Brooke didn’t see how any of that series of heartbreaking events related to her brother. In addition to feeling sad, she felt more confused than ever. She didn’t dare mention the diary she had secretly read or the damning words she’d found on the last page.
But she could say what she felt in her heart. “I’m sorry your sister didn’t make it out of that storm.”
“She could have,” he said tonelessly. “She didn’t want to. But I didn’t know that right away. It wasn’t until six months after the yearlong mourning period that I thought one night that I could enter her favorite place, her old playroom in the west tower, without dwelling on her death. I picked up her old diary. It was filled with her childhood experiences, some of which included me. But I was stunned to find more recent entries that dated from her Season in London and her return to Yorkshire afterward.”
Brooke wondered if the missing pages had still been in the diary when he read it. Or just those last two lines? But those were damning enough. He probably wouldn’t have needed any more than that to want to kill her brother. And no wonder he burned that tower. His rage must have started that very night.
Brooke had moved quietly to a bench in front of him. She didn’t need to ask what he’d read that night. She didn’t want to question him, but he might think it odd if she didn’t.
“What was in those more recent entries?”
He didn’t glance at her. “She wrote about the wonderful man she fell in love with during her Season. He promised they would marry after he convinced his parents he would have no one but her. She met him secretly so they could be alone together away from our mother’s watchful eye. During one of their trysts he seduced her. Ella was stunned and horrified when he told her he wouldn’t marry her, that he’d never intended to. It wasn’t so much the shame of getting pregnant but the pain of her broken heart and the young man’s betrayal that made her ‘seek peace and solace in the sea.’ She actually wrote that was her intention, that she had no other choice. She even kept his name secret until the final page, when she damned him for ruining her life. No, Ella didn’t try to outrun that storm that day, sheletit take her life.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He continued as if he hadn’t heard Brooke. “I’d never felt rage like that before. I threw the lantern I’d brought up to that room on the floor and ripped out those damning pages and tossed them into the flames. I almost left the diary there to burn, too, but there were good memories left in it that I thought I might want to read again someday, or show to my mother eventually, so I put it away in Ella’s room. But I didn’t try to put out that fire. And I rode straight for London to find the man who seduced my innocent sister and left her with child and laughed at her when she told him—your lyingbrother!”
Brooke flinched. She wished now that she’d never learned the full truth that had been in those missing pages. She could say absolutely nothing in defense of her brother. His cruelty toward Ella was indefensible.
“The wound I gave him wasn’t severe,” Dominic continued. “I thought it would be enough, but it wasn’t. It ate at me that justice hadn’t been served. It didn’t satisfy the debt he owed, not just for her life but also for the life of her child. Two months later I challenged him again and missed completely, as did he. My rage wouldn’t go away. He refused to meet me for this last duel, so I waited a few more months then sent another challenge, which he simply ignored. So I dragged both our seconds with me and tracked him down in London. He couldn’t refuse me in front of witnesses.” Dominic finally glanced at her and added icily, “Ourcircumstances are an annoyance. That your brother still lives is an abomination.”
“I agree that he’s mean, despicable, even vicious,” she replied carefully. “No one knows that better’n me. And he doesn’t care about anyone except himself, not family, not friends. Someone is going to end up killing him. It’s inevitable. But it can’t be you. Another attempt will land you in prison if not get you hung.”
“Particularly if he becomesfamily.”
The conversation had just turned dangerous, although it had been emotionally charged from his first words about Ella’s death. But seeing how furious he looked right now reminded her just how alone she was with him on the sailboat. She’d be panicking soon if she couldn’t defuse his rage.
“You know, families don’t always get along. Some fight amongst themselves, even brutally. I doubt anyone would raise a brow if you beat my brother senseless from time to time. I know I would if I had the strength for it. And there’s not much the Regent could say about it, since it would be a ‘family’ matter.”
Dominic gave her a skeptical look. “You’re actually suggesting I beat your brother to a pulp?”
“If he’s family, most definitely—as long as it doesn’t kill him so you don’t get punished for it.”
Dominic looked away. At least the rage left his visage, so she began to breathe easier. Giving him an option to look forward to—
“Bloody hell.”
She blinked and followed his gaze to the large ship heading their way at top speed. Alarmed, she asked, “Is it going to be able to slow down, or will it ram into us?”
“It doesn’t need to get close to kill us.”
She didn’t know what he meant, but suddenly he was steering madly in the wrong direction, straight for shore. But no dock was there!
Chapter Thirty-Four
BROOKE SCREAMED AS THEshoreline raced toward them or, rather, they raced toward it. They were going to crash!
Dominic yelled, “Hold tight to the rail!”
If Brooke hadn’t grabbed it right then and crouched down, she might have tumbled off the boat when it hit the beach. Shaking, she stood up carefully and looked over the side. The rocky shore was less than two feet from the rail. He’d deliberately beached his boat! Dominic’s arm was suddenly around her waist as he swung her over the rail to the ground.
“My valise!” she yelled up at him.
A moment later he jumped off the boat with both their bags in one hand and grabbed her hand with the other. “Run!” he yelled without explaining. She was starting to get quite indignant over his bizarre, reckless behavior.
“Won’t your boat be stuck now?” she gasped out as she tried to keep up with him.
“I’ll worry about that if it survives.”
