Page 46 of The Danger of Desire
Fine. He would go to Dickson’s tomorrow night and the house party the next day, andthenhe would wash his hands of her.
If he could.
As Delia finished removing her men’s clothes and donning her nightdress, Brilliana paced the room in her wrapper.
“Let me get this straight. You’ve been gadding about London late at night in men’s clothing togamble?”
“To find the wretch who cheated Reynold,” Delia said defensively.
Pity suffused Brilliana’s face. “Oh, my dearest...”
“Don’t give me that look! I know Reynold was telling the truth about the fellow, even if you don’t believe it.”
“I’m not saying I don’t believe it. But we don’t knowwhyhe was in London. How can we be sure he told the truth about the gambling? I mean, he wouldn’t even reveal the name of the man who cheated him.”
“Because the man was of too high a consequence to confront.” Delia’s blood ran cold. “Wait, what are you saying? That Reynold lost the money some other way?”
With a sigh, Brilliana sat down delicately on the edge of the bed. “Of course not. The sum was too great, and if he’d made some poor investment, he would have admitted that.”
“And surely he wouldn’t have invented a man with a tattoo. That was a very specific detail.”
“I know. I’ve been over and over it in my head. None of it makes sense.” Brilliana cast her a worried glance. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you shouldn’t be going about London alone to play cards! What if some fellow tries to fight you? Or... Or...”
“Owen goes with me.”
Brilliana lifted an eyebrow. “Not tonight. He was ill. I went down to look in on him before I came to bed, and he was there.”
“True. That’s why I brought Reynold’s pistol with me tonight.”
“Delia!”
The shocked cry went right over Delia’s head as it dawned on her that Warren’s coachman still had Reynold’s pistol. For that matter, the marquess still owed her a thousand pounds. Bother it all.
“I’ve been gambling for weeks,” Delia said. “No one has caught me yet.” Well, except his cursed lordship.
“Wait a minute.” Brilliana shot up from the bed, startling a hiss from the dozing Flossie. “That’swhy you’ve pushed Aunt Agatha to stay here longer? So you can do this mad thing? Not so you can find a husband?”
Delia shrugged. “I don’t want a husband.”
“But Delia—”
“I don’t want either of us forced to marry for money, curse it!”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Brilliana came over to lay her arm about Delia’s shoulders. “Everything will work out for us somehow.”
“I don’t see how.” Tears started in her eyes, which she wiped away. “If you marry, your husband may allow me to stay at Camden Hall, but more likely he will not. And if you don’t marry, we’ll lose it entirely...”
All the worries of the past year overwhelmed her, and tears escaped to slide down her cheeks. It wasn’t fair. Reynold shouldn’t have gambled, shouldn’t have been cheated out of everything.
Shouldn’t have killed himself.
Clucking her tongue, Brilliana tugged her into her embrace. “There, there, my dear. It’s not as bad as all that. We’re not even sure I can find a husband. And even if I do, I’ll try to make your staying at Camden Hall a condition of whatever marriage I agree to.” She held her, soothing her for a few moments.
Once Delia had regained her composure, Brilliana added, “But I still say you deserve better than a life of servitude to the estate.”
“Like a husband who will risk his entire family’s future on the turn of a card?” Delia regretted the words the instant Brilliana paled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
After a quick squeeze, Brilliana released her. “Look, I know you’ve watched Reynold and me have a rather... cool marriage, but that’s as much my fault as his. I couldn’t love him, so—”
