“Brom!” Markham frowned. “What’s gotten into you all?
“The question of the hour,” Rayne said, “is what, exactly, is eating away at the once too-grand-for-Prinny-himself Marquess of Bromton? What would make him break a long-standing engagement, gamble away his estates, and shackle himself to a forgotten spinster?”
“That is enough,” Giles said.
“Rayne.” Farring advanced. “It is not your office to interfere.”
“Is it not?” He leveled his gaze at Giles. “Truth belongs to no one. Tell her, Bromton. Tell your betrothed about the card game Markham won.”
Strangely, Katherine found she could not move. She was paralyzed, unable to intervene in the worst play she’d ever attended. A play whose climax she’d suspected was coming all along.
Markham cleared his throat. “The ladies do not wish to hear about idle male pursuits.”
“I do,” Julia said. “What did Markham win?”
“The damnedest thing,” Rayne said. “Brom insisted we play a high-stakes game with secret bets. Markham won, and yet, Brom collected Markham’s stakes.”
“No, I did not.” Giles frowned. “Markham kept his theater box.”
Farring looked out over his glasses, his gaze moving between Rayne and Giles and Markham. “Damn me.”
Julia put her hands on her hips. “Markham does nothavea theater box.”
“Markham did notbeta theater box,” Rayne said. “A fact, it appears, even Bromton did not know. Tell them what you bet, Markham.”
Katherine shot to her feet. A lump of some emotion she could not name balled in her throat. She swayed. Farring caught her against his side.
“You said something of great value,” Markham said. “And the thing I had of greatest value—”
“Percival!” Oh dear God. She was going to be sick all over Farring’s beautifully tailored trousers.
“Act like men, would you?” Farring said with uncharacteristic harshness.
“What is going on?” Julia demanded.
A muscle worked in Giles’s jaw. Markham’s face filled with pleading concern.
“You love him, Kate,” Markham said.
“Me,” Katherine whispered. “You lostmeto Bromton.”
“No!” Markham exclaimed. “I won Bromton for you.” Markham went red, realizing his mistake. “The two of you suit. Youknowyou do. The ends justif—”
Katherine tripped over her skirt as she rushed for her brother. Giles caught her arm before the full force of her fury hit Markham’s jaw. Bromton’s hold burned like heated iron on her upper arms.
“Let me go!”
“Shhh,” he crooned in his most lulling voice. “Shhh. This doesn’t change a thing.”
“It changes everything!”
“So long as we are being honest,” Rayne said. “Ask Brom how he really feels about his mother’s marriage.”
“You will pay for this,” Bromton faced Rayne, speaking through gritted teeth.
Julia stepped in front of Rayne. “I won’t allow you to hurt him.”
“Kate,” Markham stepped forward.
