Colin nodded. “It won’t take long.”
Aunt Julia’s gaze flickered in my direction. Panic seized my muscles. Was she truly going to leave me alone with Clark? What were the two brothers conspiring to do this time?
But Clark looked as confused as I was, shooting his brother a questioning look as he led a far-too-willing Aunt Julia away from my side. I looked down at my gloved fingers for several seconds, counting each one in my mind.
Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
I inhaled deeply enough to make my chest burn and finally dared to look up. “I am glad to finally have evidence that you both exist.”
Clark’s eyes softened. He must have been expecting something more cruel to come out of my mouth. “Colin insisted that I come with him this evening. He decided he finally wants to claim me.” His lips twitched on one side.
“How generous.”
Clark’s expression was far more serious than I was accustomed to as he searched my face. He seemed torn between a certain decision, a battle evident in his features. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. “While your aunt is occupied…may I have a word with you?” He nodded toward the bench that Aunt Julia had been admiring.
I hesitated. Where on earth was Sir William? My success with him was partially dependent on his belief that there was no longer any attachment between Mr. Campbell and me. The real Colin would serve as a proper decoy if Sir William were to come looking for me.
My heart picked up speed, and I nodded against my better judgment.
Clark led the way toward the bench, and to my dismay, all the way into the dark path beyond it. I stopped for a moment to ensure I was not being watched as I made my way past the bench and under the cover of the foliage. Flower bushes and hedges stood tall around us. I knew I should not have followed him, but my curiosity had always gotten me into trouble.
Clark turned to face me at the bend of the path. In the moonlight, his eyes glowed a soft blue, his dark brows lowered in a look of concern. My heart hammered fast as I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. I had hurt him. I told myself that he deserved it, because he had hurt me too, but I knew deep inside that neither one of us had meant to.
He was so different from Colin. How could I have ever missed it? He was gentle and kind and good, yet I could not have him. I reminded myself of that over and over as he looked into my eyes.
“I spoke with Mrs. Ollerton,” he said in a low voice. “I know why you are seeking a fortune.” His brow drew together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I wrapped my arms around myself as a sudden chill came over my body.Oh,Kate.How could she reveal the truth without my permission? I squeezed my eyes shut. What had she been hoping to accomplish?
“I didn’t trust you.” My voice broke. “How could I tell the man I was courting that I intended to use his money to hide my brother’s crime?” I laughed in my throat, even though it was not amusing at all. The sound faded from my lips. “But now you know why I cannot marry you.”
Clark’s eyes glistened, and I had to look away.
“Is that the only reason?” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it shook me to the center.
My eyes lifted to his face. He didn’t move, standing a few paces away from me on the path, but his features were tenseas he awaited my answer. I had already imagined what my life might have been like with him. In a quiet, forbidden moment, I had dreamed of a small cottage with ducks and bees, tucked away just outside of Bath. There had been a great deal of laughing and teasing and kissing, and far more happiness than I had ever imagined I deserved. But I knew that Freddy’s life was far more precious than such a dream, and so I had tucked it away. Living any part of that dream put Freddy at risk, and even pretending it was possible could be disastrous.
Clark moved a step closer when I didn’t reply, his eyes sparking dangerously. “I am prepared to let you go, Arabella. I am prepared to help you secure Sir William if that is what it takes to protect Frederick from harm. But I need to know something. Please.” He had almost reached me on the path, his head tipping down as he looked in my eyes. “If you were free to marry for love, am I the one you would choose?”
“That is unfair,” I whispered. I scowled up at him, my pulse racing past my ears. “You lied to me. I feel like I hardly know who you truly are.”
“The man you came to know during our courtship was real.” He pressed a hand over his heart, his brows drawing together. “When I told you that all I want is to be known and loved for who I am, I meant every word. I believed that you were only courting me because you thought I was Colin. Because you thought I had a fortune. I never imagined your purposes for obtaining one would be so dire. I thought your only motivation was greed, and it broke my heart when I realized that I had fallen for you. Even if we cannot be together, I need to know if you wish we could be.”
The sincerity on his face formed a deep crevice in my heart. “We cannot, so it doesn’t matter,” I blurted. I found myself memorizing each of his features. I didn’t want to forget his face when I was married to a man I didn’t love.
“It matters to me.” Clark’s blue eyes looked far too sad. I could hardly meet his gaze. “If I knew that you wanted me?—”
“I do want you.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. “Is that what you wish to hear? That I want you, but I cannot have you? It is painful! It is horribly painful to want you even though you tricked me, and to want you when I am not in a position to choose you.” I could still hear the music somewhere behind us, softened now beneath the rustle of leaves and the uneven beat of my own heart. “I fell in love with you too.” I tried to breathe, but the look on Clark’s face stole the breath from my lungs entirely.
He walked forward in three long strides. I knew what he intended to do, and like a senseless fool, I met him halfway. His lips found mine in the dark, his hands surrounding my face. He tugged me forward by the waist, his breath catching. That tiny sound undid me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him until I couldn’t breathe.
He pulled back roughly to look in my eyes, pausing for a heartbeat before he dipped his head to my neck, his lips dragging across my skin as he trailed kisses to the edge of my jaw. My breath came in quiet gasps as my longing for him swiftly outran my caution. A shiver ran across every inch of my skin, bursting outward with every touch of his lips. My head felt light, my legs weak beneath me.
“Arabella,” he murmured close to my ear. My name sounded different in his mouth just then, guarded and full of regret. He rested his forehead briefly against mine, breathing unevenly, as though he was trying to remember something important. Perhaps he knew as I did that we should not be doing this.
I met his gaze in the dark. Tears sprang to my eyes. I didn’t want to say goodbye, and I didn’t want this moment to be over. Not yet. Before he could step away, I took his face in my hands,pulling his mouth back to mine. I felt the moment his restraint weakened, a deep groan coming from the back of his throat.
He kissed me deeply, slowly, and we stumbled blindly toward the shadows of the hedges. He pressed me against them, his hands on my hair. I should have been thinking of how dangerous this was, how reckless and selfish, but how could I think at all when Clark was kissing me like this? My thoughts were completely scattered. In the distance, I heard the fireworks thundering through the sky while Clark’s mouth moved against mine with an urgency that made my head spin.
