“No, I think I understand. You don’t believe you can build a happy family.” She stared at him solemnly. “You would never lie to your wife, though. You have a kind heart.”
A pang of guilt bit him. If he decided to go along with Havisham’s plan, he was going to steal from her mother. She couldn’t be involved in her mother’s scheme, could she? She wasn’t a blackmailer. If she was, she was the best actress he’d ever met, and he might be her next victim.
No, he refused to believe that. Her voice never wavered. Her expressions were genuine. She didn’t play a part.
“Angeline, my past isn’t that of a kind man.” He didn’t know if she was lying to him or not, but he wanted to be honest about his past. “I did things I’m ashamed of, and the worst thing is that I’m not sure I’ve changed.”
She stopped under the shadow of a tree. “Trust me, I understand the need to survive against all odds. I don’t judge you for your past, but I think I know your heart. You savedme from certain death. No one forced you to enter the blazing theatre over and over to save people you didn’t know. I don’t care what you did in the past, but I trust your present.”
That was likely the best compliment he’d ever received.
He got lost in her gaze and the deep pink of her lips. He wondered if they were as velvety as her cheek. Once again, she chased away his dark thoughts with the ease of a zephyr blowing away the clouds. And that was the best gift he’d ever received.
“Besides.” She lowered her gaze. “I have my share of sins, too. There are things I did that made me feel ashamed of myself. Well, not exactly thingsIdid, but I helped someone else do those things.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Now my words don’t make any sense.”
No, he got a good hunch of what she meant. A part of him wanted to blurt out what Havisham had told him and demand an explanation. Another part advised caution. He needed to know more about Mrs. Haywood’s blackmail scheme and to see Mrs. Walsh.
“I didn’t have a good example of a happy family either,” she said in a low tone. “I don’t remember anything about my father. He abandoned my mother when I was a child. But exactly for that reason, I want to build my own happy family. It would be like breaking a curse.”
So yes, dire circumstances had driven Mrs. Haywood to crime. People got easily lost in a life of crime.
“I understand. If you need to talk, I’ll always be here for you,” he said.
“If I could tell you everything, I would.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but whatever she meant to say was cut off by her mother walking towards them.
He stepped away from Angeline, aware he’d spent too much time alone with her. But Mrs. Haywood didn’t show the angryface of an outraged mama. She smiled when she stopped next to them.
“Darling, are you all right? You ran away.” Mrs. Haywood bowed her head at him. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter, my lord.”
“My pleasure, madam.”
Angeline gazed around. “I needed a moment, Mama.”
“It’s all right,” Mrs. Haywood said. “I’m glad Lord Wharton kept you company. Mr. Wright is giving a piano concert to end the event. Would you care to join us, my lord?”
“I’ll be delighted.” Anything to spend more time with Angeline.
“It’s decided then. Shall we?” Mrs. Haywood’s happiness reminded him of that of those mobsters in the rookery after they’d collected protection money.
Definitely, he had to understand what she was doing.
