“No.”
The servants flinched.
Only a fool used that word to Lord Milbotham.
His eyes glittered. “What did you say?”
“No,” Eli repeated. “‘First do no harm.’ The Hippocratic oath—”
“You don’t obey dead scholars,” the marquess spat in disgust. “You obeyme.”
Eli took a deep breath. “She deserves kindness and the truth.”
“She doesn’t even deserve to negotiate terms. She’s just a girl, Elijah. She’s nothing. She doesn’t even have tolikeyou. She’s to do as her father commands and agree to the betrothal. Then you’re to do asyourfather commands, andjilt her. Make up something funny. Tell her you got confused between her and one of her horses. It’ssupposedto wound. Humiliation is the entire point.”
“I’m not part of your feud.” He wished he never had been.
“Of course you’re in this war with me. You’re my heir, aren’t you? Blood is everything, Elijah. Nothing else matters. You are sixth in line to an dukedom—”
“There is no dukedom,” Eli burst out. Inheriting a legitimate title had always been his father’s dream. “You’re fifth in line only because your brothers haven’t married yet. Everyone in our family seems to sire sons. By this time next year, you could be eighth in line. And the year after that—”
“It doesn’t matter what my brothers do,” the marquess interrupted. “I’ve Prinny on my side.”
For a moment, no one in the room seemed to breathe.
Eli stared at his father. “You’ve got what?”
“Prinny,” the marquess repeated. “The Harpers made an enemy of him when they refused to sell him that stallion. It was the first time the caricatures came out in their favor. The Regent does not appreciate being mocked. The night you were supposed to have finished this business, he was heard to say that if someone were to teach the Harpers a lesson, he’d be of a mind to grant that person a title in their own right.”
“Who did he allegedly say this to? The gossips—”
“He said it tome.” The marquess gloated. “It’s the perfect revenge. Not only will I have humiliated the Harpers, I will become literally, legally, publicly superior to them—at their expense.”
Eli’s stomach bottomed.
This was his father’s dearest wish come true. There would be no talking him out of it now. Not with the personal favor of the Prince Regent at risk.
“Besides,” drawled the marquess, holding out his empty glass to the horror of the suddenly scurrying servants. “It’s too late to be noble, Elijah. You’ve already begun. Miss Harper shan’t forgive you, regardless. It’s up to you if you want to make your deception worth it.” He tilted his newly filled glass toward Eli and smiled. “Do you want to save women like your mother or not?”
Chapter 9
The Sixth Day
It was the last day of the year.
Although Eli awoke before dawn, he did not rush outside to Olive as he longed to. Instead, he took his research to the dining table and spent the morning brooding at the small piles.
It had taken eight years to get this far. And if he defied his father, the research would not go any further. More women would die. Children’smothers. Children who would be lost and alone without their mothers’ love.
Eli didn’t have the chemical expertise to continue—not that his father would allow such study—nor did Eli have the resources to build a laboratory or pay wages.
The meeting he’d missed this week was with the chemist he’d promised to sponsor once Eli returned to London. He’d sent a letter apologizing for the delay.
But the person Eli most wished he could apologize to was Olive.
The first time he’d hurt her, the only person he’d been trying to save was himself. He would carry that shame for eternity. It was his biggest regret.
And here he was, planning to do it again.
