“I think that’s an insult to shrews,” Cade added.
“Whatever she is,” Derek continued, “she doesn’t deserve you as a daughter, and she never has. Lucy has told me the things she’s said and done to you over the years.”
Tears filled Delilah eyes. These men, these kind, loyal men, all cared enough about her to come here, to tell her how they felt, to make her see reason.
“We understand the importance of family,” Julian said, “but when family treats you as poorly as your mother has treated you, you owe her no loyalty.”
Confused, Delilah glanced at Derek.
“It’s true,” Derek replied. “I hate to tell you something so awful, but your mother wants to marry you to Clarence so that she and Hilton can keep your dowry for themselves.”
“If that’s not a horrible thing for a mother to do, I don’t know what is,” Garrett breathed.
“It’s true,” Rafe added, and Delilah’s confused gaze flew to her cousin’s face.
Rafe took a deep breath. “I sent my friends Mark Grimaldi and Daffin Oakleaf to Hilton’s club the other night. They bought him a few drinks and asked a few questions. Hilton admitted it to them. Seems he’s been hurting for money lately after a series of poor business ventures. I did some investigating on my own and apparently, the money your father set aside for your mother would return to the estate upon her marriage.”
Delilah took a long shaky breath. The truth was painful to hear, but it didn’t entirely surprise her. She’d wondered why Mother had been so adamant for a match with Clarence when Thomas had a better title and more money. She had suspected Mother wanted to keep her dowry, but she hadn’t allowed herself to fully believe it until this moment. She could just imagine Hilton, imbibing too much and bragging about the small fortune he stood to inherit once he was married to her mother and Delilah was married to his son. It made her sick.
“But that’s not the only problem,” she said miserably. “Thomas doesn’t love me that way. He only thinks he does.”
“No,youdon’t understand.” Derek leaned forward to meet her eyes. “Huntley switched rooms with Branville the night of the play. He knew you had that ridiculous elixir, and he knew you intended to use it. He wanted you to use it onhim.”
Delilah hand fell to her lap. She felt as if she’d swallowed a brick. “What?”
“That’s right.” Derek nodded.
“But why?” She searched the duke’s face, wildly confused. The blood drained from her cheeks only to fill anew with heat.
“Because he was already madly in love with you, you daft girl,” Derek said with a smile that belied his words. “He only needed a reason to be able to tell you.”
Delilah clapped a hand over her mouth. “No.” She shook her head. This couldn’t be true. Could it?
“I’m afraid so,” Derek continued. “Huntley asked me personally to ensure he and Branville traded rooms. I obliged. Don’t you remember that you asked me where Branville’s room was that night? Did you ever wonder why Huntley was there instead of Branville?”
Delilah pressed her fingertips to her lips. “I thought I’d mixed up the directions. I had no idea.”
“You didn’t make a mistake.” Derek sat back in his massive chair, the satisfied smile still lingering on his lips. “I sent you there. On purpose. Of course, if I’d known I was the one you’d ask, he wouldn’t have needed to change rooms to begin with, but it worked out exactly as Huntley planned. All’s well that ends well, I suppose.”
“You sent me to Thomas’s room?” she breathed, in complete awe of the information that was slowly sinking into her dazed mind. That night, she’d thought she was the one being sneaky. She’d had no idea. A slow smile spread across her face.
“Yes,” Derek replied, “and at the risk of sounding too much like my lovely wife, I must tell you that you were so preoccupied with trying to manipulate true love that you failed to see it right in front of your face.”
“That does sound like Lucy,” Christian replied. “But I daresay, it’s true.” He gave Delilah a sympathetic grin.
Tears filled her eyes. She swallowed hard. “I’ve been a fool.”
“Yes, you’ve been a fool,” Julian agreed, “but we’ve all been fools for love at one time or another. The good news is, it’s easily corrected. The man is madly in love with you, after all.” He grinned.
“As for your mother,” Derek continued, “I wouldn’t give her or Lord Hilton a second thought.”
“Say the word,” Cade Cavendish added, “and I’ll send Miss Adeline over to bite them both.”
Delilah nipped the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the offer, but the men were right. Her mother was awful to her and had been all her life. Thomas had tried to tell her gently on more than one occasion. All these years, she’d made excuse after excuse, but she refused to allow one more day to pass without setting things to right.
She stood and rushed to the door. When she grabbed the handle, she paused and turned back to the group. “Thank you. Thank you, all. You’ve no idea how much you’ve helped me. Truly.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Derek said, with a nod of acknowledgment. “What are you going to do?”
