Page 37 of Black Widow

A little jolt hit him at that thought. Before he could analyze it, Worthing started speakingagain.

“He might have planned to do so, but his time was cut short,” he said with a trace of awkwardness. “Thenagain…”

“What?”

“Well…I believe your cousin wrote you a letter and left it with Amelia’s solicitor. It will only be sent to you if a certain set of conditions aremet.”

He lifted a brow. “What arethey?”

“Martin neversaid.”

Gideon suspected Worthing had a very good idea what the conditions were, but he let it pass for the moment. He closed his eyes, guilt flaringagain.

“Worthing…Crispin…my note was the truth. Amelia is hurt. I went to see hertonight.”

Crispin’s face fell. “Oh Lord, did you argue again? I know she was distraught after the words you had atWestcliff’s.”

How did Gideon explain what he had done tonight? He couldn’t. All he could do was promise to fixit.

“I will make it right. In the morning, I will call and explain that I know the truth now. In fact, there’s quite a bit I need to explain toher…”

Should he bring some texts from his library? The eastern ones on intimacy he acquired in his travels? Christ, he hoped she’d taken his advice and had spoken to one of her married staff about tonight’sevents.

Worthing nodded approvingly. “I’m certain she will be relieved to learn you finally know everything. Keeping secrets is always a burden, and this one did a lot to damage her reputation. Everyone assumed we were lovers. A normal woman would have let loose a discreet hint or two out of self-interest. But that’s not Amelia. She is fierce about protecting Martin’s memory and my own reputation. I will always be grateful to her forthat.”

Gideon nodded, studying the man his cousin had loved. “Worthing…I want toapologize.”

“There is no need. In fact, I want to thank you. Most men in society would brand me a liar or deviant. They would assume the worst aboutme.”

“If my cousin loved you as you say, then that is all I need to know about your character,” Gideonsaid.

Martin had not been a naive innocent at all. In his short life, he’d become well-acquainted with the darker aspect of men’s nature thanksto his ownfather.

Gideon leaned forward. “If there is ever anything you need, all you need do is ask. However, in return, I would ask one favor inreturn.”

“What isit?”

“Stop asking Amelia to marryyou.”

Worthing coughed, then met Gideon’s steady gaze. “I…I think I begin tounderstand.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll invite you to thewedding.”

Chapter 14

Gideon was pacinghis breakfast room, the half-eaten remains of his meal cold and congealed on thetable.

He wasn’t used to feeling so unsettled. And he’d never left a meal unfinished—not even when he’d been hiding from French agents on the continent. With one eye on the clock, he rehearsed what he was going to say toAmelia.

Gideon had formulated a brilliant speech just before falling asleep at dawn, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember a single word of it now. His efforts to recapture the eloquence of his apology were a spectacularfailure.

And it is only growing worse.Bloody hell. By the time he saw Amelia, he’d be incapable of stringing a sentencetogether.

He was contemplating going to his desk to make sense of his jumbled thoughts with ink and foolscap when his butler announced a visitor. Gideon went to the front hall to meet ViscountWorthing.

The man had been pacing. “I went to see Amelia this morning,” Worthing began. “We are sometimes in the habit of taking our breakfast together when one of us is upset. She wasn’tthere.”

Gideon put his hands on his hips. “Where did she go at thishour?”

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