Page 107 of The Danger of Desire
“It is if it helps me understand why Reynold did what he did.”
“And what is that?” Brilliana snapped. “That he lost all our money? Stumbled off a bridge drunk and drowned himself?”
It was Delia’s turn to look away.
Her sister-in-law released a harsh breath. “He didn’t... It wasn’t... Reynold didn’t die by accident, did he?”
It was time Brilliana knew. “No.” When her sister-in-law gave an anguished cry, Delia added hastily, “His note said not to tell you, but—”
“He left anote?” Brilliana said. “And you kept it from me?”
“You had so much to endure already! I didn’t want to heap more troubles upon you.”
“It was my right to know!”
Delia’s heart shivered in her chest. Brilliana was right. Delia should have told her. Here she’d been accusing Warren of protecting people from dealing with things on their own, and she’d been guilty of exactly that.
She sighed. She and her husband were quite a pair.
Brilliana thrust out her chin. “Do you have the note with you? Can I see it?”
“I burned it. But I can tell you what it said.”
After Delia recited the note, her sister-in-law moaned. “I should have realized... or perhaps I always did. I just didn’t want to accept it. After Silas was born, Reynold got more desperate to have me love him. He always said he lovedmeto desperation. And I... wanted to love him. I tried. But I was—”
“In love with someone else. I know.”
“Delia—”
“I don’t need to hear the details. But admit it. At some point, you were in love with Lord Margrave. And Reynold found out and—I don’t know—had to meet his rival? Get rid of his rival?”
She blinked. “Surely he never meant to dothat!”
“People do a lot of foolish things for love. So perhaps that was why he was willing to go to great lengths to find out where Lord Margrave was.”
Brilliana jumped up from the bed. “Yes, but I wasn’t... I didn’t... After Lord Margrave left England, I cut him out of my life. From the time I married, I was entirely faithful to my husband. Reynoldknewthat, because he’d heard about the duel and Margrave’s fleeing the country before I even met Reynold.”
“It’s one thing to cut someone out of your life. Cutting them out of your heart? That’s quite a bit harder.” She softened her voice. “And judging from the way you reacted when you saw Lord Margrave the other day, you never managed to do that.”
Brilliana stiffened. “That’s not true! I was just... startled to see him after all these years. But after what I went through with him... I just couldn’t risk my heart again, don’t you see...?” She trailed off on a sob.
“And Reynold knew.”
“I’m s-so sorry!” Brilliana stammered. “Your brother was a good man. He just... wanted something from me I couldn’t give.” She started weeping. “I-it was my fault he died, isn’t it? He killed himself because of me!”
Delia leapt up to enfold her in a tight embrace. “It wasnotyour fault.Don’t take that burden upon yourself. He sealed his fate when he bought you as a wife.”
She clutched Brilliana close, her own tears starting to flow. Her poor brother—thinking he could somehow coax Brilliana into loving him, even though their fathers had essentially arranged the marriage. And when coaxing hadn’t worked, and trying to locate the man who’d once had his wife’s heart didn’t work, it must have made him a little mad.
No wonder he’d jumped. How desperate he must have been, to find himself not only lacking his wife’s affections but also having lost everything else that might secure her respect.
Delia choked down her sorrow. Oh, how she wished he’d confided in her from the beginning. Perhaps all of this might have been avoided.
Then again, perhaps not. “Trying to force love to bloom has repercussions,” she murmured to Brilliana. “Women are stubborn about their hearts. They love who they love. And there isn’t a bloody thing the men—or the women—can do about it. It’s just so awful that Reynold couldn’t see that.”
Brilliana drew back to gape at her. “You saidbloody!”
Delia blinked at her.Thatwas what she noticed? Helpless laughter rolled up out of her. “You have no idea how my vocabulary has changed in the last few weeks.”
