Page 81 of Impeccable
He swiftly took her in his arms, holding her close. “I willneverlet that happen.”
Closing her eyes, Evie let herself sink into his embrace. She’d never loved Lucien romantically, but she loved him as a devoted friend. “Thank you for always protecting me. I love you, Lucien,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
The sound of a man clearing his throat broke them apart. While they no longer hugged, they still stood side by side as they turned toward the door.
Standing just inside the threshold, his face a shade paler than normal, stood Gregory. Evie didn’t feel a sense of joy upon seeing him. Something was very wrong—she was certain of it.
He avoided looking at her, instead fixing his gaze on Lucien. “I’m afraid I’ve come with some distressing news.” He flicked a look toward Evie. She saw sorrow, concern, and worst of all, pain.
She knew in that moment that she was indeed going to lose everything.
She loved Lucien.
Gregory felt as if the world around him had stopped and he was trapped in a horrible nightmare. He hadn’t wanted to believe Hargrove, but hearing Evie say she feared she was going to lose everything seemed to validate what Gregory had been told. He’d already put together that Mrs. Creighton was, in fact, Evie’s sister. She and Evie had been the popular courtesans to whom Hargrove had referred.
Why had she kept that from him?
It seemed she still loved Lucien, but even worse, he was the man she went to for comfort. Because he was the man who truly knew her—in ways Gregory did not since she’d chosen not to reveal herself completely. He’d watched as Lucien and Evie embraced until he hadn’t been able to suffer another moment, then he’d cleared his throat to signal that he was there.
“What news?” Lucien asked. He looked strained, his features tense, his spine stiff.
Gregory closed the door behind him and took one further step into the room. That was far enough. “I had a meeting with Hargrove today. He tried to extort me in exchange for my appointment to the office of the Lord High Chancellor.”
Lucien swore rather viciously. “Did he again demand for your brother to become a member of the club?”
“That and something else. He wanted his wife to be allowed to choose a patroness and for that patroness to become a member. I tried to tell him I have no influence, but he didn’t believe me. Or he didn’t care.”
“And what did he threaten?” Evie asked, her expression anxious, as if she knew it was something about her.
He swallowed and looked toward the fireplace, unable to look at Evie. “To expose your past as a courtesan. Specifically, that Lucien was your protector.” He shifted his gaze to meet hers. “He also knows about us.”
“You?” Lucien broke in. “The two of you are…ah. Well, that’s lovely.”
Was it? Gregory couldn’t tell if Lucien was being sarcastic. It would make sense if he was still in love with Evie. He suddenly knew the truth about her. He looked at Lucien. “She was your favorite mistress.”
Lucien pressed his lips together. “Yes, shewas.”
Was. Past tense. But that didn’t mean their feelings had faded—they certainly seemed strong and mutual. Neither had Gregory’s. He couldn’t just watch Evie be humiliated and ruined.
“What are you going to do?” he asked Lucien.
“Now we know what Lady Hargrove was threatening,” Evie murmured. She looked to Gregory. “Lucien just expelled Lady Hargrove from the club.”
“What?” Gregory took another step toward Lucien. “You have to fix it. Give her what she wants.”
Lucien stared at him, his brow furrowing. “Why, so you can have your appointment?”
“I don’t give a damn about that. You can’t let Evie be exposed. Lady Hargrove may be going to the papers this very moment.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” Evie said softly. She’d moved away from Lucien. Away from both of them, as if she were preparing to isolate herself from those around her. “I can’t let her win. She would change the entire character of the Phoenix Club, and I won’t let her. Lucien has built something wonderful, something special.”
“I won’t let her harm the cluborEvie.” Lucien turned toward Evie. “Give me a chance to fix this. I’m going to find Hargrove and stop this. I have to go.” He shot a quick but inscrutable glance at Gregory, then left, closing the door hard behind him.
Gregory waited for her to say something, but she didn’t. Neither did she look at him. Her shoulders drooped in defeat, and he ignored the urge to go to her, to hold her.
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
