“I could have worn a mask, but I did not. I wanted the villain to see the eyes of the person who would put an end to his worthless life.”
“But that is murder!” Aubrey gasped.
Chance nodded in agreement.
“Lord Groby was the only heir to my deceased wife’s father, the Earl of Beresford.”
He waited as she pieced the puzzle together in her mind.
“He demanded you marry in exchange for silence. But would you not have immunity as a duke?”
“My father’s title is a French one. Even English dukes are not immune when murder is the crime, especially the murder of another nobleman. So when a French duke kills an English Viscount…” He shrugged. “But that was not my primary concern. If word had gotten out… If the truth of that night became public, Adelaide would have become a pariah in Society. And with her weaknesses, I could not allow that to happen. I needed to protect her.”
“So you were on the way to your wedding, to your victim’s sister? When we first met?”
Chance nodded. “If I did not comply before my thirtieth birthday they would have called for my arrest as well as send Adelaide’s story to the broadsheets.”
Aubrey blinked. This was a lot for her to take in… and he didn’t really come out looking very innocent in the matter. He’d murdered a man for God’s sake.
“I wish you would have told me.” She turned her head and stared at the dark hearth; her eyes somewhat unfocussed. “Did you love her?”
Ahh, there had been many days that he wished that he had. “She was very young and she was very sweet. But she was ill—very ill. Her father’s title was designed so that a child of hers could inherit.”
“So you…” Her throat moved as though she had to swallow hard. “made love to her?”
At the vulnerability in her voice, Chance couldn’t remain seated a second longer. He rose from the chair and rushed across to stand before her.
Utterly broken, he dropped to his knees and then leaned forward, pressing his face into her lap and wrapping his arms around her waist. “I’ve touched no one since you. Oh, God, Aubrey. I just want to make everything better. I want you to trust me again. I’ve done nothing but think of you, long for you, over the past two years.” He buried his face in the folds of her skirt. So sweet, so feminine. Holding her like this was bittersweet. It was everything, and yet he wanted so much more.
“It would have been my duty to bed her. In fact, it was the primary reason her father arranged the marriage. But I did not want it and more importantly, neither did she. She was infirm and knew she was dying. If she’d come to be with child, it would have hastened her death, perhaps even precipitated it. She led her parents to believe that the marriage had been consummated and then I took her home with me toSecours. I believe that when the time for her death finally came, she welcomed it. She lived much her life in a great deal of pain.”
Aubrey’s hands landed on his head. “She was an innocent.” Her fingers ran through his hair and the sensation was balm to his soul. God, he wanted this woman again. In his bed, in his life.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I wanted to but I didn’t know if I would ever be free. And when I saw you again, I just. I’ve missed you for so long. Tell me what to do,Princesse. I beg of you to tell me and I’ll do it.” He’d never felt so utterly destroyed.
“I missed you so much.” A tremor ran through her. “I just wish…”
“Just tell me.” She was touching him willingly. She wanted him too, he was certain of it. He felt her leaning forward, her face practically buried in his hair. “Allow me to earn your trust again.”
He leaned back on his haunches so he could see her eyes, but he couldn’t release her. If it was up to him, he’d never release her.
“I don’t want you to leave London, but...” She admitted, her voice choking on a sob. He hated that he’d brought so much pain and misery into her life. If she only gave him a chance, though. If she only gave both of them a chance, he believed that it could all be worth it.
Chance sat up and placed his hands along both sides of her face. “I’ll stay forever for you. All you have to do is ask.”
When she held his gaze, nodding, his heart nearly stopped. She’d removed some of the barriers she’d kept in place since he’d come back into her life. She was hisPrincesse—his friend.
“Let me take you out tomorrow. You can tell me all about the people you’ve met, about how Society has taken to Lancelot.” This extracted a grin from her, albeit a wobbly one. That was the best he’d been able to do lately. He would do better from now on.
“As friends?” She tilted her head. “We were friends first… before.”
They had been. It was a start. Not the one he would have wished for, but it was something. He had not failed yet.
Every instinct screamed out for him to make love to her here and now. She would not resist him. Hell, she’d been the one to initiate their lovemaking before.
But she was different now. Reserved. Cautious.
He’d done this to her.
