by Monica Burns
“You’ll simply have to tell Blake the truth.”
At Beatrice’s matter-of-fact statement, Rhea and Arianna stared at the woman in mute surprise. The older woman rose to her feet and brushed out the wrinkles in her coral silk skirts. She studied their startled expressions for a moment then sighed.
“Don’t look so surprise, my darlings. Lucy has Arianna’s complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair.” Beatrice waved her hand as Rhea opened her mouth to protest. “I knew from the moment I saw her in Arianna’s arms that the child wasn’t the motherless waif you said she was. I can also see the pain in Arianna’s eyes every time she says goodbye to Lucy. I know how hard it is—I’m sure it must have been terribly difficult for you, dearest.”
“But we never said that we…that…” Arianna’s voice died away, and Beatrice quickly closed the distance between them to embrace her niece in a warm hug. She pulled back and brushed a tear off Arianna’s cheek.
“You didn’t have to say anything, Arianna,” their aunt said with a deep sadness that made Rhea’s throat close with emotion. “I would have been a fool to believe either of you had only been pickpockets. I never asked because I knew you would tell me if and when you wanted to. I could never pass judgement on you for what you were forced to do, and it didn’t make me love either of you less. If anything, it made me love you more for being so strong and brave in the face of such adversity.”
As her aunt finished her impassioned speech, Rhea blinked quickly to hold back the tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard as she met her aunt’s gaze then looked away.
“You are not alone anymore, my darling girls,” Beatrice Fremont said in a strong, defiant voice. “We will find a way to defeat this Ruckley fellow once and for all, but that means you must tell Blake everything, Arianna. I have a strong suspicion you’ve told Blake something of your past, but that you have failed to mention Lucy.”
“Yes, I didn’t know how to tell him about her. I don’t even know that I can tell him now. I don’t want to lose him.”
“The man adores you, Arianna. You will not lose him, although I will not be surprised if he becomes angry that you failed to trust him with the full truth,” Beatrice said as she patted Arianna’s arm.
The muffled sound of Blake’s voice suddenly filtered its way into the salon from the entryway, and Arianna paled. Aunt Beatrice immediately caught her niece’s hand and squeezed it as she whispered something to her. Rhea saw her sister nod as Blake entered the room followed by a short, stout man close behind. The smile curving Blake’s mouth broadened as he looked at Beatrice Fremont.
“Aunt, you’re the second surprise visitor in just two days,” Blake said with a quiet chuckle as he moved forward to greet the older woman with a light kiss on the cheek. “In fact, I’m beginning to think my wife is preparing to do some great battle and has called for reinforcements.”
At her husband’s playful comment, Arianna made a small sound of dismay. Concern darkened Blake’s face, as he caught his wife’s hand and kissed it with loving tenderness. Beatrice laughed and shook her head.
“I doubt seriously Arianna has need of any reinforcements, Blake. She’s stronger than she realizes.” Beatrice eyed Arianna with an encouraging smile.
“I’ll not argue that point with you.” Blake laughed as he kissed his wife’s hand again. “However, she’s about to learn that there are some battles I will not allow her to win. Allow me to present Dr. Hopkins.”
Blake turned to the man behind him who smiled at them cheerfully. At Blake’s introduction of the physician, Arianna drew in a sharp breath. It was a sound of fear that was reminiscent of the moments when Ruckley had threatened them or one of the children. Blake frowned again but before he could speak, Dr. Hopkins stepped forward.
“Lord Sherrington informed me you were reluctant to have a physician attend to you, my lady,” the doctor said with a jovial smile. “It is my experience that first-time fathers are far more in need of reassurance than their wives.”
Arianna’s mouth curved in a wan smile, while Blake shot a look of annoyance in the doctor’s direction. Beatrice laughed.
“Clearly, my nephew by marriage is not happy with your observation Dr. Hopkins.”
“Indeed,” Blake said coolly. “My first concern is for Arianna’s health.”
