Page 67 of A Lady Most Wayward
‘You have far more to gain by making this accord than by waging war with us. Why wouldn’t you agree?’
‘Because she is mine.’ He growled so softly she barely heard him. ‘She has always been mine. Don’t you understand? Olivia has defied me from the moment she was born, but I will not abide defiance in anyone. Certainly not my own sister. It’s time for her to learn I control her and everything she does.’
Philippa shook her head. ‘You don’t.’
He drummed his fingers on the tablecloth. ‘Oh, but I do. You just haven’t realised it yet. Not only do I control her, but I also control you, Lady Winterbourne.’
Philippa curled her lip in a snarl. ‘No one controls me but myself.’
‘Are you so certain?’
She wasn’t. Not at all. Not since she realised her love for Olivia.
She holds my heart in her hands, and I can’t control the depth or strength of my regard for her. I can’t control my thoughts when I’m around her. I can’t control my need to ensure she is safe. I can’t even control whether she will love me back. Or stay with me.
But it didn’t matter. It was worth the risk. Olivia was worth risking everything. Even Philippa’s carefully curated control.
Cedric was still talking. Philippa did her best to refocus. ‘I have allowed you and your Damsels to ferret out the Wolf and the Snake because I wanted to eliminate them. Thanks to your efforts, I now have total control over the brotherhood. You stupidly thought you were pursuing me, but I led you down this path every step of the way. I didn’t strike against you because you were fulfilling certain odious tasks I needed accomplished. But now it’s time for you to stand down, Duchess, or I shall put you down.’
‘There is only one person I take orders from, and she wears the crown.’
Hardgrave’s lips twitched as a cold, hard fist of doubt wrapped around Philippa’s chest and started to squeeze. ‘You don’t think she is aware of my actions? That the Crown doesn’t financially benefit from my enterprise? That political wheels aren’t greased by the favours I provide? Silly, Duchess. For such a worldly woman, you are woefully naïve.’
Philippa shook her head. ‘I don’t believe you.’ But the doubt grew and developed sharp teeth biting into her confidence. How well did she know the Queen? How well did anyone know another?
Shrugging, Hardgrave sipped his tea. ‘What you believe has very little influence over what is true. Once you have seen me destroy all those you hold dear, perhaps then you will accept my words as fact. Would you willingly sacrifice your friends all for a woman you hardly know? Lord and Lady Killian, Major General Drake and his lovely new bride. Lord Renquist and his maid. Even the Commissioner of Scotland Yard. None of them are safe from my reach, Lady Winterbourne. Surely their lives are worth more than one insignificant woman.’
‘You fucking bastard.’ The words were weak and useless, but they were all Philippa had in the moment.
Tsking, he shook his head back and forth in slow censure that made her want to reach across the table, punch his throat, collapse his windpipe, and watch him gasp his last breath.
‘Such foul words from such a fine lady. Although it makes me wonder. Why do you hold so tightly to my sister?’ Lord Hardgrave leaned back in his chair, his eyes darkening with understanding. ‘Ah. I see. Men seem to lose their heads when given the chance to fuck her, but I had no idea women could be equally stupid.’
‘Be silent.’ Heat washed over her as his insidious words burrowed through her armour.
He leaned forward. ‘I promise, whatever value she holds between her thighs is hardly worth risking your life and that of your friends. Don’t be a fool, Lady Winterbourne.’
Rage swept in, taking with it Philippa’s control. ‘You’ve no idea what she’s worth. Olivia is more important than you could ever imagine.’ She stood and threw her tea in Hardgrave’s face, the hot liquid turning his cheek red. Gasps could be heard throughout Twinings as the tearoom went deathly still.
‘Oh dear. I slipped,’ Philippa snarled. ‘Do forgive me.’ But she’d made a terrible mistake. She’d shown the Crow her hand. And now he knew her weakness.
The Lord High Chancellor wiped his face, slowly rose to his feet, and dropped the soiled napkin on the table. ‘I shall expect you to deliver my package by the Queen’s Samhain celebration. There’s no telling what kind of mischief might occur if the Devil doesn’t get his dues.’ He turned to walk away and crashed directly into a young serving boy carrying a silver tray. Cups, plates, a full pot of tea, and several iced cakes tipped from the platter, all of it landing on the Lord High Chancellor’s snow-white vest.
The serving boy’s face turned pale as he unsuccessfully attempted to clean off the mess with a napkin.
‘Get away from me, you idiot.’ The Lord High Chancellor shoved the boy to the floor. Without a backwards glance, he strode from Twinings.
‘That went well,’ Philippa muttered.
20
Olivia sat at the table Stokes had arranged in Philippa’s private sitting room. She jiggled her leg anxiously and looked down at her gown. She had dressed carefully for this intimate dinner, but still she wasn’t sure the pale-lavender colour was quite right. The scooped neckline dipped scandalously low, leaving her arms, shoulders, and upper breasts bare. A skirt of gauzy satin flowed down her body like water, revealing as much as it covered. Was she being too obvious? Might a more demure ensemble have better suited her purposes?
Extra wood had been laid on the fire as the evening air carried a bite of winter soon to come, but her shiver had nothing to do with temperature and everything to do with nerves.
Of course I’m nervous. I’m attempting to convince the most stubborn woman I know to do the opposite of what she desires. And I’m stooping so low as to use seduction as my tool.
Which was a weapon she’d used often in the past and with great success, but one she didn’t want to wield with Philippa now. It felt horribly wrong.
