Page 118 of In the Prince's Bed
He didn’t answer.
“I thought so. But you deserve someone who truly loves you, whom you can truly love in return. I promise you, true love is better even than poetry.”
Sydney swallowed. “Go on, then. Don’t worry about me.”
“Thank you.” She stretched up to kiss his cheek. Then she was gone.
After she left, Sydney wandered the drawing room aimlessly. He ought to feel bereft, but all he felt was relief. Iversley’s refusal of the money had shaken his certainty that the man was wrong for her; Katherine’s revelation had ground it to dust. She was right—he didn’t know her.
Or perhaps he’d always known what she was…and that it wasn’t what he wanted. No, he wanted something else entirely.
Someone else entirely.
His pulse began to race. He hadn’t spoken to Jules since the day he’d left Napier House. The day Jules had demanded that Sydney choose a path once and for all: the trip to Greece and a life with Jules…or never seeing Jules again and trying to win Katherine back. Jules had said he could no longer bear to be with Sydney as a friend when he felt something different for him.
Sydney had chosen to leave. Because he’d been afraid to face his own true nature, his own wickedness.
Yet here were Katherine and Iversley both freely admitting theirs, willing to do almost anything to be together, even if it meant turning both their lives and their futures upside down.
It humbled him. Inspired him. Gave him hope.
He strode out into the hall and called to the footman on duty. “Have the carriage brought round, will you? And tell Mother that I’ve gone out to Lord Napier’s estate.”
Surely if Iversley could refuse a fortune and Katherine risk marrying a fortune hunter for love, then he could take a risk of his own.
Because Katherine was right. True lovewasbetter than poetry.
***
Katherine’s heart thundered as the hackney coach approached the Stephens Hotel. What if Alec wasn’t there? What if he’d returned to Edenmore? Or worse yet, gone somewhere she’d never find him? But no, Sydney’s footman had said he was on horseback. Alec couldn’t have gone far.
Still, she should never have let Sydney delay her. She shouldn’t have stood there gaping at Alec like a fool when he’d said those lovely words renouncing her fortune. But she’d been so stunned. She knew how badly he needed the money. And for him to give it up…
The hack shuddered to a halt. Thank goodness! Over Molly’s protests, she ordered the maid to stay with the hack, then she jumped out without waiting for the driver to help her down. She raced into the hotel and halted as every eye stared at her, an unaccompanied lady. Never mind. She had to find Alec, even if it meant dealing with the secretive owner again on her own.
But if Alec had told the man of Katherine’s defection, he would probably be even more stubborn than before. Then she spotted the footboy who’d delivered Alec’s message when he’d left town. With a surge of relief, she hurried up to him.
“I need to see Lord Iversley. Is he here?”
“Well…I…the thing is—”
“Look,” she said impatiently. “I know he lives here, I know he’s poor, I know everything I need to know about him except where he is at this moment. And if you don’t tell me, I swear I’ll start wandering the halls screaming his name untilsomebodydoes.” She’d already made a complete spectacle of herself; she might as well finish the job.
The servant blinked, then nodded. “This way, miss. He’s in a dining room with his friends.”
“Friends?” she asked as he led her through the halls.
“Mr. Byrne and Lord Draker.”
Those two again. How strange that Alec should happen to be friendly with not one, but two of Prinny’s by-blows. What could that possibly mean?
The boy opened the door to a room, but when she heard someone speak her name, she motioned to him to be silent, then waved him away. She stood outside the cracked open door, straining to hear their conversation.
“You might as well take Beleza now,” Alec said. “I don’t know when I can repay your loan.”
“I’m not taking your horse,” a man’s gruff voice answered. It wasn’t Mr. Byrne, so it must be the other one, the Dragon Viscount.
“Why not?” Alec answered. “I knew what I was doing when I offered her as collateral for the money to buy my tillers. With any luck, this crop will help me succeed with Edenmore, so I may be able to buy her back from you one day.”
