Page 44 of A Duke to Restore her Memory
Daniel got to his feet. “I will give you some privacy,” he said quickly. “I will be waiting for you in the parlour, Newquay.”
His friend smiled at Georgina sympathetically as he exited the room. Sebastian turned to her, his heart pounding hard. He wanted to stride across the room and pull her into his arms but resisted the urge with difficulty.
He wanted to say so much to her. He wanted to tell her he trusted her and didn’t believe any of the wild rumours about her. But he just couldn’t do it.
Not yet anyway until he had investigated her background. He must find out who she truly was. It was imperative. Until then, he must proceed with caution and try to keep her at arm’s length.
“Georgina,” he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “What can I do for you?”
She took a deep breath. “It is what I can do for you,” she replied, her eyes wide. She hesitated. “I went for a ride near the castle ruins … and overheard a conversation that was not meant for my ears.” She paused again. “The conversation was between Walter Hester and a man called Barstow.”
Sebastian’s jaw dropped. “Abraham Barstow? My tenant?” He shook his head. “It was Barstow who helped me that day when I found you in the mine shaft. He was the one who sent for the physician.”
Georgina’s eyes flickered. “I do not remember him,” she said in a soft voice. “I did not see either of them at the ruins – I just heard their conversation.” She frowned. “What they were saying was troubling, Your Grace. Very troubling indeed.”
Sebastian shifted on his feet uncomfortably. His heart was really pounding now. It crossed his mind that perhaps she was lying – that there hadn’t been any meeting between Hester and Barstow. But why would she do that?
“Go on,” he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. “I am listening.”
She took another deep breath. “Mr Hester said that this man Barstow sabotaged the abandoned mine that I fell into that day,” she said, turning pale. “Apparently, Barstow also caused the explosion at your mine.” She hesitated. “And he did all this because Hester paid him to do it.”
“What?” Sebastian gaped at her. Ice had entered his bloodstream. “He did what?”
His mind was spinning violently now, trying to grapple with what she was telling him. The enormity of it. It was as if the pieces of a puzzle were slowly slotting into place. It was starting to make a chilling kind of sense.
Hester had always been a thorn in his side, but Sebastian had believed the man was fighting fairly with him.
To hear how he was playing dirty like this – sabotaging his mines to undermine his reputation in the district – was a massive blow. But it was a blow that made sense, and he really should have seen it coming.
“Hester is planning to sabotage more of your mines,” continued Georgina, her voice ragged. “He is paying Barstow to do it. Apparently, Barstow will have quite a nest egg with the money he is making from this enterprise.” She bit her lip. “Hester intends to ruin your business reputation, forcing you to sell … and he will buy your mines at a reduced price.”
Sebastian swore beneath his breath, running a hand through his hair. In one way, he simply couldn’t believe what she was telling him – but in another way, it made perfect sense.
He recalled how belligerent Hester had been to him at the village inn that day. The man had all but threatened him then.
Additionally, Daniel had just told him that Hester planned to lower the price of copper to force him to sell his mines to him. Hester was attacking him from all sides. And it must be stopped. Now.
He gazed at Georgina, forcing himself to bite down on his anger. “Did Hester say anything else to Barstow? Is that the entire gist of the conversation?”
“That is all,” replied Georgina, swallowing visibly. She gazed at him sympathetically. “I am sorry to be the messenger of ill tidings like this.” She hesitated. “I know that you are unsure about me and whether you can trust me, but I am not making this up, Your Grace. I am telling you this because I want to help you.”
Sebastian’s face reddened. He didn’t know what to say to her, for she had just expressed the truth of it – he was unsure about her and whether he could trust her. But he knew he wanted to trust her … with his whole heart.
“Stay close to the house this evening,” he said gently, stepping closer to her. “There will be upheaval in the district after I confront Hester with this. I am uncertain as to how things will progress.”
She blinked rapidly. “Of course.” She hesitated. “Please, do not put yourself in danger. I could not bear it if something happened to you.”
His breath caught in his throat as he gazed at her. She looked so beautiful, her eyes shining. He was beset by the urge to pull her to him once again and hold her close, to breathe in her sweet scent.
At that moment, with the clarity of a glass shattering, he knew she was telling the truth – about everything.
“I am sorry for listening to the rumours about you,” he whispered, slowly leaning over to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “I know you are not deceiving me about anything, Georgina. I believe in you.”
The moment stretched on between them. It was so taut with tension that he felt as if he could cut it with a knife. Once again, the longing to pull her into his arms, to finally taste her delectable lips, was starting to overpower him.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. Her eyes shone with tears. “That means the world to me.”
He took a deep, shaky breath, deliberately stepping away from her. Now was not the time.
