Her face went even paler. “By marrying me, you mean. You came to Hadley House out of a sense of obligation, to keep me from making a match with a gentleman who only wants me so he can have his revenge on you.”
“Wrexley has many reasons to want you, Iris, just as any gentleman would.” Finn’s voice softened. “But the wager was what made him decide to pursue you in earnest, and he’s since admitted to me it would give him great pleasure to take you from me.”
She was quiet for a moment, then, “And what of you? Would it giveyougreat pleasure to take me fromhim? Did you love Miss Hughes? You must have if you still wished to marry her after Lord Wrexley ruined her.”
Finn hesitated. How to answer that question? He’d cared for Diana Hughes, but his feelings for her had been a faint echo of the feelings he now had for Iris. “I loved her as much as I could love anyone at that time, yes.”
“Then you have as much reason to want revenge as Lord Wrexley does. Perhaps more.” Her blue eyes were bright with pain. “How arrogant I was, to imagine myself the queen of this game, when all this time I’ve only been a pawn.”
“No!” He gripped her shoulders, desperate to make her listen. “I’m not like Wrexley, Iris. I’d never use you like that, or marry a lady for revenge.”
“But you’d marry a lady from obligation.” Her voice was dull. “You’re an honorable man, Lord Huntington—so honorable you’d sacrifice your own happiness to protect me from Lord Wrexley.”
“No. You don’t understand. From the moment you jilted me, I’ve—”
“Huntington.”
Finn and Iris both whirled around to find Lord Derrick standing at the stable door.
“I need to speak with you.” Lord Derrick’s tone was grim.
Finn dragged a hand through his hair. “Can’t it wait?”
“No. Now, Huntington.” Derrick’s face was gray and set, and his tone allowed no room for argument.
Finn nodded to his friend, then turned back to Iris. “Go and find Lady Hadley, and explain to her what happened with Chaos. I’ll come find you when I’ve finished with Derrick, all right?”
She nodded, but her gaze was unfocused, and she wandered out the stable doors as if she were in a daze. Finn watched to make sure she entered the house, then turned to Derrick. “What’s happened?”
Derrick shook his head. “I’m not sure, but I was walking the eastern side of the grounds with Lady Honora just now, and I saw Wrexley go tearing by on his horse as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. Wherever he’s going, he’s in a damn hurry to get there, and this isn’t his first mysterious errand this week.”
Finn was already motioning to the stableboy. “Perhaps we should follow him, and see what has him in such a hurry.”
“My thoughts exactly, but we’ll need to move quickly, Huntington. He has a solid start on us.”
“I want Captain West with us.” This business with Wrexley would end now, today. Finn would make sure of it. It was time to confess the whole of it, and ask Captain West to forbid Wrexley from returning to Hadley House.
“I saw him in the breakfast parlor not five minutes ago. I’ll fetch him.”
Lord Derrick hurried off toward the house, and a few minutes later he met Finn in the stable yard, accompanied by a puzzled-looking Captain West.
“What the devil’s all this about, Huntington?” Captain West demanded, mounting one of the three horses Finn had waiting. “Something about Lord Wrexley?”
“We’ll tell you on the way. What’s the closest town to the east, Captain?”
“Cheriton is within three miles.”
“We’ll start there, then.” Finn kicked his horse into a run, and Derrick and Captain West fell into place beside him.
Finn didn’t mince words as they made their way to Cheriton, and by the time they reached the small village, Captain West looked as if he were ready to toss the entire lot of them out of his house.
“Bloody hell, Huntington. It never occurred to you to mention this to me a week ago? Lady Chase will have my head if she discovers one of her beloved granddaughters has been trifled with under my roof. As it is, she’s going to have an apoplexy when she discovers Iris won’t become a marchioness.”
“Shewillbecome a marchioness, Captain. I’ll marry her tomorrow, if I can persuade her to have me again.”
Captain West’s gaze narrowed on Finn, and after an intense scrutiny, he nodded. “Ah, so that’s how it is. Very well, Huntington, but you’d better make this right. Lady Chase may get my head in the end, but not before I getyours.”
“One thing at a time, Captain. You can decapitate me after we take care of Wrexley.”
