No, you don’t.
His casual manner didn’t fool her. Shadows wisped through his gaze, and the tautness of his jaw gave him away. As she thought of his earlier admission—that he expected to be left to his own devices—her heart cracked a little more. Fierce desire welled in her to show him that he didn’t have to face this world alone because now he had her.
The realization flowed through her with a breath-stealing rush.
I’m falling in love with Conrad Godwin.
With love as a Harrington tradition, she’d never doubted that she would one day find her soulmate. Yet none of her suitors had stirred that depth of feeling in her. No fellow had…until Conrad. The discovery didn’t scare her. On the contrary, it felt like she was finally fulfilling her destiny.
“Four couples need to fall in love to lift the curse.” Xenia’s words drifted into her head. Could Gigi and Conrad be one of the couples? Were they fated to meet—to restore Chuddums’s fortunes?
“Cannon, left corner,” Conrad said.
She focused on the game as he executed the shot the way he did everything else—with unflinching expertise. She found his confidence ever so attractive. When she played billiards in genteel social settings, she had to keep herself in check. Trouncing gentlemen was generally not conducive to holding their admiration, and as her mama oft reminded her, showing off wasn’t seemly for a young lady. With Conrad, however, she didn’t have to hold back. He seemed to admire her competitive spirit and enjoy challenging her.
“Well done,” she said. “What do you wish to know?”
She expected him to ask about her family.
“You’re such a good girl, Gigi. I want to know something naughty that you’ve done.”
At his husky request, butterflies swarmed her chest.
“You already know the naughty things I’ve done. Since you were a part of them.”
“A deed that doesn’t involve me, then,” he amended with a grin. “Something recent. I don’t want to hear about how you filched a biscuit when you were a tot.”
“Well, there is something.” She drew a breath, wondering if she could confide. “Something I haven’t told anyone.”
His Viking’s eyes glittered. “Go on.”
“I lied to my family,” she blurted. “Not a lie of omission—like being here tonight—but an actual lie.”
“Tell me more.”
“It’s a long story,” she warned.
“We have time.”
“You know that I have three older brothers?” At his nod, she said, “The youngest of them, Owen, fought in Afghanistan. He was there when the army was decimated at the Khyber Pass.”
“It’s a miracle he survived it,” Conrad murmured.
“Yes. He went missing for three years, but my family never gave up hope, never stopped searching for him. Although they wouldn’t let me help, I prayed every night for his return.” Even now, thinking of those years clogged her throat. “Eventually, they found him and brought him back. But he wasn’t the same. After the ordeals he suffered, he had…he has demons. They haunt him, even in his sleep.”
Recalling Conrad’s unrestful dreams, she paused, wondering if he would say something about his own experiences. When he didn’t, she decided not to press and continued.
“In the past, Owen has imbibed too much, indulged in a variety of vices, and at times, been aggressive. One such incident led to him wounding my middle brother, Ethan. As Ethan was a piano maestro, the injury to his hand was the worst thing that could have happened, even if Owen didn’t mean to cause it.
“Ethan’s spirits darkened, and there was nothing any of us could do to reach him. Owen was beside himself with guilt, but any time he and Ethan were in a room together, conflict would escalate. Ethan retreated to Bottoms House and pushed everyone away. Owen got worse, and my parents had to take him to recover at the country estate.” Her voice hitched. “My family is close. The Harrington motto is Ad Finem Fidelis, which means ‘faithful to the end.’ But we were fracturing and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.”
Conrad came over and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Until you came up with a solution?” he asked. “Something that involved an untruth?”
She peered up at him. “How did you know?”
“Because I know you, duchess.” His gaze was tender. “You cannot stand to let the people you love suffer. And you’re a schemer.”
