‘Felicity.’
Uh-oh, I thought.He hasn’t used my full name since before we were married.I was starting to get the impression that I was in hot water with him. Could this night get any worse?
The only thing I could think of was that Dorian had mentioned our parlour tryst, and Max was angry about it. But I had thought it was him! Surely, I was not to blame for a case of mistaken identity?
Max closed the door of his study behind me and lit some candles.
‘Take a seat,’ he said, gesturing to the hard chair in front of his desk of which he settled himself behind. Shivering with cold as there was no fire lit in here and with nerves, I did as I was told. It was like I was being interviewed for a position!
‘Dearest, what on earth—’ I began, but he cut me off.
‘So I gather that you have told everyone about Freddie’s true parentage?’
Was that all he was worried about?
‘Well, yes. Does it matter? Tobias knows, and Evan was asking a lot of questions, and I was tired of lying to my family. They deserved to finally know the truth.’
Max cracked his knuckles. ‘But we agreed only a few people should ever know. We signed a contract to that effect.’
I began to see what he was getting at. He was worried about what everyone thought of him, was even perhaps embarrassed that everyone now knew that Freddie wasn’t his child—that he had not sired him. My blood started boiling.
‘Damn your pride, and damn the bloody contract!’ I burst out.
Max looked shocked at my tone and coarse language. But I was too tired and angry to care about his sensibilities.
‘I’ve been out of my mind with worry for hours, and you saunter in with Freddie, cool as a cucumber like nothing’s wrong. I thought you were dead, for God’s sake!Where the hell have you been?I was imagining a duel with pistols or something of that nature!’
Max allowed a flicker of a smile. ‘That would be difficult since I don’t own a pistol.’ Then his smile dropped as fast as it appeared. ‘Speaking of telling the truth, who would Dorian and I be duelling over exactly? Freddie or you?’
I stared at him, unease creeping through me. ‘Pardon?’
Max sighed. ‘There was nothing so dramatic as a duel. When I caught up with Dorian’s carriage, I rode alongside, shouting for the driver to pull over to the side of the road, which he did. I flung open the door, determined to take back Freddie, and Dorian calmly asked me to sit with him and talk things over—as gentlemen.’
‘Asgentlemen?’ I echoed.
‘Yes, in his own words: “We don’t need to fight like savages, Mr Fitzroy. Surely we can have a civilised conversation?”’
Tobias can’t, I thought snidely.
‘So what did you talk about?’
Max smiledruefully. ‘Mostly you.’
‘Me?’ I said, astonished.
‘I knew that when I married you, you were special. Yet I thought it was only to me. I did not comprehend that your beauty and spirit were attractive to other men.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that it would appear that Dorian loves you too, in his own twisted way. He spoke at length about your handsomeness, wit, and other amiable qualities, plus his envy that I was the one sharing your bed. It was actually quite amusing to have one’s wife lusted over in such a fashion, especially since he is engaged to Rosalind Whiteley.’
My face heated. ‘I have done nothing to encourage his attentions whatsoever! He is entirely deluded if he thinks I feel the same. You have to believe me—’
‘It is not your fault, Fliss. I know you have not been having an affair with him as you have been here with me and Freddie.’
My heart sank. ‘An affair? Is that what he claimed?’
Max shook his head. ‘No, he did not say that. But he mentioned some things in passing that I was unaware of: Attempting to bribe him at the castle?Playing nursemaid to him in London? And something that occurred this evening in the parlour? I think you need to tell me exactly what has been going on between you two.’
