“Yes.” The lone word emerged as a hiss. “What is the matter, Duchess? Did you not think they would torture me there? Is that what he told you?”
There was so much barely leashed rage emanating from his big, lean body. And yet he had not raised his voice. Nor was she fearful he would hurt her. Even with the lies between them, even with whatever torment he had suffered at the hands of his jailers, she knew he was not capable of doing her harm.
“They t-tortured you there?” Her horror could not be controlled. She could not keep it from her voice.
“That is how they reform convicts. At least, that is what they say.”
She could scarcely believe it. All this time he had been gone, and he had been within reach. She could have seen him freed. She could have notified authorities he was not guilty of the crimes of which he had been accused and convicted.
“If I had known, I would have come to you,” she said. “I would have helped you.”
“Would you?” His gaze was assessing and cold as it searched hers. “I lied to you. Would you not have been angry when you discovered?”
“I was confused yesterday when you revealed the truth to me. I still do not understand why you lied to me for months. After we had fallen in—”
“Do not say it,” he interrupted, cutting her off.
“Were they not true? Your feelings for me?” She did not know why she was asking, what she was doing.
Nothing made sense.
Her heart, which had never healed from his loss, was shattered and bruised.
“As true as yours were, Duchess.”
There was ice in his voice, in his eyes.
His words were razors, cutting deep.
How could he not know her feelings were real? That every moment, every kiss, every touch they had shared had beeneverythingto her? That she had loved him more than she had believed possible?
The answer was plainly written upon his countenance. He still believed she had betrayed him, that she had been responsible for his imprisonment in some way.
She swallowed. “Are you truly his…son?”
“I would not call myself that.” His expression shuttered. “He bedded my mother when he was married to the first duchess. He acknowledged me only when he needed me. Once he had what he wanted, I was no longer of value to him. I dared to challenge him, and for that I had to pay the ultimate price.”
The revelations were vile. Sickening.
“I wish you had told me the truth then,” she whispered.
“Confess, Duchess. Longleigh told you the truth, and you were angered at my deceit. That is why you helped him to see me sent away, is it not? I was an inconvenience to you.”
“Never.”
“Your problem went away. You were once more the wealthy duchess who had everything she could ever want. The inconvenient bastard son of your husband was silenced. And you had the heir, solidifying your position. Nothing to want for the rest of your life.”
How could she make him understand? How could she sway him? This new man that he was seemed so very bitter, so determined to cling to his resentment and his anger, to believe she had been false.
“I told you then and I meant it. I have never required riches. All I ever wanted was love.”
“Fine thing to say when you have never lived a moment without the extravagance surrounding us.”
He was not wrong. She had lived a life of privilege. Her parents had been wealthy, though not by the standards of the Duke of Longleigh. She had married a man with wealth to rival that of kings, and a country palace from which he reigned.
However, no one knew better than Tilly that money did not breed happiness. Instead, it often sowed nothing but misery, greed, and disillusionment. Agitated, she rose from the piece of furniture and crossed the room, wringing her hands as she went. She needed some distance between them. Some space to allow herself to think. And it was plain to see that he would not be dissuaded. He had judged her, deemed her guilty, and he would not consider otherwise.
She turned back to him. “How dare you judge me? You, who deceived me? You, who claimed to love me all while pretending to be another man?”
