“Enough,” he interrupted. “Your affection for your sisters is touching. I noticed it before, when you were willing to do just about anything to spare Miss Spectacles from gaol. Tell me, do you truly believe that shielding them from every buffet of the world’s wind will help them?”
She bristled. “Of course it will. What are you saying?”
“You strike me as a clever woman, Amelia. And tough. Do you think that toughness comes from being allowed to glide easily through life? No, I fancy not. Hardships, unpleasant as they are, make us stronger. This is a fact that can’t be argued against.”
“I can argue against it. Hardships may make us stronger, but do they make us better people?”
“I did not claim that they did.”
She pressed her lips together. “And I suppose you believe that only strength matters in life.”
“I know that it does.”
“How canyouknow a thing about hardships? You are aduke. A rich, powerful man. I daresay you have never encountered a problem in your life that money cannot solve!”
Her voice had risen to a shout, echoing across the room. As it faded away, her heart sank into her stomach. What was she thinking?
Stephen stared at her, his expression blank, and she gulped audibly.
“Goodness, what a fine thing it is to be Miss Amelia Holt,” he stated, slowly and evenly. “How nice to know everything about everybody, and be confident to always draw the right conclusion.”
“So I am wrong, then?” she managed, wondering if she should back away a little.
When had they moved so close? He was within arm’s reach now, and she was sure that there had been more space between them when the conversation began.
“I won’t comment on the correctness of your conclusions. A gentleman would never correct a lady.”
“Fortunately, I am not a lady.”
He smiled thinly. “What a piece of luck for us both. Here is my proposition. Your brother, whether you claim him or not, took my life. So, I shall take yours.”
Amelia rocked back on her heels, mind reeling.
Took his life? How? And what on earth does he mean when he says he’ll take mylife? He said he meant me no harm. Did he lie? I was so sure that he was not the kind of man who lies easily.
“For three months, that is,” Stephen added, with a thoughtful smile.
“You’ll take my life for three months?” Amelia repeated slowly, brow furrowing. “I don’t understand.”
“Fret not. I am the one who needs to understand,” he responded, flashing her that wolfish smile once more. “Three months. That is all it will take to ruin the Viscount’s reputation. In the meantime, you’ll stay here. You will not leave the estate, not even the house.”
“I don’t understand,” Amelia scoffed. “How will keeping me here ruin my brother’s reputation? What benefit is this to anyone?”
“That is my concern, not yours. Three months. In the meantime, you can serve as my grandmother’s companion. Talk to her, keep her company, sew her dresses, whatever you like. I called it a proposition,” he added thoughtfully, wincing. “But that implies you have some choice in the matter. I’m afraid you don’t, my dear.”
Amelia’s nostrils flared. Fury bubbled up inside her, hot and acrid.
He’s toying with me. This amuses him. He likes to let me believe that I might be free, only to snatch the hope away from me.
And there is not a single thing I can do about it.
She took a step toward him, jabbing a finger at his chest. She carefully kept her fingertip from making contact, of course.
“You are a cruel man,” she bit out. “You plan to keep me here for three months? How will my sisters live? I daresay you’ll consider feeding me,but what of Marjory and Nancy? We have rent to pay, food to buy, and without my work at the modiste’s, there won’t beany money! How could you be so cruel?”
Something seemed to snap in Stephen’s eyes. He lunged forward, bringing his face right to hers so that their noses almost touched.
“My dear girl, you have no idea of how cruel I can be,” he snarled, eyes darkening.
