“I can.” She stared at him, her eyes slowly blinking. He climbed out of bed, took two strides to reach her, and cradled her face between both his hands. “Spend the day with me, Fancy.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she placed her hands over his, threaded their fingers together, and brought them to her lips, pressing a kiss against his knuckles. “I want nothing more.”
As her warm breath wafted over his skin, the affection he held for her intensified. They would have this day and all the days that followed.
“But it wouldn’t be fair.”
She lifted her gaze, and he realized the tears weren’t brought on by his fervent desire to have her with him, but by something else, something that caused her sadness, was crushing her, and dread slithered through him.
“I did something rather foolish last night.”
“You regret coming here?”
Quickly, she shook her head, loosened her tight hold on his fingers that was causing them to ache, and cupped his jaw in her hand. “Never. The moments spent with you were the most beautiful, wonderful of my life. I’ll never forget them. I’ll never forget you.”
Her words made no sense whatsoever. It was almost as though she were striving to say goodbye, to end things between them when they’d only just truly begun. “What are telling me, Fancy?”
“Oh God, Matthew, this is so hard.”
Tears were rolling down her cheeks now, and it took everything within him not to gather them up with his thumbs. But something was wrong, terribly wrong. “Just spit it out. We’ve always spoken honestly with each other.”
With a nod, she licked her lips. “At last night’s ball, I was caught in a compromising situation with Lord Beresford.”
Suddenly it was as though the ocean had entered his head, the roar of waves crashing against his skull, drowning out all thought. “Beresford?”
“I told you about him calling on me. He’s an earl—”
“I know who the bloody hell he is.”
Releasing his hold on her, he stepped back, the anger shimmering through him, the betrayal slicing at him. He’d thought her different, but she was just like Elise, just like Sylvie, just like his mother. She wanted a title and was willing to do anything to get it. He’d almost offered the conniving wench his.
“Mick is meeting with Beresford this afternoon.” She extended a hand imploringly. “I have no choice but to marry him.”
In order to gain her damned title. Under his breath, he released a harsh curse and turned away from her. She’d have her lord. If only she’d waited—
What a fool he’d been to think she’d valued him over a title. That was all she wanted of the man. For Christ’s sake, she’d lured Beresford into a trap and then come to Matthew’s bed. “Get out.”
“Matthew, it wasn’t my intention to hurt you. I just wanted one more night with you. You are so special to me.”
He swung around. “Someone so damned special that you placed yourself in a compromising situation in order to capture your damned lord?”
She looked as though he’d struck her. “You think I wanted to be found in a compromising situation?”
“It’s what women do. They lure a man in and then they set their trap. My mother, my sister, my wife. They all gained their husbands through deception. Why should you be any different, especially when you were groomed your whole life for the role?”
“This is not what I wanted. How can you possibly believe—”
“Because I know the most innocent of women can be conniving in order to gain what they want. But you fooled me into believing you were different. You won me over, heart and soul. I am completely besotted. I didn’t want you to open your shop because I was going to take you off somewhere and ask you to marry me.”
With a gasp, she fell to her knees. “No.”
“Would that have been your answer because you wanted your title more than you wanted me?”
Additional tears fell. She was trembling. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. More fool was he.
“Matthew, I love you, but you must see that I can’t marry you. My marrying Beresford would be a dream come true for my family. Do you really want to marry a woman of scandal, a woman who was caught alone with another man? Even though you and I weren’t married at the time, it will still follow me, follow you. Your business associates, whoever they are, what if they hear of it? How will that reflect on you?”
Her words were a cudgel hitting against his chest. He’d never wanted anything more than he’d wanted her heart. He knew he would never love anyone to the extent he loved her. But once more he’d misjudged the honor of a woman. He edged past her without touching her. “Just get the hell out.”