“And I am not implying otherwise, my lord. I am firmly convinced that your wife is your first and foremost concern,” Dr. Hopkins said in a soothing voice. “However from simply a cursory look at your wife’s complexion, I think perhaps the only thing to worry about is that Lady Sherrington might be a bit anemic. However, I need to examine her before I can say for certain.”
Blake still appeared annoyed by the doctor’s amusement, but nodded his agreement. The viscount turned back to Arianna and kissed her hand again in a loving fashion. He murmured something to his wife, and Rhea saw her sister flinched. Her gaze left her husband’s face as Arianna dragged in an audible breath and looked at the stocky physician.
“If I may, Dr. Hopkins, might I have a private word with my husband, please.”
“But of course, Lady Sherrington,” the physician said with a smile.
Startled by her sister’s request, Rhea studied Arianna’s pale features with concern. Surely her sister wasn’t going to argue with Blake about the doctor, was she? She took a step toward her, but Aunt Beatrice caught her arm.
“Come, Rhea, let’s leave these two alone for a few minutes. We’ll entertain Dr. Hopkins in the morning room.”
Still confused by her sister’s behavior, Rhea nodded absently as she allowed her aunt to pull her toward the salon door while she kept her gaze on Arianna. The last thing she saw as Aunt Beatrice pushed her gently out the door was Arianna’s expression of panic and fear.
§ § §
Arianna watched the door close behind her sister with a rising panic. What in the name of heaven had she been thinking to choose this moment to tell Blake about Lucy? She shivered as she looked at her husband. A frown of concern creasing his brow, he took a step toward her. Startled she uttered an unintelligible cry and took a quick step backward. Blake’s frown darkened as he eyed her with puzzlement.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I… I have to tell you…” Arianna drew in a deep breath of air as she fought back the tears threatening to overwhelm her. The concern on Blake’s features changed to one of deepening alarm.
“Christ Jesus, Arianna. What’s wrong?” The harshness of his voice scraped along her senses.
She should have asked Rhea to stay. The moment the thought fluttered through her head, she tossed it aside. Too often in the past she’d leaned on her sister for moral support. It was time she relied on her own inner strength. Swallowing the fear threatening to paralyze her, Arianna met her husband’s worried gaze. He took a small step toward her, while still respecting her desire to keep distance between them.
“If this is about the doctor, my love—”
“No, it’s not about the doctor,” she said hurriedly. Arianna shook her head as with great effort she held back her tears.
“Damn it to hell, Arianna. Just tell me what’s wrong,” Blake demanded. A tremor shook through her as she pressed one hand to her throat.
“I’ve lied to you.”
“Lied to me?” Puzzlement immediately replaced the frustrated concern on Blake’s face.
“Yes,” she choked out. “I told you… I said I told you everything.”
“It’s all right, sweetheart. I love you. Whatever is troubling you, we’ll work through it. Simply tell me what’s wrong.” Blake took a step toward her, but she sprang backward.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me.”
“What?” Blake’s amazement evolved quickly into indignation. As he straightened to his full height she winced at the offended expression on his face.
“I can’t tell you what I need to if you’re holding me,” she whispered.
“Damn it, Arianna, just tell me what I need to know.” Blake sh
ook his head angrily.
“Before we were married you asked me if I had any other secrets in my past, and I told you no.”
“Is that what this is all about? Your past?” His face darkened with a fierce anger. “Has that bastard you refuse to name been here and threatened you with some piece of information?”
“No…no one has threatened me.”
She shook her head as her tongue tripped over Ruckley’s name, and she caught herself before speaking it out loud. There was no doubt in her mind that Blake would go after Ruckley, and she refused to send her husband into the viper’s nest.
“Then I don’t understand what’s wrong.” Shoving his hand through his golden hair, Blake blew out a breath of exasperation as he studied her. As she watched frustration, worry, and confusion cross his handsome features, Arianna drew in a deep breath. Her trembling eased slightly as she imitated the calm composure Rhea always exhibited when facing a difficult situation.
