Page 30 of Inconvenient Honor
Glenaire’s cool façade didn’t alter; he didn’t respond.
“I own I am fatigued, however, and I must ask you to?—”
Both aristocratic brows rose. “Dismissing me, Miss Thornton?”
Lily held herself perfectly still and thrust out her chin. I need to get rid of this man before I fall over.
“Are you perfectly certain ‘The business we discussed at Chadbourn Park had a positive outcome’?” he asked.
She stifled a groan. “A woman is always certain about these things, my lord.”
He leaned forward abruptly. “Men, however, are never certain. Lily, tell me the truth.”
So, I’m Lily again?
“Are you calling me a liar?”
He reached for her hand; she pulled away. He leaned back into his seat. “So I am to understand that ‘No further action is needed’?”
“As I wrote, my lord,” she said. “Was it not clear?”
“Will there be other repercussions? When you marry, that is?”
At least the damned man didn’t say “if.”
“My marriage prospects are my concern. I need nothing from you. I expect nothing from you. I want nothing from you.”
Glenaire—oh hell, Richard—glowers like no other man I ever met. It is enough to strip the bark off a tree.She refused to wilt under it or look away in the long minutes that followed in silence.
“In the matter of your father, Miss Thornton, you do have concerns,” he began. Her heart began to race. He went on before she could ask. “In matters of that sort, no news is often literally the best news, and we have heard nothing. I’ve sent men to watch every port between here and Copenhagen. If he is delayed again, or if Volkov’s agents appear, I will hear. When I do, you will know.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Has Volkov tried to contact you?”
“What do your spies tell you?”
“That he hasn’t. He had someone watching, but we put a stop to it.”
The dratted man doesn’t even try to deny that he spies on me. Volkov too—good God!
“They are correct. I have seen and heard nothing.”
She insisted on walking him to the door.I want to shut the dooron him, shut the door on the entire episode of the Marble Marquess in my life.
“Good day, Miss Thornton. You will hear from me.”
“Do send a message if you hear anything,” she replied.Send a message—don’t come here again.
She shut the door firmly behind him, turned, and deposited her sparse luncheon and tea into a potted palm, retching painfully for a few moments.
Ugh, but I hate that. Please, dear God, let this be something I ate. She clung to hope but found it harder to doubt every day.
I think, Lily dear, you are about to face the consequences of what happened among the sheep.She felt her marriage hopes die with sinking heart.What will I do?she wondered with rising panic.I will have to leave London for certain. How can I do that until my father is here? Papa, where are you?
A maid hurried to clean her mess. Lily thanked her, suggested they leave Aunt Marianne to her nap, and began to climb the stairs to her room, weary beyond speech.
Pregnant, Lily? What in God’s name will you do now?
