Surprise flooded his features, filling Amelia with a sense of victory for as long as it took him to digest what she’d said. It dwindled as soon as he’d grown accustomed to the idea and chose to ask her, “For how much?”
“I don’t see why that might be relevant.”
The vein next to his eye began twitching again. He clenched his jaw, and Amelia instinctively took a step back. “Mr. Gorrell’s services do not come cheap. He is in fact quite likely to fleece his clients unless they know how to handle him. So if I were to imagine how your negotiations went, I would suppose he mentioned a reasonable price that you then accepted. Later, he probably told you there was another interested party who wished to offer more. My question to you is whether or not you’ve agreed to pay the final asking price.”
Since her heart had dropped to her feet, Amelia could no longer feel it beating inside her chest. Instead, she felt hollow inside. She’d been conned. Dear God, how could she not have seen it? Her eagerness to finalize the purchase had made her stupid, and now, Coventry was about to realize just how foolish she’d truly been.
Oh, if only her mind had not been filled with ideas of helping people. But she was who she was, and now that she could afford it, she wanted to make a difference in the world. Except there was little chance of that happening if she continued to be blinded by her ultimate goal. And now... Her throat worked against the awful threat of hot tears. No! She would not be reduced to a weeping female. Not as long as Coventry was watching. Hell, she’d rather die than let that happen.
“Well?” he prompted.
Bracing herself against the critical stare that was sure to follow, Amelia raised her chin and told him plainly, “I’ve paid three thousand for it.”
Contemplation kept him silent for a couple of seconds before he spoke again. “Considering the size and state it is in along with the location, three thousand is not as bad as I had feared. In fact, I might have invested that sum myself had I known the house was on the market.”
“That is not the full sum.”
His brow knit in a frown, his shoulders bunching slightly as he leaned toward her. “Then what is it?”
Focusing on a point to his right, she forced out the words that had to be said. “You were right. Mr. Gorrell did precisely as you have described. He asked for three thousand, which I brought with me today.”
“I won’t even begin to wonder at how you procured such a large sum.”
“Huntley gave it to me.” Coventry’s mouth dropped open. He clearly hadn’t expected this. “It is an advance on my allowance.”
“So then your brother...” He shook his head before leveling her with a frank stare. “Huntley knows about all of this?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Unfortunately, she failed to keep her voice level.
Coventry was quick to notice. “And what manner would that be?” he asked while raising an eyebrow.
Knowing she’d probably already lost whatever respect he had for her, Amelia blew out a breath and confessed. “He knows I came across an investment opportunity—one that would likely be gone by the time he returns from Paris.”
“He never said a word of it to me.”
“Perhaps because he and I didn’t speak of it until the day before he was leaving? It was all quite hectic amid the packing. You know, he did try to convince me to wait, but when I told him how serious I am about this venture and how certain I am of its profitability, he allowed me to pursue it since I will be spending my own money and the only person who stands to lose is me.”
“Then why sneak about?” Coventry asked. “If your brother knows about this, why hide it from me?”
“Because you aren’t like him.” The words flew from her with a biting undertone that seemed to drain all the air from the room. Regretting the way in which she’d said it, Amelia tried to explain. “You’re from a world that doesn’t allow women any kind of independence. Had you known, you would have insisted on coming with me, of hovering over my shoulder while I spoke to Mr. Gorrell. Worse, you would probably have taken over the negotiations and denied me any chance of seeing to this project on my own.”
“Considering how things turned out, that would probably have been an excellent thing.”
“No, it wouldn’t have!” How could she make him understand when he was so bent on seeing the worst? “As I said, your suspicions about Mr. Gorrell were correct. He mentioned another offer at five thousand and I countered at five thousand five hundred.”
“Christ! What the hell were you—”
“Let me finish, will you?” His glower conveyed his reluctance for her to do so, but he jerked his chin in agreement nonetheless. “Ever since moving to Mayfair, I have felt... lost. I don’t belong with the aristocracy, and I don’t believe that I ever will, no matter how much I try.” The words spoken behind her back at her brother’s ball mocked her once more. “But there are some benefits to my new situation and the wealth that has come with it. I’m now in a position to do something constructive with my life, something meaningful and... I would so much rather spend my money on buying this house and renovating it than on jewels and dresses. I’ve no need for those, but after fifteen years of being able to move about freely, of feeling as though I was in charge of my destiny, however dismal that destiny might have been, I need to do something of my own; something that’s only mine and that nobody else will interfere with.”
“You’re seeking power and control.”
She hadn’t really thought of it like that, but perhaps he was right. “I will make mistakes. I know that. But they will be my mistakes and—”
“Your mistakes so far have not only been costly but completely unnecessary.” He considered her with a blank expression that made her insides squirm. “What troubles me the most, however, is your dishonesty. Frankly, I thought you were better than that.”
“I...” If he’d told her he hated her, it wouldn’t have hurt more than the disappointment that showed on his face. “I wasn’t sure how to explain all of this to you or your mother or Lady Everly. Chances were that one of you, if not all, would have tried to stop me from coming here today.” Pouring every bit of remorse she felt into her gaze, she whispered, “I couldn’t let that happen.”
Inhaling sharply, he expelled his breath on a nod. “Very well then.”
