“More than I imagined ever loving a woman,” he said honestly.
“I have to admit, I had my doubts about you leaving everything behind, but now that I see the two of you—you don’t even look like the same man.”
“I’m not the same man,” he said, smiling at his younger brother.
“You’re very lucky,” Case said quietly. “I know of no other love like yours and Jillian’s.
Justin was struck by the sadness in his voice. “You’ll find the right woman, Case.”
He smiled, though it didn’t reach beyond his lips. “I rather doubt I will be that fortunate.”
Jillian came back in carrying a small tray of lemonade and sandwiches, and Justin hurried over to take it from her. She rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa. Patting the spot beside her, she invited Case to sit. “Since neither of you seem inclined to broach the subject, I suppose it’s up to me.” She looked pointedly at Case as she continued. “What news do you have for us?”
He sighed. “I have good news and I have bad news.”
Justin’s lips compressed into a fine line. “Perhaps this isn’t the best time to discuss it.”
“I’ll get it out of Case eventually, so we may as well talk about it now,” she replied. Justin was overprotective, particularly now that she was pregnant. He was convinced that the slightest upset would send her into early childbirth.
“I don’t think what I have to say will cause her any upset,” Case said.
Justin nodded grudgingly and Case continued on. “When it became apparent that Penroth wasn’t going to find you, he set his sights on marrying another heiress.”
Jillian gasped. “How can he do that?”
“There was rumor of him petitioning for a divorce on grounds of abandonment, but then he changed his request and is in the process of having you declared dead. Either way would free him to marry again, but I think the bastard knows you are with Justin and divorce would free you as well as he, so he opted to go a route that would make it impossible for you to ever marry again.”
Dead. Somehow, the thought unsettled her. The idea of her existence being erased left her hollow.
“Are you all right?” she heard Justin ask, concern evident in his voice.
“Yes, of course,” she said, offering him a shaky smile.
“At any rate, he appears to have given up on the idea of finding Jillian,” Case said softly. “His focus is on finding a wife with enough blunt to save him from complete ruin.”
She felt a measure of relief for herself, but the idea of another woman being subjected to Lucas’s perversities made her nauseous.
“He is struggling to survive,” Case continued. “Lady Bea has seen to it that he isn’t welcome at most society functions. It is only a matter of time before his numerous markers are called.”
“How can...how can anyone allow their daughter to marry him?” she asked. “Surely everyone knows what he—how he treated me. I was there in Grosvenor Square for the world to see.”
“There are those willing to overlook such things for the sake of a title,” Justin muttered. “Even one as tainted as Penroth’s.”
“How is Hawk?” she asked, in an abrupt change of subject. She had no wish to dwell on Lucas. Just the mention of him conjured up painful memories. Justin was regarding her with a murderous expression on his face, and she knew that he, too, was remembering her treatment at his hands.
“I don’t know,” Case said wryly. “He disappeared once we returned to London. I’ve seen him twice since, and both times it was to bring me news of Penroth’s actions—things I still don’t know how he knew.”
“He seems such a lonely, isolated man,” she murmured.
“God’s teeth, Jilly! Whatisthat?” Case exclaimed, staring in horror at her belly.
She laughed and looked down at her rippling stomach. “It’s the baby moving.”
“Can I—can I touch it?” he asked in awe.
She took his hand and placed it over the small bump.
“That is the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” he said, his eyes wide.
