“You should know that the only thing that prevents me from killing you where you stand is the fact that I don’t want your blood staining my carpet.”The Marquess of Rothburne pointed to a wingback chair in his study.“Sit.”
“I am not your dog,” Michael responded.He was well aware that he was only tossing oil upon the fire of Alfred Chesterfield’s rage, but he refused to behave as if he’d seduced Lady Hannah.
Kissed her, yes.But that wasn’t a crime.
Michael remained standing, resting his forearms upon the back of the chair, while he met the marquess’s gaze squarely.“I don’t regret rescuing Lady Hannah from Baron Belgrave.You know as well as I that the man isn’t worthy of her.”
“And neither are you.”
“You’re right.”There was no reason to take offense at the truth.Michael possessed enough to live comfortably on his army salary, but it wasn’t enough to support a marquess’s daughter.He didn’t want a wife or any family who would rely upon him.
“Because of you, her reputation is destroyed.”
“No.”Michael drew closer to the desk, resting his hands upon the carved wood.“Because of Belgrave.Were it not for him, she’d never have been taken from Rothburne House.”
“You should have brought her home immediately!”The marquess’s face was purple with wrath.
He knew it.But she’d been in such pain, he hadn’t wanted to make it worse.At the time, he’d thought it would only be for a short while—not hours.Perhaps he should have driven her home, despite the agony she would have endured.Still, it did no good to dwell upon events he couldn’t change.
“She’s had headaches like that one before, hasn’t she?”Michael said softly.“She told me she keeps laudanum in her reticule.”
“That is beside the point.”
“Is it?I presume you’ve seen how much she suffers?That any form of light or sound gives her pain beyond all understanding?I’ve seen men take a bullet through their shoulder and suffer less than what I saw her endure.”
He didn’t add that there were moments when he’d wondered if she was going to die.She’d been so pale, in such agony.
“Even if what you say is true, it doesn’t change the fact that you stayed with her alone for hours.”Alfred reached out for a letter opener, running his finger along the edge.“She is my only daughter.My youngest child.”
“This wasn’t her fault.”Yet, Michael didn’t see a clear solution.It wasn’t fair for Hannah to endure the sly gossip of the society matrons or to be shunned if word got out.
“No, it’s yours.”The marquess folded his arms, adding, “Don’t think that I would allow a man like you to wed her.You won’t touch a penny of her inheritance.”
Michael stepped back, his anger barely controlled.Keeping his voice steady, he said, “I don’t want anything from either of you.She was in trouble, and I went to help her.Nothing more.”
The marquess set his pen down.“I want you to leave England.I don’t want her to ever set eyes upon you again.”Picking up his pen, he began writing.“I am going to ask your commanding officer to see to it.I’ll contribute enough funds to the Army to make sure you stay far away from London.”
Michael didn’t doubt that the marquess’s money would accomplish anything the man wanted.“And what will happen to Lady Hannah?”
The marquess set down his pen.“Belgrave has offered to wed her.”
“No.Not him.”Michael clenched his fist.“You would offer her up to a man like that?”
“There is nothing wrong with Belgrave.He’s going to keep Hannah’s reputation safe.”
“You mean he’s going to reveal the scandal to everyone if she doesn’t wed him,” Michael guessed.
The marquess didn’t deny it.“I won’t let my daughter be hurt.Not if I can prevent it from happening.”
Hannah had seen her mother cry before but never like this.Usually Christine Chesterfield used her tears to dramatic effect, whenever her husband wouldn’t let her opinion sway him.
This time, Christine simply covered her mouth with her hand while the tears ran down her cheeks.Hannah sat across from her, while two cups of tea went cold.The grandfather clock in the parlor chimed eight o’clock.Eight hours was all it had taken to change her life completely.
“I promise you, Mother, I am fine,” Hannah murmured.“Neither of them compromised me.”She refused to cry, for the shock was still with her.“I don’t know what else to say when you won’t accept the truth.”
“This isn’t about truth.”Christine dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.“It’s about appearances.”
“It will be all right,” Hannah insisted.“My friends will believe me if they hear rumors.They know I would never do anything of that nature.”She stood up, pacing across the carpet.“I don’t see why we cannot simply tell everyone what happened.”
