Page 97 of His Grace, the Duke
Shame burned through her. “Then you know what he was. You know how we lived.”
“The bills paint a picture, yes.”
She took a deep breath, pulling her eyes away from the stack and back to his face. “Your mother never knew Francis Harrow. Her generosity is all for the sake of my mother... and me.”
James was close enough now that she could touch him. She felt the way her body ached to lean in. His cold gaze held her at bay.
“My mother does not understand the meaning of the word generosity. This is a gesture of apology or guilt. Both. What did she do that you are owed seventeen thousand pounds?”
She closed her eyes, unable to look at him.
“George has a theory,” he said.
She blinked her eyes open. The trio of flickering candles on the mantel cast a shadowy light over both their faces. “A theory?”
James narrowed his beautiful green eyes, now so hard and unfeeling. “Aye... George believes you’re a secret love child. You came here to extort your position, claim an inheritance. But are you the child of my womanizing father? Or my frigid mother?”
Rosalie gasped. “That is preposterous,” she cried. “I am my mother’s mirror. Ask anyone who knew Elinor Greene. Ask my aunt. Heavens, ask your own mother! I am a Greene—”
“But are you a Harrow?” he pressed.
She wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. This was more than humiliating. “I would give anything to say Francis Harrow was not my father... but I have no reason to doubt my mother’s fidelity. She was once your father’s sweetheart, it’s true. But that was many years before I was born. Their affair ended when he married your mother.”
James stared her down for a few more seconds before he broke. His shoulders sagged, and he dropped his hands to his knees, almost doubling over. “Thank fucking Christ.”
Her anger overflowed. “James Corbin, did you honestly believe I pushed my way into your life knowing I was some kind of secret half-sister? Did you... oh God... did you think I wouldkissyou if I knew?” she shrieked, shoving at his shoulder. “That I would want—” She stopped herself, not needing to go into more detail of the time they nearly ravaged each other in the library.
“No,” he said, reaching for her. She took two steps back. “I swear to you, Rosalie, I didn’t believe George when he saidit... but to have you confirm it...” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Christ, it’s like I couldn’t breathe.”
“Well, it’s a ridiculous falsehood, and I’ll be thrashing him for it!”
“Not if I get to him first,” James muttered. “But something must account for all this madness. Rosalie, Ineedthe truth. We cannot move on from this otherwise.”
She raised her chin in defiance. “Are you saying I tell you, or I lose my place here?”
“Rosalie, please—just—can’t you understand why I need to know?”
“I understand you think you’re entitled to another’s secrets, but you’re not—”
“I am if—”
“You arenot. And before you keep pushing me, I will say this: I have no secret I will keep from you regarding my own life. You demand honesty, and you will have it. Ask me anything—anythingexcept to reveal the secrets of another person.”
“So, you will not tell me why she paid all your family’s debts?”
She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to be so deep inside his walls she became like the princess Ariadne, lost in a maze of her own design. But she’d given her word to the duchess. “I’m sorry, James, but your quarrel is with your mother.”
He grimaced, his eyes flashing in anger.
“I am not lying to you, and I am not withholding,” she added. “I am simply keeping my word. Hate me if it helps. Kick me out. But all I have in this world is my word and my pride. In keeping one, I safeguard the other.”
“Fine,” he muttered at last.
She let out a little breath. “Fine? What does that—”
“I said it’s fine,” he repeated. “I will just have to try and pull the truth straight from the source.” He said this as if he were suddenly Heracles preparing to descend into the Underworld to capture Cerberus.
“But it’snotfine,” she murmured. “You can’t even look at me.”