“I have a daughter.”
The words echoed in her ears like the sound of a gunshot. For a moment, Blake simply stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. When she didn’t move, his shocked expression ebbed away until his expression was unreadable, but there was a dark fury glittering in his hazel eyes.
“What do you mean, you have a daughter?” His voice was devoid of emotion as he asked the question.
“I had a child…while I was…” she stammered in the face of Blake’s icy glare. “I tried…I wanted to tell you—”
“But you didn’t,” he said in a freezing tone. In a fraction of a second, his face had become a stony façade of unrelenting anger. There wasn’t a trace of the man she’d married standing opposite her. This was a stranger, and her heart twisted painfully in her chest.
“How could I,” she exclaimed as she took a step toward him. This time he was the one who retreated. Arianna’s mouth went dry as she stared at him in horror. She should never have listened to Aunt Beatrice or Rhea. Telling Blake the truth about Lucy had been a mistake. A terrible mistake.
“Blake, please. I wanted to tell you, I simply didn’t have the courage to do so.”
“And yet you found the courage to tell me you were soiled goods.” The cold words made her head snap back in shock. He’d never referred to her in that way before.
“Do you have any idea how difficult it was to even tell you I was a whore?” she cried out in anguish. Blake didn’t move, but a muscle twitched in his cheek as he studied her. For a moment, she thought she saw a softening of the cold, marble-like façade on his features. It vanished, and her heart sank.
“Why this sudden revelation, Lady Sherrington?” Blake’s use of her formal title made her jerk as if he’d slapped her. His gaze narrowed at her. “Were you afraid I wouldn’t marry you if I knew about the child?”
“Yes,” she whispered. The moment she answered his question, she realized her mistake. Her reply had made her lie sound even worse. It made it appear as if she’d married him for reasons other than love. Pain ricocheted through her as his expression became harsh with fury. Quickly, she closed the space between them to grasp his arm. Beneath her fingers, his arm was solid as hardwood. “Oh God, Blake, I didn’t mean it like that. I love you. I was terrified you wouldn’t love me anymore, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“Is the child mine?” The soft question made Arianna shake her head in confusion.
“What? I don’t understand.”
“The child you’re carrying now? Is it mine?”
The brutality of his question pulled a horrified gasp from her, and she swayed on her feet. As she met his gaze, she saw something flicker in his eyes, but it disappeared as an icy contempt took its place. If she’d been struck with a whip she could not have felt the sting any less than the pain Blake’s look was inflicting on her now. Arianna released her grip on his arm as if it was on fire and took several steps backward. Stiffening her spine, she tilted her head at a defiant angle and eyed him with equal contempt.
“You’re the only man I’ve ever welcomed into my bed willingly,” she said firmly. “The child is yours, my lord.”
The silence stretched out between them until Blake jerked his head in an abrupt nod.
“And are there any other revelations you feel compelled to share with me today, my lady?” There was a bitterness in his voice that frightened her.
“No,” she whispered. “I have no other secrets.”
“So you’ve said before.” The cold disbelief in Blake’s voice sent a chill through Arianna. It seeped its way through her pores and down into her bones, which she was certain would snap at the first bit of pressure. “I shall send Dr. Hopkins in. Make whatever arrangements necessary to ensure the babe…and you, come to no harm in the coming months.”
His face hard and inflexible, he strode toward the exit. Horrified he was leaving without having resolved the matter between them, Arianna rushed after him.
“Blake, please,” she pleaded as tears formed in her eyes. “Try to understand.”
“I understand all too well, my lady. You wanted a husband, and you were unwilling to jeopardize that ambition.”
“Ambition?” she sputtered in horror. “I married you because I love you.”
“I find that statement questionable at best, Lady Sherrington.”
“It’s the truth,” she exclaimed fervently.
“Is it? I wonder.” His gaze was cold as he looked her up and down then sneered as if he’d found her wanting. “Do you even know what the truth is?”
