He picked up the watch, opened it as if to check that all was well, then set it aside, his hands shaking.
“I’m grateful to have it back, Marjory,” he said, meeting her gaze and giving her a formal nod.
Marjory was still a little red in the face.
“I didn’t mean to steal it,” she mumbled. “It was just that things were so difficult. We didn’t have money for tea, or flour, or anything. Amelia used to worry so much about everything, and I thought that if I could get a little bit of money, I could make things easier for her.”
“Oh, Marjory,” Amelia sighed. “You should have let me manage things.”
“Well, if I hadn’t taken the watch,” Marjory responded, meeting her sister’s eyes and lifting her head. “We wouldn’t be here, would we? We wouldn’t be eating fine food in a beautiful house, talking about a proper party next week. We wouldn’t besafe.”
Amelia pressed her lips together, glancing across the table to see what Stephen thought of this speech. He said nothing, showing no reaction, his gaze distant and giving nothing away.
“For a few months, yes,” Amelia responded. “Marjory, you mustn’t think that this is permanent. That isn’t fair to anybody.”
“Come, let’s change this dreary subject,” Letitia interjected. “Marjory, I understand you’re fond of writing. Is that correct? You like investigating and writing about what you discover?”
“Yes, I love to write! I’ve had several pieces published in the gossip columns, but of course, anonymously. You see, there was a sizeable reward for exposing the true identity of Orion, the founder of the club, which was why I was in the house in the first place. I did not break in,” she added, glancing pointedly at Stephen.
He chuckled, gesturing to one of the footmen to refill his glass.
“Well, fear not. My identity will not be kept secret for much longer. I intend to reveal myself to the world, and you are free to write about whatever you like in your gossip columns, Miss Spectacles. The whole tonwill know that the Duke of Redcliffe is Orion, and that he will take care of everybody at this table.”
Amelia flinched at that.
What did he mean? Did he mean that his protection would extend beyond the three months? No, that couldn’t be true. That wasn’t their bargain.
But then, who’s to say that he can’t change the terms of our bargain whenever he likes? He might release me earlier or keepme later. Or kiss me again as he did last night, even though he swore he would not.
Heat spread through her at that thought, and Amelia shifted in her seat in an attempt to calm herself. There was really no reason for her heart to flutter as it did. The man was a duke, after all. When it came to noblemen, their promises meant nothing. Less than nothing.
“Why would a duke try so hard to conceal his identity?” she asked aloud. “Why not reveal your identity sooner?”
Beside her, Letitia stiffened.
I have said the wrong thing,Amelia thought with dismay.
It was, of course, too late to take back her words. Stephen’s eyes glittered in the candlelight, amused and thoughtful.
“I… I did not mean to speak out of turn,” she stammered, when the silence stretched out a little longer than she had expected.
“No apology is necessary,” Stephen responded calmly. “Perhaps I simply needed you to come into my life first.”
Amelia blinked. She had not expected to hear that from him.
Nancy leaned forward and whisperedvery loudly, “What a sweet thing to say!”
Amelia smiled tightly and said nothing. He could not possibly mean it in a sweet or romantic way. Hadn’t he told her that she and her sisters were the key to taking revenge on her brother?
A thought occurred to her, a sharp nugget of dread in the pit of her stomach.
Will I see my brother at this party? If so, what will he do when he sees us?
He said he would ruin us. He said that he would… that he would kill me.
She hadn’t shared that detail with her sisters. After Mama’s death, she had written to their brother again, pleading for help. His reply had been brief, merely reasserting his disgust with them. This time, however, he added—quite clearly—that if Amelia intended to cause him trouble, he would see her dead first. The threat could not have been clearer.
Before Amelia could articulate any of that—and there was no guarantee that Stephen would even care about her concerns—he rose to his feet.
