Tears streamed down her cheeks. “You don’t know anything about my father.”
“Don’t I? I’ve heard all the stories from Ash over the years. And I’ve witnessed a lot of it myself.”
She angrily swiped the tears from her eyes. “So what, Griffin? You think you can just tell me you love me now and I’ll fall into your arms and marry you?”
“You’re using your unhappy marriage as the reason you won’t try again. But our marriage would be completely different from whatever happened between you and Maxwell. Youknowthat, Meredith. You must know that.” He captured her gaze and held it. “Now, I’m going to ask you one more time. Do. You. Love. Me?”
A steely resolve shone in her eyes. Her jaw was tight. “And I’m going to tell you one more time.It doesn’t matter. It’s too late. You’ll never know how close you came to making the biggest mistake of your life. Now. I’m leaving.” She ripped open the door. Her voice was low but certain. “And I never want to speak to you again.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
June 1816, The Duchess of Maxwell’s Drawing Room
Weeks had passed, but Meredith still didn’t feel any better. She’d been sick with regret all spring. Cutting Griffin out of her life had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. But it was the right thing to do. She knew it. He needed to forget about her. He needed to find a woman who could bear him children.
He’d wanted to hear her say that she loved him. As if love was somehow a cure for all things. It wasn’t. Love couldn’t make her able to have children. And love couldn’t fix this.
But she was also angry with him. How dare he say those things about her father? About Maxwell?
“You were dead set on marrying that old man,” he’d said. “You actually thought you should do it for yourfather.”
Yes. Yes to both. And Griffin, who damn well knew why she’d done it, had hurled those words at her like an accusation. He knew—she’dtoldhim—that she hadn’t had a choice. The papers had already been signed. The contract was already in place. It wasn’t as if she’d relished marriage to anold man. She had been an eighteen-year-old girl. She didn’t have the right to defy her father’s wishes, even if she’d wanted to.
And Griffin hadn’t stopped there.
“When you married Maxwell, it devastated me,” Griffin had also tossed out, as if it were an innocuous thing to say.
Had he meant that he’d loved her back then? If so, he didn’t say that at the Onyx Club, and he certainly hadn’t said it all those years ago. In fact, all he’d done back then was treat her as if she was a fool before making a half-hearted and, frankly, insulting offer of marriage.
She’d been devastated that night. Devastated to learn that her closest friend in the world had no intention of supporting her when she needed him most. She hadn’t expected his recriminations that night. She certainly hadn’t expected him to leave for years without even telling her he’d changed his plans. And now he thought a few carelessly uttered words could alter the past? As iflovecould fix everything. Love only seemed to make things worse.
The truth was she’d marry Maxwell again if she had to. Because Griffin was wrong about her father. Hehadloved her. He’d found a duke for her, precisely as Mama had wanted. Griffin hated his own father. That’s why he assumedherfather was just as awful. But Griffin was wrong. Wasn’t he wrong?
A sharp knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Come in,” she called, expelling her breath.
The butler opened the door. “The Marquess of Trentham to see you, Your Grace.”
Meredith nodded. Her brother was here. She hadn’t seen him in weeks. “Show him in.”
Moments later, Ash strolled into the room. He always looked perfectly put together and today was no exception.Ash was wearing tan breeches and an emerald waistcoat with a black coat and boots. Meredith watched as he silently made his way directly over to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. Apparently, he had no intention of speaking first.
“I’ve been expecting you,” she said.
“Really?” Ash replied in his usual good-natured tone. He splashed a healthy amount of brandy into a crystal glass.
“For weeks now, actually.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can only imagine why you’re here.”
Ash grabbed his drink and came over to stand next to the sofa where Meredith sat. “Good, then I won’t waste time pretending I’m here for any other reason. I’ve been giving you time to think.” He gave her a knowing smile and lifted his glass as if in a toast.
Meredith heaved a sigh. “You’re going to tell me that I have made a mistake.”
“Yes.” Ash nodded.
“You’re going to tell me that I should marry Griffin.”
“Yes.” Another nod.
“And?”
