“That’s the odd thing.” The bastard had the gall to winkbeneath his mask. “I’m not a gentleman. Anyone who knows me can tell you that.Indeed, I pride myself on my lack of gentlemanly conduct.”
“Oh blessed angels’ sake.” Nell popped up from her seat atthe head of the table, twin patches of pink on her cheeks. She appeared to bein fine dudgeon. “I’ll not have all this ridiculous masculine posturing ruiningmy dinner. Sit down at once, Simon.”
He gave her a warning stare. There could be an infinitenumber of Simons in the world, but she’d better not reveal his full name. GoodGod, they’d all be better off if his wife never knew the identity of the manwho had taken her innocence.
But he still wasn’t about to allow Ravenscroft to insult himbefore the entire company without reparation. “I’ve been gravely insulted,” hesaid at last.
“What tripe. You’ve been on the arse-end of a joke.” Theearl tossed back the remnants of his wine and gestured for a footman to refillit. “Nothing more. This is meant to be a lighthearted party, is it not, LadyNeedham? In truth, we were speaking of my lovely companion’s misplaced attemptat ice skating back when she lived in the barren wasteland of New Jersey. Werewe not, my dear?”
Her eyes were still fixed to him. He couldn’t tell if heread horror or dismay or disgust or a combination of all three in her gaze.“New York,” she corrected quietly. “And yes, we were. I’m sorry, sir, for themisunderstanding.”
He’d been the arse-end of Ravenscroft’s little sally allright, and now hefeltlike an arse. He sat because there was nothingelse to do short of marching around the table and punching the earl in hisobnoxious, laughing countenance. Surely the latter had its fair share ofappeal, but there was no need to further make a fool of himself.
“Lovely, my lords. I’m relieved it was all in good fun.”Nell’s voice was wry. “Now do calm yourself, Sandhurst. I daresay nothinguntoward was meant.”
Sandhurst.
Bloody, bloody hell. She’d slipped and spoken his name. Hetensed, his gaze swinging back to his wife. Her ivory skin had taken on asudden waxy pallor. She stared at him with such intensity he feared she waspenetrating the contents of his black soul. And he had no doubt she didn’t likewhat she saw.
She knew. Those violet orbs darkened to a violent, stormyblue. The lady was not pleased. Indeed, he’d never seen a woman look more iratethan she did in that moment. As quickly as her face had paled, her cheeks wentcrimson, her mouth compressing into a stern frown. If she’d been equipped witha weapon, she likely would have hurled it at his head with every intention ofmaiming him.
“Christ,” he muttered, for the die was cast. There was onlyone Sandhurst. He couldn’t prevaricate his way out of this one. He told himselfit shouldn’t matter, that he didn’t plan to see her again after this weekendanyway. He loathed having been saddled with a wife he neither wanted nor loved.Certainly, he detested the reminder that he’d been forced to sell his title toher papa or face financial ruin.
But as she stood, pressing a hand to her midriff as if shewere about to be ill, he was hit with a knifelike stab of compassion. They hadmade love and that simple act had forever altered the way he saw her, whetheror not he liked it. He’d never intended to consummate their marriage. He’dthought that if he couldn’t bear a child with Eleanor, he had no need for one,hadn’t cared if his title passed to a distant relative from the gutters. Butnow, he had done the very thing he’d sworn to never do, and in so doing, he hadhurt her. Unintentionally, but he had hurt her all the same.
She offered a mumbled apology to Nell and, her other handpressed to her mouth, she fled from the dining hall before the shocked andtittering onlookers. He watched the swirl of her black silk train disappeararound a corner, wondering if he ought to follow her. Did he owe her an explanation?He told himself that he did not, that she was just as guilty as he. After all,she had flirted wickedly and invited him to her chamber. If she had not, hewould have found someone else, someone very much not his wife, and enjoyed hercharms instead.
Only it wouldn’t have been the same. She had worked her waypast the walls he’d built between them, sneaking over the barrier as if shewere a thief. For some reason, her name worked its way into his mind at thatmoment, the name she had asked him to call her on their wedding night justbefore he’d left her. The name he’d refused to even think.
Maggie.
He looked to Nell, who appeared as stricken as he felt. “Youmust go after her, Simon,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry. I never meant to—”
“But you did, damn you,” he snarled, his voice more cuttingthan he’d intended. “You did, and now I shall have to bear the consequences.”
He stood, knowing Nell was right. He had to at least followMaggie. Perhaps he did owe her that much. He wasn’t completely made of stone.He had a heart, but it had simply been taken by another. Christ, he wasconfused. His life was falling apart as if it were a poorly constructed shirt,gaping at the seams. Damn it, he had to try to put an end to the madness.
* * * * *
Maggie raced through the halls for the sanctity of herchamber, running as fast as the heels of her evening slippers would allow. Hersurroundings were a blur as her mind raced to comprehend the devastating truththat Lady Needham had unwittingly divulged. The man who had shown her thepleasures hidden within her body, who had kissed her and made love to her witha passion she hadn’t dreamt existed, was the man whose defection she had beentrying to shake. He was the husband who had not spoken to her in over a year,the aloof but handsome stranger who had boldly proclaimed his love for anotherwoman and refused to consummate their marriage. The man who had been living insin with another man’s wife.
Sandhurst.
Her husband. Why hadn’t she known? In the wake of herdiscovery, everything began to make sense. Nell had known, she realized,recalling her hostess’s reaction when she’d introduced herself as LadySandhurst.You don’t know, she’d said.
Of course she had not, stupid girl that she was. She hadbeen too blinded by a handsome smile and a knowing touch and the promise of aman in her life to see what everyone else had already known. IncludingSandhurst. His words replayed in her mind as she continued her determinedretreat.
You.
There are things at work here that you don’t understand.
Perhaps you’ve already met me. Did you ever think ofthat?
She felt ill as the full ramifications hit her. Blessedly,she reached her chamber door and threw herself inside, slamming it at her back.He had duped her, lied to her, seduced her. But why? What could he havepossibly had to gain? If he had wanted to consummate their marriage at last, hecould have done so at any time. He needn’t have disguised himself. It made nosense.
With a cry of pure rage, she whipped her silly mask awayfrom her face. Some good it had done her. This was to have been her one chancefor escape from the mundane loneliness of her ordinary life. And he had ruinedthis as well as he had ruined the last year. For one miraculous night, she’dbeen given hope again, and now he had taken it all away. She had never feltmore betrayed.
She pulled off her earrings and slammed them down onto thedressing table, then undid her necklace before going to her hair. While sheknew she ought to wait for her lady’s maid’s assistance, she was overcome bythe need to escape from the shams of elegance. She wanted to shout and beat herfists. Instead, she systematically plucked pins from her dramatic coiffure. Afat curl fell, brushing her shoulders.
