Page 18 of The Pleasures of Passion
She reallywastrapped, especially now that the two men were joining forces against her. No way out—again. Only this time it wasn’t debtors’ prison she was trying to keep Papa out of. It was death. A vastly different matter entirely.
At least this time she didn’t also have Mama to consider.
Still . . . “I don’t understand why Lord Margrave has to be the man to do this,” she said bluntly. “He and I don’t get along particularly well, and Papa might notice that, despite all our attempts to pretend otherwise. Surely you have other lackeys, as Lord Margrave puts it, who would not provoke such strong feelings in me. Who could make the endeavor more convincing.”
Fulkham laughed. “Moreconvincing? The air fairly thrums when you two are in the same room. Granted, it may thrum with animosity, but no one could doubt that there issomethingbetween you.”
A look of determination replaced his amusement. “Besides, Margrave’s situation—as a man whose reputation is easy to manipulate at present—makes him most useful for my purposes. Not to mention that as members of St. George’s Club, we’ll be able to meet and discuss what he’s found out without anyone thinking it odd. They’ll assume we’re just involved socially. Everything about his situation makes it ideal for my plans.”
“But not for mine,” she protested. “I’d planned to return to Camden Hall soon so that I could begin putting the estate to rights. Now I’ll have to linger here for Lord knows how long, while you chase some elusive counterfeiter who may or may not be connected to my father.”
“She has a point,” Niall said. “I have an estate to manage myself, one that’s been left to the care of others for far too long.”
“Then take her with you from time to time,” Fulkham said irritably. “It would do her good to watch you work.” He met Brilliana’s gaze. “You did say you wanted to learn more about estate management. I can’t think of a better teacher than Margrave.”
She glanced from him to Niall, whose expression was entirely unreadable. “Might I have a moment to confer with his lordship before I give you my decision?”
Fulkham looked over at Niall, who gave a tight nod. “Very well. But don’t take too long. People will start wondering what has happened to us, and I can’t have that.”
As soon as Fulkham left, a painful silence descended between them. After a moment, she said, “There’s really no way out of this for me, is there?”
“None that I can see,” he said in that low rumble that did shivery things to her insides even after all these years.
Drat him. “I had no idea that Lord Fulkham could be such a beast,” she grumbled.
“He’s just doing his job.”
“No, he’s blackmailingmeinto doing his job.”
“I could say the same thing. You don’t hear me complaining.”
“Because it’s notyourfather who will hang if we fail.”
He stepped toward her. “No, but I owe Fulkham an enormous debt that I feel honor-bound to repay. If this is the only way to manage that, then I will damned well do as he asks. And so will you, by God.”
Lord, but she was tired of bullying men. First Papa, then Reynold, and now Niall and Lord Fulkham, all using her to get what they wanted.
She searched Niall’s face. Was his feeling of indebtedness his only reason for taking this on? “So you didn’t drum up this little scheme with Lord Fulkham just to get me in your clutches again.”
“Myclutches? That’s not how I remember things. I remember asking you tomarryme.”
She wrapped her arms about her waist. “You asked me to run away with you. It’s not the same. You asked me totrustthat you would marry me eventually.”
“And you doubted that I would?” he asked hoarsely. “Oh, God, is that why you didn’t go with me?”
“I told you—I didn’t go because of Mama. I had to stay with her.”
“Right.” The chill in his gaze unnerved her. “Yet that didn’t stop you from marrying Trevor.”
She had half a mind to tell himwhyshe’d married Reynold—because Niall had shown his true colors by abandoning her.
But then he would know how hard she’d fallen for him back then, how easily he’d ensnared her. He would think he could ensnare her again. And that wasnevergoing to happen. Better to let him keep thinking that she’d married Reynold because she’d wanted to.
“Reynold wasn’t asking me to travel to another continent.”
“Without a wedding ring on your finger,” he said snidely.
She tipped up her chin. “Exactly. Consider my position. You’d already balked at telling your family about me. So you can’t blame me for worrying that you were just . . . well . . .”
