It was a stone, with a rough carving etched into its hard, flat surface. Juliana held it up to the light of the window, trying to make out what it said. It almost looked like…
It was. The letters J and L, and underneath them a date.
Their wedding day.
She ran a fingertip over the rough carving, sudden tears gathering in her eyes.
Logan had made them an oathing stone. Somehow, Juliana knew he’d carved it himself, though he’d never mentioned it, and he’d never shown it to her. She turned back toward the bed, and her gaze landed on Logan’s face. She couldn’t say exactly when it had happened, but somewhere between Castle Kinross and Graystone Court, his face had come to mean the world to her.
Her fingers closed around the stone. She wanted to slip it into her own pocket and take it with her for luck, but after thinking about it, she reluctantly returned the stone to Logan’s coat pocket.
It wasn’t hers. If he’d wanted her to have it, he’d have given it to her.
* * * *
Benedict liked to keep people waiting. It made him feel powerful.
Still, Juliana wasn’t surprised when he appeared in the drawing room soon after she arrived. She’d predicted he’d be eager to toy with her, and she could see by the gleam in his cold gray eyes she’d been right.
“Lady Juliana. Why, what a delightful surprise. It’s been months since I had the pleasure of your company, but here you are, as lovely as ever.” He took her hand and raised it to his lips, his eyes flashing with triumph when she flinched at his touch.
“Good afternoon, my lord. This isn’t a social call, as I’m sure you’re aware. I have some business to discuss with you.” Juliana’s words were clipped. If he could, Benedict would do everything in his power to drag out this moment between them. She wouldn’t allow it. The sooner she could escape his drawing room, the better.
“Business?” He took a seat on the settee, sitting far too close to her. “I can’t imagine what sort of business you could have with me.”
Juliana shifted away from him. “Come now, Benedict. We both know that’s not true. Let’s be honest with each other, shall we?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he pressed the tips of his fingers together under his chin, and regarded her with that icy stare.
Juliana suppressed a shiver. She never could bear to look into Benedict’s eyes. It was like looking into an abyss. She dropped her gaze, reached into the bag at her side and retrieved the slip of paper she’d taken from Logan’s coat pocket. She held it out to Benedict. “Does this look familiar to you?”
Benedict didn’t take the paper. His gaze flicked to it, then back to her face. “Perhaps it does.”
“They’re your vowels, Benedict. It seems you owe my husband two thousand pounds.”
The moment she mentioned Logan, a cruel smiled drifted across Benedict’s lips. “Ah, yes. Mr. Blair. I’m relieved to find he made it home safely after our game last night. My man Rowley mentioned something about a disturbance. You should warn your husband to be more careful, Juliana.”
Juliana managed a casual shrug, but her heart was pounding. “Perhaps you should deliver the same warning to your manservant. From the account I heard, he got the worst of it.”
Benedict didn’t care for that reminder. His smile faded and his eyes narrowed, but when he spoke, he was as cool and charming as ever. “I can only hope your husband’s good fortune continues.”
Juliana recognized Benedict’s words for the threat they were, and her mouth went dry. “That’s what I came to discuss with you.”
“What, your husband’s good fortune, or the lack thereof?” Benedict laughed. “My dear Juliana, what can I possibly have to say to it?”
Juliana didn’t bother to answer that question. Instead she nodded at the slip of paper with Benedict’s vowels, which she’d placed on the table between them. “You know very well my husband doesn’t want your money. He wants the land in Perth. I do wonder, though, whether that really matters. It occurs to me, Benedict, you may not honor the debt.”
Benedict gave her a mocking smile and laid a hand on his chest. “You wound me. I’m a gentleman, Lady Juliana. A gentleman always honors his debts.”
Juliana looked at him, a loathing unlike anything she’d ever known burning in her chest. This man had tried to force her to marry him. He’d taken advantage of her father when he was too ill to defend himself. Benedict had done everything he could to take Grace away from her, and last night he’d sent his manservant out to hurt Logan. If Benedict got the chance, she hadn’t the slightest doubt he’d do it again.
He wasn’t a gentleman. He was a monster, and she was done pretending otherwise. “But that’s just it, Benedict. You’renota gentleman. We both know you haven’t the least intention of letting go of your Scottish lands, because that would mean giving Fitzwilliam something he wants. You’d sooner send your man after Logan again than do that, wouldn’t you? Tell me, Benedict. Just how far will your thirst for revenge take you? Will you stop short of murder?”
“How melodramatic you are, Juliana.” Benedict laughed, and Juliana could see by the malicious glitter in his eyes he was relishing every moment of this confrontation with her.
“No, I don’t think I am. You forget how well I know you.” She nodded at the paper again. “But I don’t intend to find out how far you’ll take this. I’ve come to collect the deed to the Scottish lands from you. In return, I’ll give you back that paper, and something else, as well. Something you’ve always wanted.”
He laughed. “You flatter yourself, my lady. Perhaps there was a time I wanted something from you, but that time has long since passed. You don’t have a single thing I desire, Lady Juliana.”
