Justin’s nostrils flared, but the daft woman had managed to gain his attention. “What’s that?”
“Madeline comes from the Quality. Her father was a baron. The family fell on hard times, and she was forced to take a job as my lady’s maid. If anyone finds out that she’s not only a thief but also a whore, no one will allow her younger sister into Society, and I happen to know that is Madeline’s greatest wish.”
Justin swallowed. Goddamn it. His skin went clammy with loathing and disgust. Henrietta was completely vile, but it all made sense now. The stories Madeline had told. The fact that she was cultured and could play the pianoforte and spoke French. The mention she’d made of her sister’s prospects. It made him sick to his stomach, but Henrietta was telling the truth. She could destroy Madeline’s family, and Madeline’s greatest concern was her sister. And it was his fault that Henrietta Hazelton held this power against them both right now.
Of course he had a score of questions about who Madeline really was and what precisely had happened to her family. But if Madeline hadn’t trusted him enough to confide in him, then he certainly didn’t want to hear it from Henrietta Hazelton. He also didn’t relish confirming to Henrietta that she knew more about Madeline than he did.
Henrietta blinked at him and gave him another tight smile. “Now, when shall our engagement announcement appear in the Times?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Justin tossed back his third brandy of the hour and immediately ordered another one from the footman hovering near his shoulder at the club. He’d ruined Madeline’s life. His ridiculous inability to keep his hands off the woman had ruined her life. Or would have ruined it if he hadn’t agreed to Henrietta’s plot.
He’d agreed for two reasons, actually. One, he refused to be the reason why Madeline’s life was made any more difficult. He’d already done enough damage to her. Two, he had already planned to marry a woman of the Quality whom he didn’t love. Henrietta wasn’t beautiful, and she certainly wasn’t pleasant, but that was the price he would have to pay to save Madeline’s and her sister’s reputations. Otherwise, Henrietta met all his requirements for a wife and, frankly, she might just make the best wife of all. Love would be nowhere near their match. In fact, he would take special delight in continuing his profligate ways with Henrietta at home.
Either way, he was still determined in what he needed to do for Madeline. There was only one thing to do. He would find her a new position in town, an even better position than being Eliza’s maid.
Only one thought haunted him. Madeline was of the Quality. A baron’s daughter. And that meant… He grabbed the brandy the footman had placed in front of him and downed it in one burning gulp. Damn it all to hell. She might be of the Quality, but he still couldn’t marry her. She wanted to marry for love. Love of all blasted ridiculous things. He could never give her that. And he couldn’t very well ask Madeline to marry him on the basis of saving her reputation from Henrietta’s serpent’s tongue either. Madeline would only insist he didn’t marry Henrietta for her sake, and he couldn’t allow her to do that. He refused to tell her that he’d put her future in jeopardy again last night by kissing her, and Madeline herself had made it quite clear that she would never marry for anything other than love. He wouldn’t hurt her further by offering her a loveless marriage. No. All he could offer her was sadness. A loving marriage was out of the question for him. He refused to do to Madeline what his father did to Mama. Justin couldn’t bear to hurt Madeline like that. He cared about her too much. But care wasn’t love and he wasn’t capable of love…just like his father.
Justin had made up his mind and knew precisely what he must do. He tossed a wad of bills on the table to pay for his drinks before calling out to the nearest footman. “Have my coach brought round. I’ll be leaving as soon as I have a word with the Duke of Hollingsworth.”
It was after dusk by the time Justin returned home. As soon as he made it to his study, he wasted no time sending up a note to ask Madeline to meet him. She arrived not a quarter of an hour later. She knocked tentatively on the door before stepping inside. She looked beautiful and vulnerable, and his chest was tight, knowing what he had to say to her.
“Come in,” he prompted.
She walked in and stood in front of his desk, her gaze searching his face.
He took a deep breath. There would be no easy way to say this besides just getting the words out. He’d made his decision, and he intended to see it through. It was in her best interest.
“I won’t apologize,” he began, “for last night.”
“Good. Because I don’t want an apology,” she returned.
“I’m glad to hear that. It was a special night and I’ll cherish the memory of it for the rest of my life.”
“I will as well.” She eyed him warily. “Why do I sense the next word out of your mouth is going to be ‘however’?”
Justin cleared his throat. He forced himself to meet her gaze. He’d been a rogue, a scoundrel, and a damn fool. At least now while he was making it right, he would have the courage to look her in the eye. “I have some important news. I’m…” He cleared his throat. This was more difficult than he’d expected it to be. And he hadn’t expected it would be easy. “I’ve chosen a wife.”
A flicker of something flared in her bright blue eyes. Pain mixed with surprise.
He swallowed. “And I’ve found you a new position. If you want it.”
The furrow in her brow deepened. “Pardon?”
“The Duke of Hollingsworth has agreed to hire you as a lady’s maid for his daughter. Her maid was recently taken quite ill. I will give you a sterling reference, of course.”
Madeline’s nostrils flared, and she clenched her jaw. “I see.”
Justin couldn’t stop himself. He barreled ahead with the rest of the story. “The pay will be even greater than what you make here, and I intend to give you six months’ worth of wages on top of it. You’ll have your own bedchamber. And from what I understand, the duke’s daughter is a sweet, unassuming young woman who’ll cause you no trouble.”
Madeline lifted her chin. “You’re sending me away?”
Breaking his eye contact with her for the first time, Justin expelled his breath and looked down at his desk. The bloody stone paper weight caught his eye, reminding him that a loveless marriage for her would be much more painful than this. This would be over shortly. A loveless marriage would last decades. “I cannot protect you here. I can’t protect you…from me.”
“I never asked you to protect me,” Madeline replied woodenly.
“I’ve behaved abominably. You deserve much better than—”
