“I am not coming with you.” His voice was heavy.
Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and she canted her head toward him, her shoulders tense. “If you want to travel separately, I suppose that makes sense. We could meet in London and–”
“No, Catherine. I will remain here.” Alaric cut her off, willing a wall into place around his heart.I have to be strong. I have todo this for her.“Your plan is a good one, and it will make you and Oliver safer. It may even make me safer here, at least for a while.”
“But you will be vulnerable here, Alaric. You will be in danger. You still do not even have your memories back; you cannot expect me to abandon you.” She reached toward him, and he tore himself away, gripping the windowsill to keep from turning toward her.
“I remember everything.” The words were an angry hiss. “I have all my memories back. I know who I am.”
“When did this happen?”
“The night I was poisoned. Ironic really, the thing that was supposed to kill me has returned me to the man I was.”
The man I need to be—the man who would never have allowed this to happen.
“Why did you not tell me?” He heard an edge to Catherine’s voice, and he gripped the windowsill harder, not trusting himself to turn around and face her.
“There was no time.” He shrugged.
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“I am telling you now.”
Silence stretched between them, marred only by the sound of birds trilling in the garden. The warmth of the sun streaming through the window did nothing to shift the cold that Alaric was forcing around his heart.
I swore I would not be like him, that I would not be weak. I have to keep her safe.
He searched his memories, reaching for the cold, unfeeling duke he had been. That was who he needed, that was who he was. “Marina is cunning, and she is desperate. That is a dangerous combination. I have no idea where she is or when she might strike, but I am certain she will try to end my life again.”
“Which is why you must come with us!” He felt Catherine tug on his coat sleeve, and he turned to face her, losing the little semblance of control he still had.
“The only thing Imustdo is fulfill my duty. That is to keep you and Oliver safe. He is my brother, after all. I will not let him suffer for my father’s sins. It is not a burden he should have to carry. I am a man; I know how to bear the weight of such things.”
“You do not have to do this alone. Let me share the weight with you.” He saw Catherine’s fingers twitch toward him, felt his own muscles respond, eager to go to her, but he dug his nails into his palms, stopping himself.
“No.” His voice cracked out. “I stopped the payments, I caused this.”
“You could not have known this would happen. No one could.”
Yet I, too, have allowed myself to be undone by the beauty of a woman, and I will not allow it to ruin your life as well.
“I will not allow you to risk yourself by staying here. You will leave with Oliver.”
“I thought you would not give me orders.”
“Then do not make me.”Please.He took a step toward her, but kept his hands clasped tightly behind his back. “I will not beg you, that is not the sort of man I am. It will be better for both of us once you have left.”
You will be safe, and I will be able to think clearly.
He saw her turn from him, her fingers curled against her dress. There were several beats of silence, and then Catherine said, “I will leave then. I have no wish to make things harder for you. And I will take Oliver with me.”
“Thank you.” Alaric swallowed, seeing the tension in Catherine’s body. “As soon as I have sorted everything out and made the necessary arrangements, I will collect him. Since our father is dead, I should be able to act as his guardian. I will raise him in one of my estates up n orth.”
He thought he saw Catherine flinch, but he was sure he was mistaken. “We will go back to our separate lives.” Her words had an edge to them that he could not quite place.
Alaric nodded. “We will finally be free. And we can put all of this behind us as if it never happened.”
“Just pretend it never happened?” Catherine shook her head. “Is that what you want?”
