“I mean, you’re a marquis! You made a fool out of my family and me. And then you chose Bram over me, and … I thought I would send you home and that would be that. I didn’t think about why you’d left.” Henri looked away. “I’m so sorry.”
I tore my hands from him and glared at him. “You’resorry? Do you have any idea what she’s going to do to me? She’s going to have me committed. I will spend the rest of my days in a padded cell because Ihurt your feelings.”
“What?” Henri looked shocked as he drew up to his feet. “What are you talking about? No one said anything about an asylum. Whatever reason could she give for doing that to you?”
“Deviancy,” I said, spitting the word out. “She knows I like men.”
Henri’s eyes were saucers. “I … I won’t let that happen.”
“And you think you’ll have any say in the matter?” I put a hand to my head. I was shaking I was so frightened. What if I made a run for it right now? Just bolted out the doors, as Henri had suggested. But, of course, I wouldn’t have the element of surprise now. They would be on me before long.
Henri’s strange behavior made more sense now. He had known. He hadinformedmy aunt that I was here. And here I’d been stupid enough to thinkI’dbeen manipulatinghim.
“You’ve ruined me,” I said flatly. “I hope you’re happy.”
“No.” I felt Henri’s weight as he sank onto the bed beside me. “I will do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Do you hear me? I will not see you committed anywhere.”
I dragged my hand from my eyes and gazed at him, his earnestness, his clenched jaw. He was determined. But that alone wouldn’t be enough. I choked on a sob and Henri’s arm wrapped around me. He pulled me against his chest and held me as I cried. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to pound on his chest, but I couldn’t find the strength to protest. Many minutes passed before I was exhausted from the display of emotion, but Henri still didn’t let go.
“I’m going to fix this,” he vowed into my hair. “I will find a way. I promise.”
I nodded and pulled away from him, even though I didn’t believe he could do anything to change my circumstances. But I needed an ember of hope and him looking out for me was something I could hold on to.
“Deviancy.” Henri scowled, crossing his arms. “This world is so cruel.”
“I should get dressed for dinner,” I reminded him, my voice hoarse. I wiped at my tear-stained cheeks and walked over to his mirror. My eyes were swollen. I looked awful.
Henri pulled a suit from his wardrobe, and when I didn’t make a move to change, he helped me out of my clothing and into what he’d chosen. He was careful as he maneuvered my limbs into the clothes, and wiped at my face with a cloth to help freshen me up. I sat passively, letting him do all of this. I was just too tired to fight, or do anything, really.
“Emile.”
I blinked and looked down at Henri’s hand around mine, and then up into his face. “Henri.”
“Can you ever forgive me, Emile?” he asked. His voice broke halfway through the question and his face crumpled. He turned away from me, and I knew he was hiding tears.
I put a hand on his back automatically. The fog that veiled my mind cleared as I rubbed my hand slowly up and down his back. Examining my own situation, I was paralyzed with fear, but once I focused on someone else, it was like my mind reset.
I could still make this work, I realized. I could stick to my alternate plan. Montoni’s secret was still out there, waiting to be discovered. Udolpho Castle was still waiting to be seized. My aunt’s arrival didn’t need to change things. So long as I kept up pretenses and did as she asked until I could gain control of the situation, I might come out of this unscathed. I could sidestep my aunt and blackmail my way into a quiet life. I only needed to put off my aunt from committing me to an asylum. I’d been able to fool Henri easily enough, after all. Aunt Cheron would be shrewd, but I had to try to appease her with deception. It was my only choice.
“You didn’t know,” I said, sighing heavily. “You couldn’t have known because I was keeping things from you. This is just as much my fault.”
Henri seemed to calm down, but he shook his head. “No, this is my doing. I should have been a better friend.”
“You’re being one now.”
Henri smiled and nodded. “I will be a good friend to you. I swear it.”
“I know.” I glanced over at the door, my stomach churning at having to face my aunt again so soon. “Now, let’s get this over with.”
I walked along the hallway leading to the dining room with a growing fear in my chest. By the time I reached the door, I stopped and turned to Henri, pale. “I’m not sure I can do this.”
“You can,” Henri promised. “I’ll be there with you.” He grabbed my hand and offered it a squeeze. I’d needed that reassurance. I might have been playing Henri, but his strength was all that was keeping me going at the moment. “Just look at me if you feel scared or anxious.”
I let out a deep breath. My eyes wandered briefly to the suits of armor lining the hall, and I was reminded for a moment of the spiders in the suit in Montoni’s hallway. I’d learned some of this family’s secrets already. I just needed to press on until I procured enough to secure my freedom. I could do that. Ihadto do that.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I returned to the door and stepped into the dining room.
“Aw, it’s about time,” Count Montoni said as I strode in, Henri at my heels. “We were about to send up a search party.”
