Page 94 of When the Marquess Was Mine
“Yes.” Sterling grimaced. “He told me he was coming—not pleased with something related to his investment, I gather. I’ve been avoiding him, to be perfectly honest.” This smile was more like him, slyly charming. “After our last conversation, I rather thought I didn’t have to subject myself to his tirades any longer.”
She nodded solemnly. “Quite right. You’re welcome.”
“Thank you,” he said without missing a beat. “Marvelous gift.”
Georgiana laughed. Sterling grinned. “I wish you great happiness,” she said on impulse, putting out her hand.
“I wanted it to be with you.” He looked at her hand, then took it. “But I see it won’t be. I wish the same to you, Georgie.” He kissed her knuckles and released her.
“Find someone who’s mad about you,” she said, her voice wavering.
“As I trust you’ll do, too, my dear.” He gave her a wry smile, and left.
She stayed where she was, beginning to seethe over her brother again. Alistair, that despicable cretin, scorning her as too stupid and inconsequential to voice any opinion about her own marriage, while hestoleher money and sank it into some foolish, risky venture. She would not give in to him; she would file suit in every court in England to get her inheritance from him until he was forced to hand it over, and she would demand an apology with it...
A sound behind her startled her out of her thoughts. She whirled around to see Rob, a fingertip to his lips as he gently closed the door. “I thought we weren’t going to meet in public,” she whispered as he crossed the room in two strides.
“We weren’t,” he said, cupping her face in his hands, “until I saw you follow Sterling in here.” His mouth descended on hers, sinfully hot and hungry. Georgiana needed no prodding to kiss him back, until her head was spinning and her blood seemed to sizzle in her veins.
“There,” he said softly. “That’s what I needed.”
“Did you doubt me?”
He grinned, resting his cheek against her temple. “Not a bit. I needed to know if you still made that entrancing little sigh when I kiss you.”
Georgiana smiled, content to linger a moment. Wrapped in his arms, her head against his chest, she couldn’t be angry even at Alistair. “Always.”
He made a sound in his throat of fervent approval. “Why were you talking to Sterling? Was he unpleasant?”
“Hmm? Not at all.” She raised her head to face him. “I asked him about my brother, and why the settlements had dragged on for so long. I thought he must know, or at least suspect. Alistair invested my dowry and then had to put Sterling off because he’d take a loss if he must pull the funds out soon. Sterling agreed to the delay on the condition he get a prime piece of land, bordering his family’s estate.” She paused. “Sterling kept that from me. He knew perfectly well why Alistair wouldn’t come to terms, and he never told me. He waved it aside as Alistair being difficult, nothing for me to worry over and certainly nothing to be done about it.”
“He’s clearly not worthy of you,” murmured Rob. “Where did Wakefield invest your funds?”
“Forester and Philips,” she recited. “Sterling said it’s a merchant in Liverpool. Twelve thousand pounds seems a very large investment, doesn’t it?”
Rob’s face had gone blank, then turned grim. “It does. And in that firm, it’s a risky one as well.”
“Why?”
“They trade in slaves.”
Chapter 30
Georgiana recoiled a step. “What? No, that’s illegal—”
“Only if they get arrested. Until then it’s very lucrative.”
“And immoral!” she burst out. “Do you mean it? How do you know what that firm does? How do youknow?”
“Shh.” He glanced at the door. They were alone, but Georgiana had been gone a long time; someone might come looking for her at any moment. “This isn’t the place to explain, but I do know that firm, and have very good reason to think they traffic in slaves—quite against the law,” he added as she opened her mouth again. “But that doesn’t stop some merchants and captains.”
Georgiana felt sick. “He invested my inheritance in slaving?” Shaking her head, she backed away. “I know he’s cold and callous but that’s beyond bearing—”
Footsteps hurried past in the corridor outside, making them both freeze. Rob exhaled in relief as the person rushed by without pausing. “We have to meet somewhere else. It’s not a brief story.”
“I’ll come to you again tonight,” she said, but he shook his head.
“You shouldn’t. Is there a friend who might help?”
