He silently stared at her, and she could not take the heartbreak in his eyes a moment longer. He was a man of honor. He would hold through with whatever was necessary to support his sisters. She knew all too well what ruin faced him if anyone found out about his parentage.
She spun and ran through the door, allowing it to slam behind her. If only the bang wouldn’t have shattered her heart right along with it.
Algenon stumbled forward a few moments too late. Javenia’s words had stopped him, slapping him in the face like a wet rag. The more he thought about them, the more they made sense. He held the journals and letters that exposed the truth. It would be his word against Lord Falcross’s. Yes, there would be gossip and he might face social scrutiny, but if by law he was considered legitimate with his mother’s marriage, what more was there to say?
He ran a hand over his face and stared at the finely woven Persian rug beneath his feet. Did his uncle have a book on law in his study? Or maybe his solicitor would know.
His gaze caught on a ball of blue paper, and he realized it was the one he’d seen Javenia holding when he first entered. Curiosity got the better of him and he picked it up and flattened it on the surface of the table.
On the top was writtenHow to win Algenon’s heart.
A thunderous whooshing filled his ears as he read through the list.
1. Flirt with him.
2. Do not antagonize him.
He snorted. Well, those two had not worked. Teasing was their flirting.
3. Ingratiate yourself with his father and stepmother.
4. Buy new gowns from his favorite modistes.
5. Touch him.
Warmth spread through every inch of his body, and he grinned. That one had worked too well.
Several other small notes had been written, but it was the last one that made him pause.
Meet in private so you can confess.
Years of dancing around one another, of wondering and hoping, had led her to mastermind this list. He’d always known she was intelligent and fearless, from the very first time she’d stood up to Duncan Boleyn for him. He didn’t think his smile could grow, but it did.
Would it matter if they were both ruined? If Javenia was correct, the law would allow him to maintain his father’s properties. They might as well face Society’s scorn together.
Carefully, he folded the piece of paper and tucked it in his pocket, grateful for the piece of information she’d bestowed upon his grieving, weary mind. He’d need to gain an audience with Lord Upton, but he doubted such a thing would be difficult. The man probably expected it after all that had happened.
The door to the sitting room flew open and he looked up, expecting to see Javenia standing there. But it was Lady Upton.
She held a piece of paper aloft, a book in her other hand. “She told the truth.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “Who?”
“Your mother. Solomon did do right by her.”
Chapter 27
Javenia sat by the stream, the tears on her face almost as frozen as the water’s edges. She pulled the edges of her cape closer around her. If she’d not been in such a hurry to escape, she’d have grabbed something more logical.
Miss Weston’s self-satisfied smirk filled her mind, and she let out a choked sob. Picking up a reed, she snapped it in half, angry that the woman had won. Why had she not been ruined? Everyone knew she was a trollop.
Such was life, though. If never caught, Society could never prove that they’d made a misstep. Much as Algenon’s mother had covered her own indiscretions by marrying Lord Roberts.
Javenia split the pieces of reed in half again, peeling off bits and tossing the remnants in the stream. A crackling made her startle to her feet. A grey striped cat scampered out of the reeds and across the path she'd followed. Poor thing. She'd probably scared it half to death with her sobs. Then the thick morning mist parted as the very man she'd come to avoid walked through.She braced herself, not ready to see Algenon so soon after he’d told her the truth of his parentage.
As usual, it was her fault. Algenon always traveled this route between their houses. She had unwittingly placed herself in his path.
He stopped, his breath visible in the cold air. “Javenia.”
