“Thenyourprecious Gideon will be forced to marry me to protect my reputation,” Berry pointed out. “Is this what you want? You will chase him straight into my arms.”
Jasmine cursed Berry and ran out.
Gideon followed, but Berry suspected it was only to make certain the woman left the premises and was never permitted to return.
He strode back in a few minutes later and sank into the chair beside her bed.
“Well, that was restful,” Berry remarked.
He shook his head. “There are no words… I cannot apologize to you enough. Please believe that I was never one of Jasmine’s benefactors. Not that I am blameless, for I did not reject her occasional advances. I was no celibate monk. Perhaps I should have taken more care in the past. I’ve had nothing to do with her inthatfashion for some time now. Not that I am proud of my actions back then, but I am no liar. I have always been honest about my intentions. I never claimed to love her, nor have I ever treated her cruelly.”
“But she is in love with you. To see you in love with someone else must be quite a heartbreak for her.”
“You are being too kind. She never cared about me, and never thought twice about sharing herself with other men if there was something to be gained by it. She valued expensive gifts above all. She has always put her own interests first, being faithful to Jasmine and no one else. I think she is angry because she thinks her allure is fading. She’s had two benefactors in short succession. I’ve tried to tell her that it isn’t her looks that arethe problem but her volatile temper. Who wants to face her tantrums every night? But she won’t listen.”
He took a breath and continued. “That night you saw me at the theater with her and Chloe, she had wanted to see that play and her benefactor refused to take her. Of course, he could not be seen in her company, since he was married. Similarly for Chloe and her benefactor. So I escorted them. We saw the play and nothing more happened afterward.” He buried his face in his hands. “Not that this excuses any of my past. She’s going to cause problems for you. She’ll sell the information to the gossip rags. I’ll do what I can to keep your name out of print.”
“You won’t be able to stop any of it.” Berry knew how those scandal sheets operated. The shock value was what sold papers, so why should they care to dig beyond the apparent scandal to get at the truth? “But I think she may keep quiet.”
Gideon glanced up at her. “Why would she keep it a secret? What is in it for her?”
“As I mentioned to her, and I hope she takes it to heart, you will be forced to marry me in order to protect me from the scandal if people learn I slept here tonight. Once she calms down, she will think it through and not do anything that will bring us together.”
“Or she will see that I have already lost my heart to you and do whatever she can to pull us apart. It is my dearest wish to marry you, but not under a cloud of shame. You deserve better.”
“So, you would not marry me if the gossip rags report what she tells them?”
He gave a mirthless laugh. “I would crawl on my knees to marry you. Walk through brimstone and fire. Yes, I would marry you today, tomorrow, or any day if you agreed to it. Will you have me, Berry? All I meant was that you deserve a proper wedding and a proper courtship.”
“Oh, I think I deserveyou. Whatever happens, you are still my knight in shining armor. I think our tale can be spun quite romantically, especially as you will have Lord Berwick’s blessing and support.” She cleared her throat. “Assuming he has not heard Jasmine’s ranting just now. That might give him pause in embracing you wholeheartedly.”
“And you? Did she scare you off?”
“No, although perhaps that scene she caused should have. But I am not sophisticated and do not have any experience with men. Not that I think it matters. Lord Berwick taught me early on to look at a person’s actions, not their flowery speeches or ardent declarations. Your actions speak for you, do they not? I am not talking about your prowess with women. That is a given. Even my dear friends turned into lusting beasts as we all shamelessly spied on you.”
He cast her a wry smile.
“But what Lord Berwick saw in you, and what you have also shown me, is the heart of a lion. The valor of a man who cares deeply about people and wishes to rescue as many as he can. My family cared for the orphans brought to St. Brigid’s, but you have been caring for many of themafterthey were forced to leave. It is no coincidence that you were the one to save Lord Berwick, or that it was one of your lads who got me away from the carriage and brought me to your club where he knew I would be safe and protected by you. See, you are that knight in shining armor.”
“Then you still wish to marry me? No doubts? Not even the fact that I own these gaming clubs?”
“You and Bonham were already in the process of selling them, weren’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes—in fact, I was thinking of buying into warehouses along the London docks. Mr. Dunning has a fine operation going with his lumber and fancy tiles. Worth looking into, I think. But that is for a later discussion.”
She smiled. “I think Lord Berwick will love the idea.”
“Berry, do you think this awful evening can be spun into something acceptable to theton?”
“Yes, for you are a genuine hero.”
He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “And you are the love of my life. I shall spend the rest of my days proving it to you. Oh, tears again?”
She nodded.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because you’ve turned this horrible night into the best one of my life.”
