Thomas searched her face. “Yes, I know.”
“But I did use it.” She paused to take a breath. “On you.”
He rubbed a hand across his brow and shook his head. “The blasted potion? Is that what this is all still about?Who cares about the potion? I love you, Delilah, and my love for you has nothing to do with that idiotic potion. Run away with me.”
If you truly love him, you must let him go.
“I can’t, Thomas.” Tears gathered on her lashes. “I cannot. Please don’t ask me to again.”
“This isn’t about my feelings anymore, is it?” He clenched a fist and braced his arm against the brick wall behind her. “Is it because you don’t love me? Is that it?” His voice was accusatory, harsh, a tone she’d rarely heard from him, even at the worst of times.
If you truly love him, you must let him go.
“I love you as a friend, Thomas. I always will.” There. That would have to do because she couldn’t say more than that. It nearly broke her to say those words. She couldn’t even look him in the eye.
“You don’t want to marry me? You’d rather marryClarence Hilton?” He spat the words.
She clenched her jaw. This was excruciating. But it was also what she deserved after what she’d done. “I won’t marry Clarence,” she said. “But I also won’t marry you. I cannot allow you to save me. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
He turned from her, facing the darkness as if he could no longer bear the sight of her. “Don’t do this to us, Delilah,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry, Thomas. Please. Go.” And then she could speak no more. Grief had stolen her words. When she managed to swallow the sobs shaking through her and dashed the tears from her eyes, Thomas was gone. And Delilah had never been more alone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Delilah had been waiting in Lucy’s salon for the better part of half an hour when Derek entered the room alone. She blinked at him and started. “Is Lucy all right?”
She had expected to spend the afternoon before her supposed wedding discussing with Lucy what she should do. She intended to cry off, of course, but it was certain to be a difficult feat, and Delilah expected both her mother and Lord Hilton to take the news very, very poorly. She would need a place to stay if her mother forced her from her home.
“Lucy is well,” Derek replied. “But she’s not here at the moment.”
Delilah frowned. “I don’t understand. I received a message asking me to meet her here.”
“I know,” Derek said. “I sent the message.”
Delilah crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the duke. None of it made any sense.
“Please,” he said, gesturing to her to follow him. “Come with me.”
She followed him out into the corridor, across the foyer, and down another corridor until they came to two large doors. Derek opened them, revealing his spacious wood-lined study.
The moment she entered the room, Delilah sucked in her breath. They were not alone. Julian Swift was there. And Garrett Upton. Christian Berkeley and Rafe and Cade Cavendish. The men all stood or sat around the room in various states of relaxation. Most of them had drinks in their hands. Delilah’s startled gaze flew back to Derek.
“Usually we do this at the Curious Goat Inn,” he began, “and unfortunately for us, it’s usually a man we’re having to talk sense into. But in this case, Huntley seems to have his head on perfectly correctly. It’syouwe’re worried about.”
Delilah turned in a wide circle and nodded at each of them. “What do you mean?”
Derek walked over to his desk and offered her one of the seats in front of it. She stiffly perched on its edge, while he took his seat behind the desk. “Our wives are known for their matchmaking skills, but it seems their husbands aren’t too bad at it either. We’re here to tell you that you need to admit to Huntley you love him.”
Delilah’s gaze trailed about the room, stopping on each of the handsome, friendly male faces of her friends. “How do all of you know I love Thomas?” She blinked at them.
Julian inclined his head. “It’s obvious, Delilah. We’ve all known you and Thomas were meant for each otherfor years. You’re never happier than when you’re together, and you make an adorable couple, I might add.”
Delilah shook her head. “You don’t understand. There are other things to consider. My mother—”
Garrett cleared his throat. “With all due respect, your mother is a wasp.”
“She’s worse than a wasp. She’s a shrew,” Rafe replied.
