exasperated. “None of this is your fault. You had no option. You were compelled to act.”
“Elsa, everything I’ve done is in your best interests.” He decided to plead with her, not make demands. “Let me escort you and Clara home. Give me time, and I will return to The Grange and we can put this problem behind us.”
Her gaze darted over his face, seeking the answers he hid behind an indifferent mask. “So there is a problem. One that would see my brother fleeing to Geneva and you offering a paltry sum for me.” Her throat worked tirelessly as she fought to hold back more tears. “Two shillings, Daniel? Not twocrowns or two sovereigns, not coins with a regal connotation?”
“I didn’t pay two shillings for you, Elsa.”
“Clara said you did.”
How the devil did Clara know?
He might have said his sister was mistaken, but Elsa lunged at him and grabbed his hand. “Please. I’m so confused. My mind is never at peace. If our friendship meant anything to you, tell me something honest and true.”
He closed his eyes against a vision of happier times—her hair shimmering in the sunlight, her radiant smile stealing his breath, them lounging in a lush green meadow.
“On the morning of our wedding, I gave Magnus enough money to pay his servants and to rent a house in Geneva,” he said, hoping if he gave her a crust she might not demand the whole loaf. “I took over the management of his estate when his man of business resigned, as per Magnus’ request.”
Her eyes widened. “Mr Carver resigned? When?”
“Shortly before our wedding.”
“Why? He seemed happy in his work.”
A kaleidoscope of bloody images flooded his mind, fragments of a memory too painful to glimpse. “Carver left for a host of reasons I cannot explain.”
She firmed her grip on his hand, her countenance hardening like a shield maiden preparing for battle. “What are you hiding?”
The truth rose like bile, burning his windpipe.
He pursed his lips.
“Tell me before I’m forced to take matters into my own hands. I’ll travel to Geneva if I must. Or I’ll search for Mr Carver and demand an explanation. He was always so kind to me.”
“Carver kept secrets too,” he hissed.
“Mr Carver never lied to me. He’s the one who told me my father made a series of poor investments and the coffers were running dry. Perhaps I should have married him, not you.”
Daniel’s resolve snapped. He grabbed her arm and hauled her against his chest. “If Carver was such abloodygentleman, why did I find you in his bed?”
Chapter Two
Elsa’s mind had not been her own since Magnus summoned her to his study and told her she was marrying Daniel Dalton. Although she was still mourning her father, she had gripped the arms of the chair, barely able to hide her elation.
I thought I had to marry Lord Denby.
I need you to marry a man I can trust. Can you do that, Elsa?
Of course. I’ll do what is necessary.
She had fought hard not to grin and drop to her knees beside her brother, grab his hand like a papal servant and rain a hundred kisses on his seal ring.
