Page 37 of A Second Chance for Carys
But even if it had been different, how could he blame anyone for their origins when he had suffered from prejudice himself?
“I need to wipe your cheek, the stitching made you bleed again,” Carys said softly.
Without waiting for his agreement, she went to retrieve the piece of cloth from the table. At her nod, he sat back down on the stool. It amused him to think he was too tall for her to be able to tend to his cheek comfortably if he remained standing.
“Don’t move.”
Oh, he had no intention of going anywhere. The cold cloth against his skin was soothing and Carys’ proximity did wonderful things to his insides. Now that the ordeal was over,James found himself wondering why he had he not thought of injuring himself before. Nothing too drastic, of course, a small cut to the chin, or a slash on the wrist. Because having her look after him was a pleasure like no other.
Then he remembered that he had only been cut because he’d taken a blow destined to kill Carys, and his mood darkened again. What on earth had possessed Margaret to do such a thing as murder another woman? Was her supposed love for him enough to justify the desperate act? Of course not. Was she truly deranged then, as he’d started to suspect? Perhaps. But for all the lies and deception, he could not ignore that she had seemed to know what she was talking about where he was concerned.
“There is something I don’t understand,” he said while Carys dipped the bloodied cloth in the bowl of water to rinse it.
During their conversation, in her bid to convince him of her sincerity, Margaret had revealed details about his anatomy, details only someone who had been intimate with him could know. She had looked after him for days, had had plenty of opportunity to see him naked and had even, to his everlasting horror, taken possession of his body, so perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised she knew what he looked like without clothes on. But she had also known how he behaved when he had a woman in his arms, the sounds he made, the kind of encouragements he gave. How could she know that if she’d only taken advantage of his unconscious state? Was he missing something? Had he made love to her willingly before falling ill, only to have the memory of it wiped out by the fever?
It had to be the case because what she had described could only have happened if he was fully conscious—and eager.
“I know I said I did not make love to her willingly while I was racked with fever, and I stand by it, but there were things Margaret couldn’t have known unless we had actually…”
The words trailed off when Carys stilled and averted her gaze. His insides went liquid. She knew something.
Something he would hate to hear.
“Carys?” He had to know, whatever it was.
“Forgive me, I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“No. But now you are,” he said, taking hold of her wrist and forcing her to look at him. The cleaning of his wound could wait. This could not. He needed to know what had happened between him and his sister-in-law or he would drive himself mad trying to remember. “Tell me now. Please.”
Carys must have seen the desperation in his eyes because she nodded slowly.
“During our conversation she confirmed that she was not with child, but she also revealed very disturbing details about your past life.”
Past life? He frowned.
“You mean she didn’t take advantage of my illness?” Had he got it wrong?
“No, I’m sorry, she made it quite clear she did. You did not want her in your arms, or even know what was happening, she admitted as much. Then she bemoaned the fact that she could not bring you to…well, you know…”
He cut her fumbled explanation short. “I see. She got my body aroused, enough to use it for her pleasure, but she could not get me to release my seed and make her with child,” he clarified in his usual, blunt manner. He hadnotimagined the heat of her mouth around him, then. Jesus.
“Yes.” Another pause. His whole body tensed. What Carys was about to reveal would be bad, he could feel it. “She also told me you had slept together once before, years ago, without your knowledge.”
Without his knowledge? He had never suffered from a fever such as the one that had floored him in the winter, and he neverdrank to excess. How on earth could he have made love to his sister-in-law and not known it? “I…Are you certain?”
Had she misunderstood? How could two conscious people sleep together without both of them knowing what was happening?
Carys bit her bottom lip. “Yes. I’m sorry, this is difficult for me.”
It would be, but he had to know and she was the only one who could help. There was no way he could ask Margaret. “I understand. But please tell me. All of it. Don’t try to spare me. I need to know.”
A nod. “She and Joanne looked quite similar from what I understand.”
Well, yes, broadly speaking, they had. Many people had commented on the resemblance over the years but to him, there had always been a crucial difference between the two sisters, one that made it impossible for him to see them in the same light. Joanne’s petite features had added to her charm, whereas Margaret’s bitterness had made her already small face appear pinched. Though the two animals could have been described in a very similar manner, no one would ever think of comparing a squirrel to a rat, would they? In his mind, the two women had been as different as night from day.
Now was not the time to point it out, however. They were discussing what Margaret had done.
“Yes, they did,” he said.
