Cora shakes her head. “Whatever do you—”
“Marry him,” Alice says, turning. “There, fixed. Actually, now that I think about it, this is better. Harry will feel duty bound to invest, and he’ll have no reason to suspect your influence if you’re already his wife. We can proceed as planned without worrying about any last-minute jitters on his part. Right on the heels of your celebration, in fact.”
Cora feels a mounting pressure between her temples, a building urge to roar. “You do realize this will make me a married woman, Alice. Essentially ruining all prospects of me ever having a normal life. Of being able to marry again, not to mention ever showing my face in New York—”
Alice quirks an eyebrow. “Please tell me you weren’t expecting to do that after we scam most of the railroad industry. And marrying again? I didn’t take you for a sentimentalist.”
“It isn’t... sentiment, it’slife!” Cora blurts, voice shaking. The temper flaring in her belly now too, building like a low roll, threatening to boil. “Real life!”
Alice shrugs one shoulder. Infuriating, emotionless woman.
She’ll have to meet her where she lives. Encased in steel.
“This isn’t acceptable.” Cora crosses her arms. “I won’t do it.No.”
Cora sees the flash of surprise in Alice’s eyes at the word, and feels a tiny thrill of satisfaction.
Alice takes a swift step forward. Cora resists the urge to flinch.
“Need I remind you, MissO’Malley, that when we made this deal, you agreed to do whatever I asked,wheneverI asked. And in exchange, you would be handsomely compensated. Do you not remember that?”
“Yes, I remember that, but this is going too far, Alice. I am a member of this team and I deserve a say. The stakes have changed!”
“And yet the game hasn’t,” Alice says icily. “We will do whatever is necessary to make May the first happen. And since Easter falls before May, youwillwalk down the aisle with that man and youwillsay ‘I do,’ and before you ask, yes, youwillconsummate the marriage. Or...” Her expression defrosts a degree. “Figure out some plausible reason not to. I’ll leave that to your own discretion.”
Cora’s head goes swimmy. Perhaps she is actually hallucinating. “Alice—”
“My God, Cora,enough. This matter is settled.”
“I honestly can’t believe you’d do this to me,” Cora says hollowly. “After everything.”
“I don’t care what you believe.” Alice snaps a laugh. “You wanted me to teach you? This is me teaching you. From the very first day, I was completely transparent: I am in charge, and you simply listen. You may go.”
“Andyoumay go to—”
Cora has at least the presence of mind to bite back the rest of those choice words. She jumps up from the settee instead, flying toward the door, where she nearly barrels into Béatriceand Dagmar, who stand there like mismatched gargoyles, horrified by what they’ve plainly overheard.
Cora elbows past, barreling toward her room, where she slams the door and crumples onto the bed, finally succumbing to the tears that have been building.
She knew Alice was capable of anything. It was part of Alice’s allure, the very reason Cora appealed to the woman in the first place. A confidence player who knows no limits. Has no scruples. A canny mentor who could take Cora under her wing and actually make things happen for her. A huge score, a better life, a fresh chance of getting back her home.
But she cannot deny the truth any longer. Alice isn’t hermentor, just as she herself doesn’t amount to a player or accomplice or anything but a pawn in her hardened boss’s game.
Cora has learnednothingsince that fateful day when the men from Ross & Calhoun gleefully waltzed in and upended her life. She’s no better than her father.
Just a fool under the thumb of a sham, heartless duchess.
Chapter 19
Genuine Fraud
Alice glances up as Béatrice slides into the study, closing the door behind her almost as silently.
Alice hides the hitch in her breath as best she can.
Béa stands staring at Alice for a long beat before she says, “This is too much.”
Alice raises her eyebrows, prepared to debate the point, but the disappointment in Béa’s eyes as she draws nearer silences her.
