Page 71 of Safe in the Earl's Arms
‘Murder.’
‘I prefer to think of it as justice.’
‘And should you be hanged, how will Jacob feel? Proud that his father died by a silk rope instead of a hemp one like the common folk?’
‘I don’t expect to be punished any more than I have already been.’ He pressed his lips together and then seemed to pull words from deep inside himself. His eyes flashed a look, a different kind of anguish than she’d ever seen in anyone’s face. ‘Broomer will happily attest to the fact I never left the house if I need him to. He’ll send for a physician and say he sat at my side, praying for the man’s quick arrival. Broomer will have two plans, or three, by the time his foot hits the last stair tread. He is extremely loyal and knows his way around, through, under and above the law. He also knows about justice.’
‘Justice?’ she gasped, tightening her hold on him.
He pulled free and took both her wrists. ‘Melina. You should not know of this. It is not your concern.’
‘You are my concern. You have already suffered enough because of your wife. You do not need to have more problems.’
‘Don’t you understand?’ His hands tightened on her wrists. His hair fell forward, brushing at his brows. ‘It is not merely my wife who betrayed me. It is the whole lot of them. Cass. Daph. And Ludgate. All.’ He dropped her hands. ‘Ludgate. Cassandra despised him. I know she did.’ He swallowed. ‘But now that I think of her, I wonder if any soul lived she didn’t hate.’
‘Don’t let her hurt you now she is dead.’
He put his back to her. ‘Daphne and I have had a family affection since soon after Cassandra and I wed—or so I imagined. We were both in her thrall.’ He stood in front of the painting he’d retrieved from Melina’s father. ‘We were both wronged. I had heard nothing, ever, at the clubs of Ludgate stepping outside his marriage. And when he strayed, he certainly did not look far.’ He whirled around. ‘I will hear no more kind suggestions. Do you understand that I need vengeance for Daphne as well—and against Daphne? How could she not tell me?’
‘She couldn’t want to speak the words that her husband bedded her sister.’
‘I can understand that. But I will take him out of her life.’
‘You will regret it.’
‘Possibly as soon as Ludgate breathes his last. But at that point I can make no changes. Now I have regrets he is alive. So I am to be plagued with so-called regrets. At least this one will be of my choosing.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘Daphne. I don’t know now whether to hate her or pity her. Cass betrayed her, as well. Nothing can coat the blade of a knife thrust into a person’s back like family blood. The added twist of someone you’ve known your whole life—who you’ve shared whispers with and dreams with... And they betray you. With no care. Like Cass did with me. And I know it. How we planned for our son before Jacob was born—but the plans were all mine. She listened and agreed—probably planning her next liaison or slippers. Daphne told me once how she could close her eyes to Cass’s selfishness because she’d never seen her any other way and had loved her from childhood. Daphne’s eyes aren’t closed now.’
His body racked back against wall and his face turned upwards, before lowering again. He grasped Melina’s shoulder. ‘And she knows. She must have known since before the birth of the babe. She had too much anger to be unaware.’
He let out a long breath. ‘Nothing will happen to my old friend tonight, Melina. That is a solemn promise you can believe. I want him sober.’
Chapter Eighteen
Warrington sat in his sitting room and could not keep his boot from tapping the desk leg.
He felt as if he’d spent the night drinking. He should have named his demons. They’d lived so close to him for so long. And they had not grown smaller. He fed them well.
And now they tortured him and Melina had spent an hour talking, trying to convince him of a higher ground, and the merits of forgiveness, while he watched her lips move, knew words flowed from them and tried to devise a way to make his point with Ludgate.
Before Jacob came into the world, War had stayed at Cassandra’s elbow. Awed. She grew even more beautiful.
With the second one, he’d had to shut it from his mind and he moved into the town house. Ben had been at sea and knew little of the true events. Dane moved to the bachelor house with Warrington and each night they visited clubs and sometimes attended soirées, where Dane played the bashful rake while Warrington tried to forget he was married, but couldn’t.
