“Oh?”
“My dear, you made quite the impression on my brother, but given the difficulties of your situation, I did not want to interfere unless one of you asked it of me. Thankfully, you chose to do precisely that.” She smiled with a hint of mischief. “Come, my lady. He’s in the library with my husband. I’ll show you the way.”
Louise’s stomach tightened as she followed her hostess. Her heart began skipping along as well and for one dreadful second, she feared she might be ill on account of her nerves. Of all the events that had come before in her life, she felt as though this one was the most important. If she got it wrong, it was unlikely she’d ever speak with Mr. Berkly again, as there would be no reason to. But if she got it right…
Her fears and concerns slipped away on that thought, because if she got it right, then there was a chance she and Mr. Berkly would be very happy together. Provided he wanted a life with her as much as she wanted a life with him.
It was too late to worry over him not desiring any such thing as Lady Windham opened the door to the library and strode inside. Louise followed her into the spacious room where gorgeous mahogany bookcases lined the walls from floor to ceiling. A large round table stood at the center of the room, its surface containing a series of books, some of which lay open as if in the process of being read.
Sliding her gaze to the left, Louise spotted the gentlemen and instantly clasped her hands to steady herself as both of them stood. Mr. Berkly’s gaze honed in on her with the sharp precision of a predator seeking its prey. He practically glared.
“Guthrie,” Lady Windham said, addressing her husband with the sort of informality Louise found equally startling and endearing.
At home, her parents had always addressed each other by title. Which was, Louise believed, the case in many homes. Though it did seem a bit odd, now that she thought about it.
Guthrie, the Duke of Windham, that was, approached his wife. Dressed in green trousers, a gold brocade waistcoat, and a red velvet jacket, he embodied an element of flamboyance uniquely his own. By contrast, Mr. Berkly’s navy blue attire looked rather dull, albeit more elegant, to Louise’s mind.
“I’d like to have a word with you in private,” Lady Windham said.
Mr. Berkly cleared his throat. “I should probably be on my way.”
“Stay.” Lady Windham directed the command at her brother with all the authoritativeness one might expect from a duchess. “You need to entertain Lady Louise until Guthrie and I are done talking.”
“Regina.” Mr. Berkly did not look the least bit eager to get stuck alone with Louise. A remarkable antidote to her nerves as irritation took over. Seemingly oblivious, he asked, “How long will this take?”
“As long as necessary,” his sister told him dryly, then gave her full attention to Guthrie. “Shall we?”
“By all means, luv.” Amusement sparkled in Guthrie’s eyes as he took his wife’s arm. “I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.”
“Good luck,” Lady Windham whispered to Louise right before she turned away and allowed her husband to lead her from the room.
The door closed, leaving Louise completely alone with a man who did not look the least bit happy to see her.
11
Louise’s heart jolted, but she was here now and had no intention of leaving until she knew she’d exhausted every effort to make Mr. Berkly listen. So she ignored the somersaults taking place in her stomach and walked toward him. “I’m sorry to catch you off guard like this, but as it turns out, it’s harder for me to get an audience with you than it is with the king.”
His lips twitched, as if in an effort to suppress his humor. Serious eyes followed her every move. “I’ve done what I could for you, my lady. In light of your father’s insistence you seek further medical help elsewhere, I saw no reason for us to meet. Especially not after Redding referred you to another ophthalmologist who’s just as capable as I with regard to post-surgical care.”
“We spent almost five weeks together if you include the time it took us to travel to Dorset.” Reaching the armchair the Duke of Windham had recently vacated, Louise grasped the backrest for support. She was only a yard away from Mr. Berkly now, and as compelling as the proximity was, it was equally aggravating. “I was under the impression we became friends during that time.”
“So was I. Until I realized you had lied to me from the very beginning.”
The accusation stabbed at her breast. “Mr. Berkly. Surely you can—”
“You showed no consideration for the impact your deception might have upon me.” He clenched his jaw, the hint of humor he’d allowed a few moments ago gone.
“I’m sorry. In hindsight I should have been honest with you so you could have made an informed decision. But I was desperate, out of time, and scared. You offered hope where there had been none before, and I selfishly latched onto it as hard as I possibly could.”
He stared at her for a long moment before he asked, “What do you have on your father, that he would withdraw his threats against me so swiftly?”
Louise hesitated only one second. After what she’d done, Mr. Berkly deserved full disclosure for once. He deserved her trust. And if they were to have any hope of getting past this so they could move on, she had to tell him everything.
She lowered herself to the chair and smoothed out her skirts before saying, “Papa married Mama for money. His family had accrued an enormous debt. He needed a way out of it, a means by which to replenish the funds his father had squandered.”
“Not the most unusual reason for entering into matrimony.”
“Perhaps not. But the contract Mama’s father drew up was. You see, my grandfather wished to protect his daughter against the humiliation of a philandering husband. He knew it would not be a love match, so he expected Papa would have mistresses on the side. If there were no stipulations preventing him from such a thing.”
