Glaring, the baronet said, "What's your price this time? Since you've already ruined her, I won't pay as much as before, but it would be worth a couple of hundred pounds to get rid of youagain."
"You never paid me a penny, Mayfield," Dominick said coldly. "I've told Roxanne the truth about how you falsified that document, so don't think you can deceive herthistime."
For a moment the baronet appeared off balance. Then he said to his daughter, "You believed him? The man's a liar through and through. Having ruined God only knows how many other females in the last ten years, now he's back for another goatyou."
"He loves me, Papa, and I'll not let you come between us." Though Roxanne's words were brave, Dominick saw that her fragile confidence was eroding under her father'sbullying.
Sir William's contemptuous glance raked down her. "You're hardly the sort to catch the fancy of a man of theworld."
"Don't speak to her that way!" Dominick snapped. "Any man would be proud to have Roxanne asawife."
Despite his words, her face paled and her hand slipped out of his. Dear God, he was losing her! Even though her blazing hair still rioted around her small face, she was reverting to the meek, colorless woman who had come to the inn, and he didn't know how to prevent it fromhappening.
Pressing his advantage, the baronet said, "Have you no more brains than a goose? Chandler is after your fortune, for after I die, you'll be a considerable heiress. If you go with him, he'll live off your expectations. When he can't wring any more credit out of the moneylenders, he'll leave you flat. He's done it before, at least twice to my knowledge. Even if he goes through a marriage ceremony with you, it will be bigamous andillegal."
"No," she cried, horrified. "That can'tbetrue."
"You're damned right it isn't!" Dominick said sharply. "I've never been wed, and have been betrothed only to Roxanne. For ten longyears."
Simultaneously Sir William said, "It's all true, and more. I've followed Chandler's disgusting career for years." His lip curled. "Who are you going to believe? The father who has raised and protected you all your life, or a sly,deceitfulrake?"
When her stark gaze went to him, Dominick said with anguish, "My God, Roxanne, after all that has passed between us, how can you nottrustme?"
Her face mirroring the doubts warring within her, she said wretchedly, "I want to believe you, but…but I've never known my fathertolie."
Dominick's eyes narrowed as he looked at the baronet. "On the contrary, he lies so well and so smoothly that I now wonder about the story he told me ten years ago, that my father was responsible for a young woman'ssuicide."
Ignoring him, Sir William said piously, "It's a sad day when a daughter doubts herfather'sword."
She pressed her hands to her temples, looking as if she was about to faint. She whispered, "Dominick?"
He shuddered and his hands clenched into fists. "I've told you the truth," he said tightly. "It's my word against his, and you're going to have to decide whom youbelieve."
As she stared at him, paralyzed with indecision, her father put his arm around her shoulders and said in a gentler tone, "Come home, Roxanne. You've been a fool, but you're still my daughter. I'll pretend that this unfortunate incident never happened. We can go on the waywewere."
As he tried to usher her away, she gave Dominick an agonized glance. His eyes were anguished, but he made didn't try to stop her. He would not want a woman who did not have the courage to fight for his love as he had foughtforhers.
She looked at her father and was sickened to see triumph in his eyes. He thought he'd won, and took more pleasure in defeating Dominick than he had ever shown in being aparent.
Which of the men had demonstrated love by his actions? Dominick, not her father, who had systematically undermined all her friendships until her life was as narrow as that of a nun. And which of the men did she truly love? Again, the answer wasDominick.
Wrenching away from her father, she said in a shaking voice, "I owe you a daughter's duty, Papa, but if you force me to choose between you, I chooseDominick!"
Unsteadily she turned to walk toward her lover. In two quick strides he closed the distance and swept her into his arms. "Dear God, Roxanne," he said hoarsely, his hand stroking her hair over and over. "I thought I'd lost you for goodthistime!"
"I'm sorry I doubted you," shewhispered.
He hugged her more tightly. "Doubt is human. What matters is that you have the strength to follow yourheart."
As she hid her face in his shoulder, she knew she had made the rightchoice.
But her father had not yet surrendered. “If you go with that man, you're no longer my daughter!" he shouted furiously. "I'll leave my fortune to the British Museum! See how long he stays once you're a pauper, and don't expect me to takeyouback."
"I don't want or need Roxanne's inheritance, Sir William,” Dominick snapped. "Frankly, 1 think she would be better off if she never saw you again, but I shan't forbid her to communicate with you. It's up to you whether you have a relationship with her and any futuregrandchildren."
Heart aching, Roxanne turned to look at her father. Though he'd not been the most affectionate of parents, he was all the family she had, and it would hurt bitterly if he refused to ever see heragain.
His face bore a desperate expression she'd never seen before. In a voice of raw anguish, he hissed, "Damnation, Roxanne,this man's father eloped with yourmother!"
