Page 60 of The Pureblood Daughter
“What of the hunter?” Nadia whispers, remembering the feel of the dagger sinking into the man’s chest, the resistance before his body yielded to the blade. Her hands shake at the memory—not with fear or regret, but withanger. If given the chance, she’d do it again, and she’d delight in the life leaving his eyes.
Theodore’s gaze darkens. “I’ll deal with him. Don’t worry yourself.”
“My father sent him. I’m sure of it.” At her sides, her bloodstained fingers curl into fists. “I saw that man before, leaving Lord Gray’s office late at night. He sent him here to kill you.”
Tears swim in her eyes. How could the man who raised her send as assassin in the night to kill the man she’s fallen so dearly for? How could a father do such a barbaric thing to his daughter?
Any hope she still had that Robert Gray was innocent in all this perished right beside the hunter, bled into the earth just as he took his final breath.
Theodore takes her face in his hands, and his stare is confident, unwavering. Rainwater still gleams upon his lashes, decorating them like tiny crystals. Not for the first time, she wonders how such a beautiful creature could ever exist.
“Whatever is to come,” he whispers, “we’ll face it together.”
Cheeks wet with tears, Nadia nods, then pulls Theodore into an embrace.
“You’re mine,” he murmurs into her hair. “Now and forever.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Though the rains have passed, a storm still brews in Nadia’s heart.
She rides in an all-black carriage pulled by two black horses, curtains obscuring the windows, Theodore sitting on the cushion beside her.
He holds her hand in his lap, his thumb tracing circles on her palm absently. He sits perfectly straight, his tailored overcoat accentuating his broad shoulders and the elegant slope of his neck.
When Nadia looks at him, she can scarcely believe he’s hers.
Outside the shaded windows, Everborough rolls by. All along the lanes, families bid farewell to friends as servants pack their belongings. The summer is coming to an end, and as the leaves turn colors on the oaks overhead, the families of the ton leave the city to seek restful solitude in their country homes, at least until the following season.
Nadia holds such fond memories of her family’s country home, where she spent many autumns lying in the leaves and reading before the fire as snow fell outside the windows. Now, though, she faces a winter season of uncertainty. Lord and Lady Rosetti invited her to spend the rest of the year with them on their sprawling country estate, and though she graciously accepted, it feels lonely, in a way, to know she will not stroll the country lanes with Rose or sip tea in the afternoons with her mother.
Nothing will ever be the same, and it’s all because of the man she used to call Father.
Nadia’s hold on Theodore’s hand tightens as the carriage rolls up outside the Gray residence.
“You can do this,” Theodore says softly. “I have every confidence in you.”
He reaches over to brush a thumb across her cheek. She closes her eyes and presses her face into his hand, savoring his warmth and assuredness.
“And if you need me...”
Just call, and I will come.
His voice in her head gives her an additional layer of support, and she nods firmly before righting her shoulders.
The footman opens the door and helps her down from the carriage. Her long dress settles about her slippered feet, and she adjusts the shawl draped over her shoulders. She tips her head back to look up at her family’s townhouse, the place where she spent many summer seasons, the place she can never call home again. All because of Robert Gray and his many lies.
With a breath, she strides directly up the walk and opens the door before the footman has a chance to do so.
“M-Miss Gray?” The butler, Simon, stands at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes wide at the sight of her. “What are you—”
“Lord and Lady Gray,” she says brusquely. “Are they taking breakfast in the dining room?”
Simon’s mouth opens, but he doesn’t get a word out before she’s sweeping through the foyer and pushing the double doors to the dining room open wide.
As expected, she finds Lord and Lady Gray at the long mahogany table. Lord Gray lowers his newspaper, and Lady Gray gasps, spilling the teacup held in her hand.
“Mama,” Nadia says, hurrying around the table to wrap her mother in a hug. Lady Gray bursts into tears, and she holds Nadia so tight it feels as though she’ll never let her go.
