Page 35 of Stealing the Rake's Heart
“I… I don’t have any money, Hamish.”
The words were out before Alexander could stop them. Hamish paused, propping himself up slowly on his elbows, eyebrows knitted.
“You’ve run through it all already? That’s not possible. I don’t know the details of your finances, naturally, but the old Duke…”
“There’s a clause in his will,” Alexander began, gabbling his way through the words in case he lost his nerve towards the end. “I can’t get my money until I’m wed. If I don’t marry by the end of the year, I lose it forever.”
There. It was said. Alexander let out a long, slow breath of relief. Sometimes, it felt as if the secret was bottled up inside him, stuck in a corked glass bottle, the pressure building up and up with nowhere to go.
His siblings never wanted to talk about it. Now that Katherine and Henry were married, they had nothing to worry about. They were happy. They were safe.
Alexander, though, might find himself the greatest disappointment among the Willenshire siblings.
Again.
He drew in a long, shaky breath, closing his eyes.
“Nobody can know,” he said, since Hamish had not spoken. “It’s a great secret. If it gets out that we’re… thatI’mpenniless, I’ll never marry. Or I’ll be stuck with a woman who only wants my money.”
He heard rustling, and then Hamish slung an awkward arm around Alexander’s shoulder.
“Oh, Alex. I knew something was wrong. I… I could tell something wasoff, but I thought you were just miserable with William stretching his muscles as the new Duke. I never thought… I can’t say I’m surprised. Your father was a vile man.”
“I hated him,” Alexander burst out. “I hated the way he treated Mother. He didn’t much care about me or Henry – we were the spares, you see – but Katherine, as the only girl, and William, as the eldest… I think he felt that he had tomouldthem. Shape them into what he wanted. Katherine always defied him, but Will… I sometimes worry he succeeded with William. And now we have this hanging over our heads.”
“The clause applies to you all, then?” Hamish said, sounding shocked this time. “I’m surprised he was willing to risk losing the entire fortune.”
Alexander gave a harsh laugh. “That’s our father for you. He’d rather set fire to his entire fortune than see us escape his control. I suppose he thought forcing us into matrimony would be a way to exercise control from beyond the grave.”
There was a longer pause. In the distance, Alexander heard the music end with a flourish, followed by cheers and applause. There was a minute or two of silence, then the music began again. Another dance was beginning. They would dance until dawn, probably. It was barely one in the morning.
“He hasn’t succeeded, though, has he?” Hamish said at last. “Katherine married a man she loves, and Henry is so happy. They’ve found happiness,andfreedom. Do you think… I know this is an awful thing to suggest – but do you think your father was trying to make amends? Trying to make sure you were all happy and safe once he was gone?”
There was another pause, then Alexander shifted to face his friend.
“No,” he said quietly. “I don’t think that. And if you knew my father better, you wouldn’t think it, either.”
Hamish dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you, I just…”
His voice trailed off, and his skin took on a greenish hue again. Alexander leaned back.
“Oh. Oh, dear. Are you going to…”
By way of answer, Hamish threw himself forward over the side of the couch, leaning over the urn, and threw up violently.
At that inauspicious moment, the door flew open, and William stalked in, followed by the first footman and the butler.
There was a taut moment of silence, during which Hamish spat into the urn, and sheepishly wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
“So,” William said, voice clipped and angry, “this is how you are passing your time at our mother’s party, Alexander. Vomiting into an expensive urn.”
Hamish spat again. “Your Grace, Alexander wasn’t vomiting. It was only I.”
William ignored him, turning to the butler.
“You can leave us. Make sure this gentleman’s room is prepared and be ready to take him quickly up there before any of the guests can notice him. Leave somebody on guard, I don’t want anybody walking in.”
The butler bowed, murmured something in the affirmative, and hurried out, flanked by the footman.
