“I have already told you why that was, and how sorry I am. Philip, please tell me that it is not too late for me.”
“It was too late for you the moment you rejected him,” Jackie pointed out. “You made your choice, and now you must live with those consequences. I shall no longer fall victim to your schemes, Ophelia. He does not love you, and he has not for a long time now. It is time to leave him be.”
“But I need him!” she wailed. “It is all well and good you saying he doesn’t love me, but I love him, more than you ever could, and more to the point my family needs it.”
Philip gave Jackie a look, which she reciprocated, though she seemed a little more knowing than he was.
“Why might you needit?” Philip asked. “Not that I know what it is.”
“Money!” She exploded. “My family is in financial straits, and for years I have suffered the blame for it because we did not marry. I was supposed to come back and win you again, but she kept getting in the way.”
“She has done nothing to you,” Philip sighed. “She made me feel like a person rather than a dog, something you never did, even before the fire. Marry another one of your suitors.”
“They do not want me. The only man to ever have taken me seriously was you.”
“That is untrue,” Elizabeth said brightly from nearby. “You received four proposals this year, and you turned each one down.”
“Because they could not help me. The duke can.”
“The duke could have,” Philip reminded her. “Had you not thrown me to one side. What’s done is done, Ophelia. It is time for you to move on as I have done, and find another poor soul’s life to ruin as you did mine. I will say, though, that it is good to know that you never lovedme—only the things I could have provided for you. Especially as those things never changed.”
Lucien laughed, and it was exactly what Philip needed.
“As for you,” he continued. “I would love to know what persuaded you to tell such dreadful lies about me. I know that you have some feelings toward Jackie, but that does not give you any right to slander my name and reputation, especially when such attempts are made to her.”
“Do you truly wish to know why?” Lucien sneered. “I cannot believe you did not work it out for yourself. Quite simply, you are not good enough for her, and you never will be.”
“I am more than capable of deciding what is right for me,” Jackie protested, but Lucien laughed at her.
“Then tell me what is so appealing about a man who cannot even show his face in public? Lady Jacqueline, you are a beautiful lady, intelligent and kind. You deserve so much more than this. You deserve a whole man, one that will love you utterly and completely.”
“A man like you, you mean?” she asked. “Is that what you are referring to?”
“Who else could I possibly mean? I have truly fallen for you, and because of who you are, rather than the fact that you tolerate mypresence. If he knew what was best for you, he would have given you to me willingly instead of forcing my hand.”
“Even if you were right, I am not simply something to give away and accept. That, My Lord, is why I could never love you, or anything even remotely resembling it. If you want what is best for me, then you need to accept that I love Philip, exactly the way he is, and I have no intentions of changing him.”
“More to the point,” Philip said suddenly. “What do you mean by ‘forced your hand’?” What exactly were you forced to do?”
Lucien and Ophelia looked at one another for a moment, both in surprise and a small amount of fear. Philip wondered who would break first, though he had a feeling he knew which it would be.
“It was his idea,” Ophelia replied, confirming his suspicions. “He knew of my problems and told me that if I could seduce you, and he could steal Lady Jacqueline away, then we could both have what we wanted.”
“And you wanted to marry me, did you not?”
“It is as you said, I wanted your money. In all honesty, now that I can tell you my true feelings, I can admit that it pained me every time I had to look at you. It is a shame, because you were so handsome once before.”
A few years ago, those words would have devastated Philip, but they no longer held any meaning. She was a pitiful girl and nothing more—desperate to claw back what she had lost, but Philip could not bring himself to pity her.
“You,” Lucien said, pointing at Jackie. “are a fool. You could have had me as your husband, a man of wealth and intelligence that is not afraid to hide in the shadows, and instead you chose him. You will regret that in time.”
“I shall do no such thing,” Jackie argued. “For it is precisely as I said. I love the duke the way he is, and I would not change him for anything, no matter how much you wish I would. I certainly would not change him for some dreadful and bitter man who cannot fend for himself, that is for certain.”
Philip did not think it was possible for her to be so scathing, but he had to admit that he was pleased to see it. Lucien had earned a few biting remarks from her, and biting they clearly were as Lucien had nothing to say in response.
“Enjoy your life in the shadows,” Ophelia snarled.
“That will not be necessary,” Philip said suddenly, surprising even Jackie.
