Page 83 of You Only Love Twice
"Malloryn." This was said in a warning tone. "I do wish you'd tell me what was going on and who has threatened you."
"Well, you'd have the most motive." He watched concern flicker in her eyes, and slowly changed his mind. "But then, that would disrupt this wedding. And you want to be married."
Adele gave him her sweet smile, the one that made the hackles on the back of his neck rise. "Of course I do, Your Grace. Who wouldn't want to marry a duke?"
Pretty words, but so lacking in inflection he couldn't help but doubt them.
"Why did you wish to marry me?" he finally asked. The question had been tickling at the back of his mind.
Adele fussed with her gown, tilting her shoulder this way and that, as if her image was the only thing on her mind. Green eyes met his in the mirror. "It was your charm, Malloryn. It quite swept me off my feet."
He didn't know what had prompted the question, and regretted having asked. He and Adele had settled into a well-practiced duel at this stage; thrust, parry, disengage. Clearly she had no interest in meeting him in the middle. "So be it. If that is the case then I shall see you at the ceremony."
And he turned toward the door.
He was almost there when she broke the stalemate.
"You never asked."
Malloryn paused in the doorway. "Asked about what?"
"That night in Lord Abernathy's garden. You never asked who had cut me."
His gaze narrowed on her. "All right. You have my attention."
"You presumed it was me." There she stood in her princess gown, defiant and arrogant.
"I presumed it was you. Or some... acquaintance."
"Conspirator, you mean?"
This time he couldn't stop a faint smile. "Let us be blunt then. I assumed you had organized for some blue blood to do the deed."
There. The words were said, but they didn't seem to have the effect he'd been after.
Adele stood in the too-tidy remnants of what had once been her room, as proud as any queen. "What if it wasn't a conspirator? Did you ever think of that?"
He had not. Malloryn's eyelids grew sleepy as he examined her. It wouldn't have been the first time some debutante had been attacked. But... could he trust her? Adele was sometimes shockingly ruthless. "It was a rather enormous coincidence. You, rushing out of the shadows all bloodied and breathless, straight into my arms, just as half the Echelon happened to stroll around the hedge. You breathed not a word of protest when my honor was besmirched, except to claim we were anticipating our engagement."
"I won't lie. I saw you there and the moment I realized who you were, I thought you might help me. You've made your stance quite clear about the thrall-hunters. Believe it or not, I considered you the lesser of two evils." She smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Which says something, I believe."
Anger stirred, deep in his veins. This was precisely what he'd meant to counter when he came up with the law regarding those blue bloods who sought to take a woman's blood by force. His voice hardened. "Who, Adele?"
"Does it matter?" She was smoothing her skirts again, a nervous habit, he assumed.
Malloryn took a step toward her. "Yes. It does. If you were afraid of someone... I could forgive that."
This time he wasn't imagining the fear that flickered through those green eyes. Adele looked away. "I cannot give you a name."
"Then I cannot believe you."
She was one of the best liars he'd ever encountered, after all.
"Adele, if you are telling the truth, then know this... I am very, very good at discovering secrets. If someone did threaten you, then I will find him. And I will make him pay for what he did to you. But beyond that... nothing changes. Do you understand?"
She stared at herself in the mirror, swallowing faintly as she smoothed her gown over her hips. "I understand."
"I'll see you at the altar then."
