Page 34 of Black Widow

His cousin would have told him if she had denied him his marital rights.Wouldn’t he? Had Amelia somehow convinced Martin that theirs should be a chasteunion?

No, that made no sense. Like all young ladies of the middle and upper classes, Amelia would have been raised with the expectation that it was her duty to give her husband an heir. The idea would have been drummed into her while she was still in the schoolroom—especially in Sir Clarence’shouse.

Whatever the truth was, his cousin must have accepted the state of his marriage. To all appearances, he had been content. But clearly, there were many things Martin hadn’t confided in him. Only one thing wascertain.

Amelia hadneverbeen Worthing’slover.

Suddenly, he could breathe again. Gideon needed to speak to Amelia rightnow.

Someone cleared their throat. Adolfo, the butler, was in the doorway. A burly footman was standing next tohim.

“My deepest apologies, my lord, but we must ask you to leave.” Adolfo’s voice was high and thin, betraying the anxiety he felt at having to eject an earl out of thetownhouse.

A muscle in Gideon’s cheek twitched. “Is thatso?”

“I regret to say yes,” Adolfo squeaked. He gestured to thehallway.

Gideon stalked toward them. The butler hurriedly got out of his way, but when Gideon pivoted on his heel and headed for the stairs, the oversized footman scrambled to block hispath.

Though the servant was the same height, he was thinner and less muscular than Gideon. Confident he could deal with the man without hurting him too badly, he leanedclose.

“Your mistress has nothing to fear from me…but if you don’t get out of my way, I will break both yourarms.”

He smiled, and the footman paled. The poor man looked back at the butler, but Adolfo winced and shrugged. Gideon swept past him without a secondglance.

It wasn’t until he was at the top of the stairs that he realized he had no idea which room was Amelia’s. He was about to start knocking on the nearest one when Carlotta emerged from the last door on the left—the room whose windows would face the gardencourtyard.

The tall Italian woman quailed as he approached. Reining his temper, he stepped in front of Amelia’s door. He raised his fist to pound on it, but then he remembered Westcliff’s and only allowed himself one shortknock.

“Amelia,” he began, stopping short when he saw the maid was watching and listening tohim.

He gestured impatiently and the servant ran down the hall, disappearing. He turned back to the door. “Amelia, I realize what happened downstairs was not what you were expecting. It…it wasn’t what I was expecting either. But I didn’t mean to hurt you. If I had known you were innocent, things would have been different. I—you and I need to have a longtalk.”

He broke off, unable to believe that he was explaining this to a closeddoor.

There was no answer from the other side. “Very well. I will let you gather your thoughts first. I know it’s not likely one of your married friends can call at this hour, but there must be at least one married woman on your staff. If you won’t talk to me, at least talk to one ofthem.”

Still nothing. The idea that she was behind that door, crying because of him, was killing him byinches.

She believed he hurt her on purpose. Her ignorance of the married state had been total and complete. The magnitude of his crime was starting to dawn onhim.

“This conversation is not over. I’ll return in the morning. And Amelia—don’t think about turning meaway.”

He sighed and headed for the stairs. His difficult conversations were not over for the night. Amelia did have one confidant. And Gideon was going to get his answers fromhim.

Chapter 13

It waseasy to rouse Viscount Worthing from his club. Gideon’s note had been short and to thepoint.

Amelia ishurt.

He didn’t sign it. Instead, he stood in the shadows next to the anonymous hack he’d chosen to take him to St. James. He didn’t have to waitlong.

Gideon caught sight of Worthing emerging from the club a few minutes later. The viscount rushed down the steps with the note in his hand. He looked around wildly, a genuine expression of panic on his face. Stifling a flare of guilt, Gideon reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his coat when he rushed past thecarriage.

“Whatthe—”

He shoved the man inside the hack. Worthing landed on the seat with a grunt. Following silently, Gideon climbed inside and sat down across fromhim.

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