The parlor off the front hall was cheerful, if a bit under-furnished. Mrs. Ellsworth’s influence was evident already. There were fresh flowers on the table, a coal fire laid and burning low in the hearth, the faint scent of lavender lingering in the air.
“It’s charming,” Cecily said, twirling once in the open space between the sofa and hearth. “Not grand, but… welcoming.”
Lavinia made a sound like she was suppressing a sigh. “It’ll do, I suppose.”
Georgiana let her gaze drift upward to the crown molding, then to the dark wood architrave above the door. There was beauty in this house. Quiet beauty. A place to hide in plain sight.
After a light supper of cold chicken, warm rolls, and tea, Cecily excused herself, claiming she was too excited and too tired to manage conversation. Lavinia retired shortly after, complaining of “carriage head” and the scandalous lack of footmen.
Georgiana remained by the hearth in the drawing room, one slippered foot curled beneath her on the settee. James stood near the window, the long drape pushed aside slightly as he looked out over the gaslit street. Even from across the room, she could sense the tension in his shoulders, the careful stillness that meant his mind was working.
“Is something troubling you?” she asked softly.
His shoulders rose and fell. “That man on the street today. Julian Fane. There’s something between you, isn’t there? I could feel your terror.”
She nodded, then stared into the fire for a moment, her hands twisting in her lap. Her pulse had finally begun to slow, but her throat still felt tight. “I should’ve told you about him sooner.”
James turned. “Tell me now.”
She looked up, and his expression held none of the teasing warmth she had come to know. It was still and serious, a man bracing for whatever truth she had to give. The firelight caught the sharp line of his jaw, and something low in her stomach fluttered despite everything.
So she gave it.
“Julian Fane is the younger brother of Thomas Fane. He was Robert’s closest friend. They were companions, in the way Society doesn’t name aloud.” She paused, watching for James’s reaction. There was none. No flinch, no raised brow. Only stillness. “Julian knew about hisbrother and Robert and looked the other way. However, he was resentful that his older brother was the heir and not him, since he couldn’t see Thomas marrying anytime soon. From the first time I met Julian, I sensed hostility toward Robert. I thought it was because of the relationship Thomas and Robert shared. But I came to realize later that it was really about me.”
“Go on,” he said, his voice deadly quiet.
“Julian and I were forced together more often than I liked. He grew fond of me, I suppose you could say. However, I didn’t return the feeling. He always made me feel as if I wanted to wash my hands.” She shifted her gaze to the fire, her hands trembling now. “One evening, Julian came to the house uninvited. Robert was away. Julian was let in by our housekeeper—he was the brother of Robert’s best friend, so no one saw any need for concern. But I was caught unawares. Julian cornered me in the drawing room.”
James’s hands slowly curled into fists at his sides.
“He grabbed me and tried to kiss me, saying that we might as well act on our feelings since Thomas and Robert clearly did. I pushed him away but he laughed and said I’d only resisted because I didn’t yet know I wanted him. He said he understood the coldness of my marriage and that he could provide what Robert could not.” Her voice broke. “He frightened me. And disgusted me.”
The muscle in James’s jaw jumped. “Did he—”
“No. Not that night. I managed to get away. I told Robert the next day, and he told Julian never to return. This was only a month before Robert was killed.” She took a shuddering breath. “Julian came to the funeral, pushing himself on me once again. I begged Thomas to keep him away from me, which he did. I left for Brighton after that, hoping Julian wouldn’t know where I was, but he found out. Somehow, he always knows where I am.”
James began to pace, his movements sharp and controlled, like a predator in a cage.
“Julian’s never fully left my life. He’s written to me, asking for an opportunity to court me now that Robert’s gone. Countless letters. I never answer. I’ve stopped reading them and now just toss them into the fire. I was hopeful that he would not know where I went after I left Brighton. Yet, once again he found me. He has written to me twice since I’ve been at Ashford Manor.”
“Twice?” James’s voice was lethal. “You burned those letters in front of me. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was ashamed. And afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“That if I’m too unkind to him, he’ll tell everyone about his brother and Robert. If he exposed his brother’s secret life, he would become the heir. And I wouldn’t care if it was just me that would be exposed, but it’s Cecily. If this gets out, it could ruin her chances of a good match.”
James stopped pacing and turned to face her, his eyes blazing. “Let me understand this correctly. This bastard assaulted you, has been stalking you for over a year, and you’ve been handling it alone because you’re worried about protecting his brother’s secret?”
“When you put it like that—”
“That’s exactly how it is.” His voice was cold as winter steel. “He’s a predator, Georgiana. And he’s been hunting you.”
She felt tears prick her eyes. “I don’t know what to do to get rid of him. I’m so tired, James. So tired of carrying all this weight.”
James crossed the room in three quick strides and sat beside her on the settee, gathering her hands in his. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m going to end this.”
