The dowager still sat straight and tall. Her face showed no emotion. Such a woman would know the cost of what she had just done. She would be the one cut left and right now. Her power was over.
“I have nothing I need to say.”
“Well, I do,” Theo said. “Did Father know about this? He sent that man to France who said it was all Stratton’s doing. Did he lie about that?”
The dowager’s face crumpled. She closed her eyes.
“I think we will never know. If he did, it was to protect his mother, Marwood. I am not sure you or I would have done differently,” Adam said.
Clara took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
“I will leave now, if you do not mind,” the dowager said, rising. “I think that, come autumn, I will retire to the dower house. I have thought for some years that I might like that.”
Adam and Theo stood until she left.
“Please sit, Theo,” Clara said. “I have something more to explain to you. Grandmamma already knows what I am about to say.”
“There ismore?” Theo dropped into his chair with dejected exasperation.
“Regrettably, yes. There will be talk, of course. And in the way of talk, some of it will be wrong. Her friends will try to turn it so it sounds less bad. Ambiguities will arise.”
“I assure you I am well aware of the scandal we face.”
“That is the least of my worries. Rather, I cannot have there be any further questions about Adam’s family. None. So the story of this unhappy deception will be published. The accurate story. Everyone will know it is accurate because if it were not, Grandmamma would bring suit for libel. Which she will not.”
This shocked Theo anew. “What gossip sheet do you plan to give it to?”
“Not a gossip sheet. A very respectable journal. One that will permit me to see the text to ensure it is correct. One that will treat Grandmamma as kindly as possible. It will emphasize how her initial motivations in sending the jewels to France were noble and generous.”
“It will kill her. She just said she was retiring from society. Isn’t that enough? And what of our father’s name and memory?”
“I cannot have men insulting my husband, Theo. I will not risk that the day comes again when his hand is forced and there is a duel. And that will happen, you know it and I do, unless this is thoroughly and finally finished because the true story is clearly known by all.”
“She will be finished too. I hope you know that,” Theo snapped.
“Shealready knows it, Theo. She knew it even while she explained the truth to me.”
Theo slumped more in his chair. Then, distracted and not looking at all a boy anymore, he stood abruptly and left the chamber.
Adam raised Clara’s hand to his mouth and kissed it. He urged her up and sat her on his lap. “Thank you, darling. I am not surprised you were brave enough to do this, but I am still astonished, and very grateful.”
“It is not hard to be brave for you. As for my family, it is always best if the truth wins, I think.”
“How did she come to admit all of this to you?”
She gently stroked his lips. “If I told you that her conscience would not allow her to keep silent any longer, and she wanted to remove the shadow from your father’s name, would you believe me?”
“I would believe anything you told me.” He kissed her, and the light and gratitude in his heart poured through him freely. And the love. Most definitely the love. “What is this respectable journal to which you will provide the story? I don’t know of any that would allow you to control the writing of it as you described to Theo.”
She wound her arms around his neck. She kissed him deeply. Greedily. Erotically. He ceased caring about the day’s revelations or anything at all except having her naked in his arms, beside him, below him . . . One with him.
She looked in his eyes and smiled mysteriously. “Ah, yes, the journal. Explaining that will take a while.”
“Later, then.” He kissed her, savoring the warm clarity in his soul that remained a novelty after five years of shadows. “For now, just let me hold you and love you. There will be time for explanations later.”
Kobo Exclusive Content:
Bonus EPILOGUE
