Page 95 of Beyond Scandal and Desire
Of course they had. It was what Mick Trewlove had planned. A confrontation, a flexing of his muscles, an opportunity to gain what he desired most.
“You are correct. He is Father’s bastard, even though Father claimed he wasn’t, as though Trewlove would believe that rubbish. He’s the spitting image of the old man. Shaved his beard, by the way.”
She didn’t care, and yet she wondered how different he might look. “Is the duke not going to acknowledge him, then?”
“Odd thing that. I, too, assumed Father acknowledging him was what he wanted.”
“Hetoldme it was what he wanted or he’d see you ruined.”
“It’s not what he asked for. He wanted permission to call on you.”
Clutching the doll, she swung around and stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
Kip shrugged. “He wants to call on you. Father said no.”
“Jolly good for him, as I have no desire for Mick Trewlove to call on me.” It was too late. A tug on another string.
Reaching over, he covered her hand with his, stopping her from pulling any more threads free. “Do you love him so very much?”
“Not anymore.”
“You can stop loving him that easily?”
She shook her head. “None of it was real, Kip. The times we were together, the things he said . . . it was all a deception, a ploy. It meant nothing. I meant nothing.”
“I can’t quite believe that. He must have fallen for you a little.”
Releasing a long slow breath, she pressed her head against his shoulder. “If he did, it wasn’t enough.”
He let out a long-suffering sigh. “Then he shall see me ruined.”
“Your father is a powerful and influential man. I think Mick Trewlove will discover he has met his match.”
“Don’t be so sure. If there is anyone in this household who is his match, I suspect it is you.”
Chapter 21
The table in the back corner at the Mermaid and Unicorn was dark and shadowy, which reflected Mick’s mood and suited him as he poured more whiskey into his glass. He’d told Gillie to leave him the bottle. She didn’t argue. Whatever his face reflected, she wanted none of it.
“I can’t get used to the beard being gone,” Aiden said.
It wasn’t long after he’d arrived that all three of his brothers joined him. He suspected Gillie had sent word to them that he appeared to be in a foul mood. If his mother and Fancy made an appearance, his mood was going to darken further.
“I suppose you wanted to make a point when you met with Hedley,” Finn said. “Is he going to give you what you want?”
Shaking his head, he went to rub his beard, hit his bristly chin instead. He wasn’t used to the damn whiskers being gone, either. His brothers all thought he’d asked Hedley to acknowledge him. He couldn’t quite bring himself to admit what he’d asked for. They wouldn’t understand. He wasn’t quite certain he did.
“He’s willing to let you ruin his son?” Beast asked.
“You sound surprised. He was willing to kill one son. Why would he care about the other?”
“Kipwick is his heir.”
“Apparently he doesn’t give a bloody damn.” He downed his scotch, poured more.
“You have the girl,” Finn said. “Surely he cares about her reputation being ruined.”
He didn’t have the girl. He’d had her. He’d lost her. Whatever feelings she might have had for him had died when she’d learned about his scheme. That much was obvious, but if he could see her again, if he could call upon her like a gentleman, as he should have in the first place—
