Page 94 of The Forbidden Lord
“What do you mean, ‘we’re not going to Scotland’! You said?—”
“I said we were going to be married. You asked where we were headed, and I said ‘north.’ And we’re going north.”
The truth hit her all at once. “You’re taking me home.”
He met her gaze. “Yes. I intend to do this right, and that means asking your father’s permission for your hand.”
Dear heaven, she could only imagine what Papa would think when they arrived and Jordan announced that he wanted to marry her! How could she explain? Even if she could spin some tale about her sudden appearance with Jordan, she doubted Jordan would keep quiet about her masquerade. Oh, no. That was probably the very reason he’d brought her here.
And in the end she’d have to tell Papa that Mama killed herself. No. No!
“It won’t work,” she protested. “If you bring me to Papa’s, I’ll tell him that I won’t marry you. Then you’ll have to give up your plans.”
“If you refuse to marry me, Emily, I’ll tell him what you’ve been doing for the past month. I’m sure he’ll find it very interesting.”
“He knows already,” she lied. “It won’t accomplish anything.”
“He doesn’t know. My man learned that much from the servants at Lady Dundee’s, who were speculating wildly about why Miss Fairchild’s father kept sending letters to her there.”
Her throat tightened, and she dropped all pretense of nonchalance. “Jordan, you promised?—”
“I promised not to speak to Nesfield.” His feet hit the floor as he leaned forward, fixing her with a dark gaze. “I didn’t promise not to try to protect you some other way. You’ve been drawn in by a man who’ll bring about your ruin if you continue to do his bidding. I won’t stand by and watch it happen. And since you won’t tell me why Nesfield is forcing you to masquerade and you won’t let me speak to him, you give me no choice but to take you away from him, as far away and as permanently as I can manage. If that means speaking to your father?—”
“You will kill Papa,” she hissed. “You don’t understand what you’re doing.”
“Then make me understand.”
She stared at his implacable face, at the eyes that promised her no quarter. Glancing out the window, she was alarmed to see that they were now traveling down the main road that led through town. In five minutes or less, they would be at the rectory. She had to tell him something, anything that would make him stop!
Perhaps if she told him the reason for her masquerade … Yes, that might satisfy him. Perhaps if he knew the reason, he wouldn’t press her on why she’d agreed to it. Of course, he would hate her for her part in putting an end to his friend’s hopes, but she couldn’t help that.
“All right,” she whispered. “But stop the coach. Please.”
His eyes narrowed, as if he were trying to discern whether she were in earnest.
“Stop the coach!”
He did as she asked, ordering Watkins to pull over to the side of the road.
She slumped against the seat with relief. Then, seeing his expectant look, she said wearily, “This has to do with Sophie.”
“Sophie?” He looked astonished. Obviously, he hadn’t considered that.
With halting words, she recounted how Sophie had tried to elope and how Lord Nesfield and Lady Dundee had asked her to act as a spy in an attempt to unmask Sophie’s would-be husband. Emily glossed over her reasons for agreeing, focusing on her explanation of their plan.
She knew at once when he made the connection between her masquerade and Lord St. Clair.
Straightening in his seat, he uttered a foul oath. “Ian was one of your suspects, wasn’t he? Not only Pollock, but Ian. That’s why you’ve been so cozy with him. That’s why the dancing and the dinner parties and the museum outings.”
His chilled tone made her wrap her arms over her chest. “Yes. Lord Nesfield even suspected you, because you paid so much attention to me, but I told him that was ludicrous.”
He drove his fist into the side of the coach. “I should have realized that all this concerned Ian. But I let my jealousy of Pollock blind me to the obvious.” He glowered at her. “You’ve been spying on my closest friend, knowing that Nesfield will destroy him if he discovers Ian is the one.”
“Destroy him? No! Lord Nesfield said he would offer the man, whoever it is, money or … or something that would make him agree to leave Sophie alone.”
He looked at her in disgust. “Emily, you aren’t stupid. Do you really think Nesfield will stop at offering money? What ifthis lover of Sophie’s refuses Nesfield’s money? Will Nesfield threaten to ruin him? Or will he arrange for the man to be … disposed of?”
Her eyes went wide. “Y-You mean, murdered?”
