Page 80 of The Rogue's Last Scandal
Francisca had always been shrewd.
“Juan said your father always was careful of him,” Francisca said.
“He was Papa’s friend. Mama’s too.”
“No. Not a friend. A man he did business with, and a rival also. He had designs on your mother, many years ago, and then when he saw you growing into a beautiful woman...” She shook her head. “You are in grave danger, Graciela. I fear you must marry this lord’s son.”
“CharleyEverly? You hate him.”
The maid shrugged. “I do not come to this lightly. I think of the greater good. He and his family are strong. They have treated us well, even down to the servants. The lord himself came up to the nursery and visited with Reina.”
“We will be stuck here. You and Juan will never see home again.”
“Our home is with you.”
Her heart twisted inside her.
“He...he does not love me. And…we have had a great argument.”
“Pah.” She waved that away. “Even if you did not lie to yourself about this, marriage is not about love. You bring money, and he brings protection. I have looked at it from all angles. No matter that you stabbed that pig with the foul mouth, you cannot stab every man sent by Lord Kingsley. You must remove yourself from his power.”
“And put myself in another man’s power?”
“Yes. That is the way of the world.”
The way of the world was unfair. “I fear he has another woman.”
Francisca’s face darkened in the lamplight. “It is the way of some men. You must make up your mind to take him to the altar.” She huffed out a great sigh. “Do not pretend he does not excite you, Graciela. Go and do what you must. Marry him quickly. Marry him soon, and make him forget his lover.”
Francisca nudgedher out the door of the nursery suite and closed it behind her. Graciela nodded to the footman guarding the nursery, and found her way to a quiet corridor.
She leaned against the wall trying to breathe. Francisca did not understand. Francisca did not know the truth.
She pressed her fists to her eyes, trying to push down the panic. Charley was wrong about her. She was an excellent actress, shoving the past down so deep, she’d fooled Papa, and Juan, and even Francisca.
She needed to think.
Groping her way down the dimly lit corridor and stairs, she waved away the night porter and carved a wobbly path to the library, to the room where Lady Sirena had been attacked and had jumped out the window, and the room where Charley had kissed her with so much passion, so many nights ago.
So many? It had only been last night. When she pushed open the door, the room was mercifully dark. She felt her way along the shelving, the rich scent of leather and vellum filling her nose and…
Her skin prickled warmly. Another scent. The scent of a man. Not just any man.
He might have just left. Someone had recently snuffed out a candle. The smoke of it still touched the air. She held very still and explored the room with only her consciousness, without seeing, without breathing.
A chair creaked. A large body shifted. A spark struck.
The candle wick came to life and illuminated his face, his beautiful face.
“I thought we were finished talking.”
The flat tone of his voice pricked her awareness. He sounded…tired, distant.
Had she, in truth, lost him?
“I-I did not come here to see you. I did not know you would be here. I will leave.”
“Don’t.” He unfolded his long length and came to loom over her. “I shall yield the room.”
