“Simon?” She stirred, only half awake, allowing him to cradle her as he crossed the room to the bed.
“Our night didn’t exactly go as planned, did it?” Her maid had already pulled the coverlet back, making it easy to lower her onto the sheets. “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.” He crouched down to remove his boots. “I just want to lie with you a while.”
Ignoring him, she squirmed and sat up instead. “Where were you tonight?”
Simon put off answering until he was climbing onto the bed beside her. “My brother had need of me.” The lie tasted sour on his tongue.
Violet slid over, making more room for him. “Is he all right? Did something happen with that woman who broke his heart?”
“She’s taken off and eloped with another man.” Ironically enough, it was the truth. But Lucas had insisted he was over her.
“I can only stay a little while.” Simon gathered her into his arms.
“He must be devastated.” Violet was looking up at him, her eyes filled with concern and fully awake now.
He only nodded. Simon didn’t want to discuss his brother. Or make up more lies. He simply wanted… her.
This woman. Right now.
Tonight.
He should tell her the truth now, to hell with the bet. Only…
He swallowed hard. She accepted him for… himself. She wanted him for himself. She would forgive him eventually, wouldn’t she? But even as he contemplated how he would eventually tell her the truth, she crumpled before him.
“I needed you.” She buried her face in his shoulder and the anguish in her voice pierced his heart. “But you weren’t here. I understand, though. You’re a good brother, Simon Cockfield.”
Berating himself as a cad of the worst kind—a liar, a fraud—he tightened his arms around her. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Please, don’t cry.” She had needed him? “I’m here now.”
What had happened tonight? Worry slithered down his spine. A ship had arrived at the docks earlier that afternoon. Was it possible Thompson had come ashore unnoticed and then made an appearance at the ball?
But that cannot be what upset her. Sterling would have informed him if there had been any trouble.
“I found Posy with Miss Mallard.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “And I wasn’t angry. But you knew, didn’t you? How have I been so blind?”
“But no one else saw them?” Simon’s heart stopped.
“No,” Violet was shaking her head. “I was alone. I saw her go outside, so I went looking for her. They were in the gardener’s hut. I never imagined…” she smiled weakly. “I had no idea…”
Simon touched his forehead to hers. “I wanted to say something, but your very stubborn niece swore me to secrecy. I’ve been trying to convince her to tell you for weeks now.” Another secret he’d kept from her. Once this was all over, it would be a wonder if she ever trusted him again. But she had to.
Because this woman mattered to him. More than he’d imagined was possible.
“I’m not disappointed in her.” Violet gulped. “But I’m terrified for her, and so very, very sad.” Another muffled sob shook her. “But she couldn’t tell me. And I never allowed myself even to consider it. I’ve been a horrible aunt, haven’t I?”
“No. You’ve been a perfect aunt. You’ve been a mother to her.” Simon rubbed one hand down her back, annoyed with himself for his total awareness of her breasts pressing against him. She needed comfort, not him pawing at her. She’d been sleeping. The timing was all wrong—even though the two of them were safe from interruptions for at least an hour. “You cannot have known.”
“I should have. There were signs, I simply chose to ignore them.”
Which was to have been expected by any mother.
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her I loved her and that, of course, I could never be disgusted by her.” At these words, a shudder ran through her, followed by shivering.
Simon pulled the coverlet over her shoulders. “Of course you wouldn’t be. And neither will Greystone when she chooses to tell him.”
“Oh, Simon, that isn’t all! I saw Christopher. At least I think I saw him. Outside, in the garden. I thought I was seeing things—or that he might be a guest who resembled him. But he said my name.”
