Page 205 of Snowbound Surrender
Anne rose without conscious thought, desperate in her need to do something, understand it all. What better person to ask than Maxim himself?
She would have to face him at some point.
She had almost reached the door of her rooms when she hesitated. Maxim had been called to the presence of the Prince Regent, but that did not necessarily mean that Prinny had been ready to see him. Maxim could still have been waiting.
Anne bit her lip. Perhaps she would find something, something to confirm his identity…in his rooms.
Five minutes later, she was knocking gently on his bed chamber door. So certain had she been that he would still be with Prinny that she jumped when a voice inside spoke.
“Come in.”
Anne took a deep breath. This was the moment it could all fall apart.
Maxim looked surprised to see her when she opened the door. “Annika! I did not think I would see you again so soon. I am told that it is bad luck to see your bride the day before the wedding.”
Anne tried to keep her voice calm. “Maxim, I…I need to ask you something.”
“I know what you are going to ask, and I am sad to say, not yet,” Maxim said heavily.
She shut the door behind her with a puzzled expression. “Not…not yet?”
He shook his head, throwing himself into a chair. “No, Prinny is not willing to make a decision quite yet. I think I almost have him convinced, but it will take a little more time. He wants to hear about my adventure, how I managed to get here.”
Anne stepped into the room and found her voice was cold as she said, “I would like to hear that story, too.”
Maxim had opened his mouth to respond, but he hesitated. Evidently, something in her voice made him pause. “And I was always going to, Annika. I just have not found the time, yet.”
“And are you also going to tell me,” Anne said, not moving towards him because she knew her heart would melt and fall at his feet if she got any closer, “the story about why you decided to choose a false title for yourself?”
Maxim’s face fell, and then his brow furrowed. “False title?”
“Those medals you showed me,” said Anne, hating every word but knowing she had to speak. How could she marry aman tomorrow with all these lies between them? “They are not yours – I mean, they are yours now, but you did not inherit them, or earn them. You bought them, Maxim. You bought them.”
She had thought her words of accusation would provoke far more of a response, but he did not move. His brow remained furrowed, but he did not take his eyes from her.
When he finally spoke, it was in a low, hurt voice. “And where did you hear all this nonsense, Annika?”
“‘Tis not nonsense!” Anne could not help but raise her voice a little. “Maxim, or whatever your real name is – it is all in the paper! The newspaper tells the whole world that you bought those medals! You are a laughingstock and…and so would I have been, if I married you.”
“If?”
Anne swallowed. Only an hour ago, she had realised that this was the gentleman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, but now she knew the truth about him. Perhaps it was time he learned the truth about her.
“No more secrets,” she said softly. “No more lies. If you still think that marriage tomorrow is a good idea, for both of us, then…then perhaps we can put this all behind us.”
“I do not have any secrets,” Maxim growled. “Not ones that matter.”
“But I do.” Anne could barely believe she had spoken the words, but this was not the time to hide the truth. Perhaps, if she had just told him at the very beginning, they would never have continued this engagement of convenience, and she would never have given herself to him, fallen in love with him, only to have her heart broken again.
Maxim scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air. “I do not think any ‘secret’ you tell me will be as shocking as the accusation you’ve just thrown at me!”
Anne swallowed. She still had the opportunity to disappear from this room, keep the truth to herself. But some part of her wanted to hurt him, hurt him as his lies had hurt her.
“Do you want to bet?” she said softly.
Maxim rolled his eyes. “Go on, then. If you think you can try to shock me, you are perfectly mista – ”
“Meredith is my daughter.”
