Page 60 of Moonlight Encounter
Behind Aidan there was once again a rustle of skirts, a hint of citrus teasing his senses, and the sound of a door opening and closing, then racing footsteps in the hall.
Aidan spun around to find he was alone with Smythe. Buttercup was at the door, pawing and scratching to be let out. She sat back and howled in distress, much as Aidan wished to do. Gwen had left without a word, taking his very heart with her so that he stood with his chest cracked open to reveal the gaping hole where it had once resided.
Aidan strode across the room to allow the distressed animal out, giving her a pat on the head, before whipping around to glare at Smythe.
“What the hell were you confessing to?” Aidan’s cry was one of pure despair, his hopes for his marriage cracking into a thousand shards of glass as he realized he had ruined everything.
“Not that.”
“Then what?”
“Take a seat, Aidan. I shall explain, but first you must calm yourself.”
It was an excellent suggestion because Aidan felt as weak as a kitten. Lily Billy herself, his petite little sister, could overpower him in his current state.
He walked over to drop into one of the plump armchairs. He would race after Gwen if he had any notion of what tosay. Given that he did not, he welcomed any assistance he could gain from Frederick Smythe to repair his egregious mistake in accusing his father-in-law of murder in front of his bride.
“Gwen thinks I married her because of this.”
Smythe sank farther into his chair and nodded. “That is likely what she is thinking.”
“But you did not kill the baron?”
“I did not. I find myself a little overwhelmed that you believe I am capable of such a vile action.”
Aidan ran a trembling hand through his hair, an echo of Smythe’s earlier distress. “It was all the assets you sold, and the fact that you were meeting with ruffians at the docks. It made perfect sense.”
Smythe exhaled heavily. “There is an explanation for that which is far more innocent.” He stopped, raising his gray brows. “This is such a muddle. I think we should sort this out one bit at a time. Let us begin with … Why would I kill the baron?”
Gwen kepther composure up until the moment the study door was shut behind her. And then the stream of tears could no longer be held back.
It had all been too good to be true.
She had known that, but had dared to believe in her father’s prediction that the right man would come along and fall in love with her. Gwen could scarcely see as she ran down the hall, brushing past their butler, Jenson, before colliding into a figure in the entry hall.
Looking up, she gazed into Lord Filminster’s eyes. His brows lowered as he caught her. “Are you well, Lady Abbott?”
Gwen stared at him, crushed. Did all of Aidan’s familyknow what he had been up to? That he had married her so he could investigate her father?
“I … really liked you. And Lily. But you were all here to deceive us!” Gwen whipped her arm out of his reach and ran for the stairs.
Her wonderful wedding day had been a lie.
None of Aidan’s family, except for Lady Moreland—Mama Abbott—had been sincere in their attentions to her that day. It was just like before, when she had gone to school, only to find that everyone there hated her.
A sob escaped, and she nearly fell to her knees, but Gwen clenched her fists and kept scrambling along until she finally reached the family wing.
Lifting her skirts, she ran for her life, one of her slippers flying off, but she did not stop. She reached her room and slammed herself in, before dropping into a sobbing heap on the floor.
She had really begun to believe.
Gwen, Gwen the Spotted Giraffe had actually thought that a handsome, intelligent gentleman was falling in love with her!
Outside, Buttercup scratched at the door, whining to be let in. Gwen reached up to unlock the door, letting the dog in before shutting and locking the door once more.
Gwen sat back against the wall and wiped her face. Buttercup watched her with those big brown eyes, before settling her head down on Gwen’s foot to stare up at her with a worried gaze.
“Do not worry, girl. You and I will be all right,” Gwen whispered, but despite the reassurance, tears began to drip from her swollen eyes yet again. She reached out to rub Buttercup’s head. Anything to assuage the pain in her heart now that she had learned her husband did not marry her for … well … her.
