She blinked, swallowing hard against his piercing gaze. “Why…. why do you ask what I saw?”
“Because you were about to tell me what caused the altercation before you changed your story. I know you well enough to know that you were not spying. Tell me what you saw that made my sister attack you.”
There was no point in refusing to answer. Alec was the only person, aside from Ivy, that she felt she could confess to. Her only fear was the possibility that he would not believe her; afterall, what she was about to say was shocking beyond reason. She would not have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.
She relaxed in his grip somewhat, reluctant to meet his gaze. “Will you believe me if I tell you?”
“Without question.”
Her resistance fled and she could feel the repulsion of her admission. “I went to look for you because you had been gone so long. I thought I could find a servant’s entrance in the west wing so that I would not have to walk past the Warringtons or your father in the grand hall. I was moving down the corridor when I heard moaning. I swear to you, Alec, I thought someone was in pain. But when I opened the door, I saw….” she swallowed hard, ashamed and revolted.
“What did you see, love?” he encouraged gently.
She winced as if the memory brought a tangible pain. “I saw your sister with her face between a woman’s legs,” she whispered. “The moans were coming from Thia as she pleasured the serving wench.”
Alec had known what her answer would be all along, but he still felt a bolt of nausea course through him. He knew he went pale as he pulled Peyton against his broad chest comfortingly, caressing her back. All of Peyton’s opposition was vanished and she pressed against him, seeking his strength and comfort as if to block out the horrible vision.
“So she attacked you for discovering her secret,” he whispered, voicing his thoughts aloud.
She nodded against his chest. “I am sorry, Alec. I would never lie about something like this. I was shocked and….”
“I know,” he kissed the top of her head; slanting a gaze down the corridor, he could see the figures of his sister and father as Brian tried to calm the large young woman. “Did she hurt you? Thia is considerably more of an opponent than Ivy.”
She managed a smile at the attempted humor, looking up to his beautiful face. “Not really. Ivy’s stronger.”
They grinned at each other a moment as Alec touched her hair, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. It suddenly occurred to Peyton that he did not seem particularly upset by her revelation and her smile faded. “Are you not shocked by this? You do not seem overly concerned.”
His smile faded, too, as his eyes roved her exquisite features. “I have lived at Blackstone most of my life. Sooner or later, the rumors will reach you.”
“Then you knew?”
“I suspected.”
She did not say anything for a moment, sympathizing with Alec’s shameful secret. As the days progressed, it would seem that every passing moment brought new revelations of the Summerlin family, dark secrets and shameful stories that Alec hid behind an icy facade and an emotionless manner. She fleetingly wondered what else the proud family was hiding.
“So what now?” she asked softly, running her hand over his stubbled chin affectionately. “What are we to do?”
He sighed thoughtfully. “We return to St. Cloven tonight.”
“What about your sister? She cannot wed Colin, Alec,” Peyton said firmly. “You must do something.”
“The woman attacked you and now you defend her?” he cocked a blond eyebrow.
“I am not defending her, merely stating a fact,” she said softly. “You know that she cannot marry Colin.”
He slanted a painful gaze at his sister, now in his father’s arms. “I do indeed, but I do not know what I can possibly do to prevent the union, short of killing young Warrington. Unfortunately, my father is correct when he says that I am not her parent. As much as I hate to admit it, I fear that I am impotent in this matter.”
“You were not Ivy’s parent, either, yet you helped her,” Peyton pointed out. “Surely you can think of something to help Thia.”
“I was able to help Ivy because, technically, as your husband, I am your sister’s guardian and may do with her as I please,” his face was noticeably sorrowful. “I suppose I could do the same with Thia, but my father would not only disown me, he would probably have me killed. I have provoked the man beyond his limit with my intrusion.”
Peyton was too concerned with Thia and the Warringtons to have given thought to the term “disown”. She continued with her argument. “You are not meddling; you are simply doing what must be done. Why is your father so willing to give in to Nigel’s demands? It’s almost…. almost as if he is afraid of him.”
Not strangely, Alec had been pursuing the exact same thoughts. It was as if Nigel intimidated Brian somehow, although Alec could not imagine why.
In fact, he had discovered a good deal about his father in the past several hours, traits he never believed the man capable of. It was as if the father he had known and admired all of his life was a grand facade, a product of an adoring young boy’s admiration. He wondered if the Brian Summerlin he had loved and respected ever existed.
Brian began to move down the corridor towards them with Thia tucked against his torso. Toby, solemn and silent, followed. Alec watched, stone-faced, as his father approached. When Brian met his son’s gaze, it was with the look of a beaten dog.
