Page 70 of The Bachelor
“That sounds ominous.” Beatrice pondered the request for a moment. “I don’t mind keeping secrets from your mother if you think it will hurt her. But Grey . . .”
“Will quite possibly commit murder if he learns what I tell you.”
Beatrice blinked. “He’d murder Joshua?”
“Not Joshua. Well, probably not Joshua. But he might murder Lionel Malet. Actually, he’d have to get in line behind Joshua and Thorn, if they knew the whole story.”
Taking Gwyn’s hand, Beatrice pressed a kiss to it. “Then it sounds as if we should keep them from hearing about it. I don’t fancy seeing either my brother, my brother-in-law, or my husband in gaol.”
Gwyn sighed and squeezed Beatrice’s hand. “That’s the trouble. I have to tell Joshua. Or rather, I don’t have the right to keep it from him if I mean to marry him.”
Beatrice gaped at her, then hugged her. “Oh, my dear, that’s wonderful! Iknewthe two of you would end up married. We could all tell you were falling in love with each other.”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Gwyn said dully. “So far, we haven’t really talked about love.”
And why was that? Probably because they both professed to be cynical about it. And with good reason.
She stiffened. Those were the very words Joshua had used. It still riled her. “We’ve barely talked about marriage. And I don’t know if he’ll marry me once he knows that . . .”
She burst into tears again. Good Lord, when had she turned into such a watering pot? Just look at what the man was doing to her!
Beatrice held her close, patting her back and saying comforting things.
When Gwyn could stop crying, she said, “I do so . . . love having a . . . sister even if . . . you’re only a half sister-in-law.” She blotted her eyes again. “Is that what you are? Is that even a . . . sort of relation?”
Beatrice smiled. “It counts, as far as I’m concerned. Besides, when you marry Joshua—”
“IfI marry Joshua. Which looks more unlikely by the moment. Too bad you weren’t around when I met Lionel Malet. You would have given me good advice, and then I wouldn’t be in this . . . thispickle.”
Beatrice drew back to stare at her. “Lionel Malet?CaptainMalet? The one who tried to kidnap Heywood’s fiancée and you?”
“The very one.” Gwyn slumped. “It’s a long story.”
“I have plenty of time to listen.” Beatrice rubbed her back. “Your mother sent me up to see how you were, but she’s enjoying her visit with Grey so much, I doubt she’ll notice if I take a while.”
Gwyn sighed. She needed to tell all this tosomeonewho would give her good advice. Or at least keep her from throttling Joshua. Or begging him to marry her. “It all began ten years ago . . .”
She proceeded to tell Beatrice the entire shameful story—about falling for Lionel, being seduced by him, and then being betrayed by him . . . and Thorn.
Beatrice looked more and more shocked as Gwyn’s tale went on, and Gwyn began to worry that perhaps she shouldn’t have revealed quite so much to her friend.
Then Beatrice shook her head. “I swear, men can be absolutely impossible! Thorn paid Mr. Malet off to abandon you? Mr. Maletblackmailedyou? The bastard! I hope Thorn gave him what for!”
“No. Joshua did.” She pointed to the bloody handkerchief still sitting on Beatrice’s lap. “That’s Lionel’s blood.”
Beatrice blinked. “How much does my brother know?”
“Nearly all of it.” So Gwyn told her what she’d told Joshua and how he’d reacted—leaving out the part about sharing his bed, of course. She didn’t want her friend knowing she wasthatmuch of a harlot.
You’re not a harlot!
Well, that was one thing Joshua had seemed doggedly determined to impress upon her. And she was even beginning to believe it.
When Gwyn finished her tale, Beatrice hugged her. “Oh, my friend, I amsosorry you’re going through this. Leave it to Joshua to make matters harder for you.”
“Well, at least I don’t think Lionel will be trying to blackmail me anymore. Joshua made sure of that.”
Beatrice eyed her closely. “And then he proposed.”
