“Then pray, let’s not wait another moment.” Her voice shook, so she swallowed. “Please, tell me what more your solicitor has discovered about Alex.”
Trey stepped closer, but she stood her ground, shoulders back, ready to do battle. He entwined a lock of hair in his fingers and brought it to his mouth, letting the waves caress his lips.
“You smell heavenly, Judith. Tell me,” he said in a soft voice, “why did you brush out your hair?”
“I—I—” How could she admit she wanted to tempt him? “I had nothing better to do while I waited for your mother to retire.”
He traced her face with the tips of his fingers. “Judith, do you know how lovely you looked tonight? I had no desire to take my eyes off you this evening, not even for a moment.”
Warmth spread through her chest from his compliment. But enough of his flattery. She wanted answers. “Trey, please.” She licked her dry lips. “Would you tell me what your solicitor has found?”
He frowned and stepped back to his desk. “I fear I’m reluctant to deliver bad tidings such as these.”
She held her breath and clutched her hands against her middle. Did she really want to hear? Yes! She must know.
“What Mr. Lewis discovered about your fiancé is not good at all.” He folded his arms and sat on the edge of his desk. “It appears Mr. Lewis was wrong about Mr. Cutler’s finances.”
Relief slowly seeped through her, but she dared not become too excited. She cocked a brow. “He was wrong?”
“Yes. Mr. Cutler is wealthier than we first expected.”
Another bout of relief trickled out, but she held it in, just in case. Had the solicitor misjudged Alex? “I don’t understand how this can be considered bad news.”
“Apparently, your Mr. Cutler is quite a charmer, though. In the last year on three different occasions, with three differentwomen, he has persuaded some young, wealthy widow to become his lover. Anyway, during these times, he proceeded to steal their jewels before he left without a trace. With each woman, he used a different name.”
Shock vibrated through her body and her legs shook. She sat on the sofa, still clutching her hands to her body. It couldn’t be true. Mr. Lewis had to be wrong. Alex wasn’t the type of man who would have done that.
“How do they know it was Alex?”
“Each woman described your fiancé in the same fashion. They all said he had curly brown hair and a scar on his bottom lip.” Trey lifted from the desk and sat beside her on the sofa. “Judith? Does Alex have a scar on his bottom lip?”
Her heart lodged in her throat and a deep ache filled her chest. She couldn’t breathe, yet she feared if she did breathe she’d let out a sob. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Apparently, he’s hiding because the authorities are looking for him. All three of these women reported him as a thief.”
Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked quickly to chase them away. Was this really the man she had intended to marry? The man she had met several months ago could have never acted this way. He’d been the perfect gentleman. Or was that just an act, too?
“Really, Trey. None of this makes sense. If he was only after me for my inheritance, why didn’t he meet me at the woodsman’s cottage?”
Trey stroked her arm. “Judith? Did he know about your inheritance?”
An ache grew in her head, meeting the same pain as what was forming in her chest. “No.” Her throat tightened with emotion, so she cleared her throat again.
“Oh, my sweet Judith.” Trey cupped her face as he loomed near. “I didn’t want to tell you. I cannot bear to see you hurting.”
If he didn’t stop pretending he cared, she was indeed going to cry. Releasing such emotion in front of him was out of the question. She must appear strong.
Pushing his hands away, she stood. “Thank you, my lord. Tell Mr. Lewis I’m grateful for this knowledge before I could exchange my vows with Mr. Cutler.” She turned and walked to the door. “Now, if you will excuse me, I’m very tired and I must lie down. Goodnight, Trey.”
Trey lifted himself from the sofa, but she hurried out of the room and rushed down the hallway before he could stop her. She didn’t remember every step from there to her room, but once she was inside and the door closed, she ran to her bed. Tears streamed down her face as sobs choked her throat.
She’d been a fool for falling in love with a man she didn’t know. Then again, had she really loved Alex or was it just the idea of marriage that she loved? She’d wanted to find a man to marry. All of her friends were married. So when she’d made Alexander Cutler’s acquaintance and realized he found her interesting, she made it a goal to make him fall in love with her.
Slowly, she lifted from the bed and walked to her full-length mirror. She wiped the tears staining her cheeks and sighed. While growing up, she’d never been able to accomplish making the boys fall in love with her. Why did she think she could do it now?
She recalled all the times when she had fancied a boy, but they always found her friends more interesting. Judith could never keep her thoughts inside her head so she spoke her mind, which was her biggest downfall. Her friends giggled and batted their eyes and won over the boys every time.
Nothing had changed. Even tonight with her coming out ball, she could tell when the men found her interesting or not. Most of the time all she saw was their greedy nature, especially when they spoke of her inheritance. Indeed, money was their onlyinterest. She had no desire for a man like that. The romantic side of her wanted to find a man who would love her for the woman she was, not what she could give them. She wanted a man who would treat her like a queen. The same way her father had treated her mother.