“Yes. I love you. That’s the truth. I have from the first moment we met.” Her words made him arch his eyebrows in skepticism.
“A meeting that was no doubt contrived.”
“No, our meeting was purely accidental. I would never have done such a thing.”
“I find that questionable under the circumstances.”
“Dear God, Blake. How can I make you understand how difficult it was for me to believe you could love me, let alone overlook my past? I couldn’t risk losing you. I love you.
“Love requires trust, Lady Sherrington. Something you clearly lacked in me, or you would have entrusted me with all your secrets before we were married.
Blake didn’t wait for her reply, but strode out of the salon. The door crashed shut behind him with a violence that emphasized his rage. Arianna stumbled toward the nearest chair, sinking down onto the needlepoint seat cushion. A shudder rocked through her. What she’d feared the most had happened. She’d lost him. Rhea and Aunt Beatrice had been wrong. Blake didn’t love her enough to understand why she’d kept Lucy a secret from him. She’d gambled and lost. The realization drove a spike so deep into her she thought she would die from the pain. Tears pushed past her closed eyelids and she buried her face into her palms. Once more, Ruckley had destroyed her life.
Chapter 7
“Blast it, Patience, it’s Sebastian’s birthday,” Percy bit out between clenched teeth as he glared at his younger sister.
“I attended the celebration at Melton Park this past weekend.” Patience tilted her chin upward in a mutinous manner. “It’s highly unlikely I’ll be missed at the party next week.”
“You know good and well that’s not true,” he snapped.
“In other words, you mean the Marlborough Set will be disappointed I’m not on display for their amusement,” Patience said with equal vehemence.
“Don’t be absurd,” he ground out. “I’m talking about the family. To hell with the Set.”
Frustration pummeled him as he tried to navigate the treacherous waters of his sister’s fragile emotions and fear. It had been a blunder of monumental proportions to take Rhea to the orphanage this afternoon. Patience had been extremely hesitant to attend Sebastian’s party in London to begin with. Now, in his eagerness to have a few private moments with Rhea, his lack of foresight had pushed Patience into a corner and an outright refusal to attend. Hell, she might even decide not to return to the orphanage. The family would drag him over
the coals if that happened.
Patience glowered at him from her seat on the sofa in the main salon of Melton House. Frustrated not only by his sister’s obstinate refusal to attend the party, but by his own ineptitude, Percy scowled back. He might have erred this afternoon, but it was time Patience came out from the shadows. Although her reconciliation with Julian had restored a great deal of her confidence, she still had difficulty going out in public.
Aside from the two morning rides she’d accompanied Sebastian on last fall, Patience had refused to face the Set in a public setting since the fire. Whenever she and Julian traveled from Crianlarich to London, it was either for a family gathering or when Julian had business in town. He glanced toward the fireplace where Julian stood. Percy knew his brother-in-law agreed with him, but the man never interfered in sibling quarrels.
The Highlander was all too familiar with Patience’s head-strong nature. When his wife had refused to see him for months after the tragedy at Westbrook Farms, the tall Scotsman had been tormented by her rejection. The Rockwoods had always liked Julian, but the man’s obvious distress at Patience’s refusal to see him had only strengthened their affection for their brother-in-law. Percy studied his sister’s rebellious expression for a moment before he narrowed his gaze at her.
“This is about this afternoon at the orphanage.” The statement caused Patience to jerk slightly.
“I’ll not deny your arrival with Miss Bennett in tow only served to emphasize it would be a mistake to attend the party.”
Patience’s soft confession made Percy grimace. The dark scowl on Julian’s face was an indicator of how his entire family would view his reckless behavior earlier in the day. Percy wasn’t sure what irritated him the most, his misstep in unexpectedly forcing Rhea on his sister this afternoon or Patience’s stubborn refusal to realize her scars were not as disfiguring as she believed. Percy contemplated his sister’s unreadable expression for a long moment before his jaw tightened with resolution. It was time to change tactics.
