Page 33 of Redemption

The words echoed in her ears like the sound of a gunshot. For a moment, Blake simply stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. When she didn’t move, his shocked expression ebbed away until his expression was unreadable, but there was a dark fury glittering in his hazel eyes.

“What do you mean, you have a daughter?” His voice was devoid of emotion as he asked the question.

“I had a child…while I was…” she stammered in the face of Blake’s icy glare. “I tried…I wanted to tell you—”

“But you didn’t,” he said in a freezing tone. In a fraction of a second, his face had become a stony façade of unrelenting anger. There wasn’t a trace of the man she’d married standing opposite her. This was a stranger, and her heart twisted painfully in her chest.

“How could I,” she exclaimed as she took a step toward him. This time he was the one who retreated. Arianna’s mouth went dry as she stared at him in horror. She should never have listened to Aunt Beatrice or Rhea. Telling Blake the truth about Lucy had been a mistake. A terrible mistake.

“Blake, please. I wanted to tell you, I simply didn’t have the courage to do so.”

“And yet you found the courage to tell me you were soiled goods.” The cold words made her head snap back in shock. He’d never referred to her in that way before.

“Do you have any idea how difficult it was to even tell you I was a whore?” she cried out in anguish. Blake didn’t move, but a muscle twitched in his cheek as he studied her. For a moment, she thought she saw a softening of the cold, marble-like façade on his features. It vanished, and her heart sank.

“Why this sudden revelation, Lady Sherrington?” Blake’s use of her formal title made her jerk as if he’d slapped her. His gaze narrowed at her. “Were you afraid I wouldn’t marry you if I knew about the child?”

“Yes,” she whispered. The moment she answered his question, she realized her mistake. Her reply had made her lie sound even worse. It made it appear as if she’d married him for reasons other than love. Pain ricocheted through her as his expression became harsh with fury. Quickly, she closed the space between them to grasp his arm. Beneath her fingers, his arm was solid as hardwood. “Oh God, Blake, I didn’t mean it like that. I love you. I was terrified you wouldn’t love me anymore, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”

“Is the child mine?” The soft question made Arianna shake her head in confusion.

“What? I don’t understand.”

“The child you’re carrying now? Is it mine?”

The brutality of his question pulled a horrified gasp from her, and she swayed on her feet. As she met his gaze, she saw something flicker in his eyes, but it disappeared as an icy contempt took its place. If she’d been struck with a whip she could not have felt the sting any less than the pain Blake’s look was inflicting on her now. Arianna released her grip on his arm as if it was on fire and took several steps backward. Stiffening her spine, she tilted her head at a defiant angle and eyed him with equal contempt.

“You’re the only man I’ve ever welcomed into my bed willingly,” she said firmly. “The child is yours, my lord.”

The silence stretched out between them until Blake jerked his head in an abrupt nod.

“And are there any other revelations you feel compelled to share with me today, my lady?” There was a bitterness in his voice that frightened her.

“No,” she whispered. “I have no other secrets.”

“So you’ve said before.” The cold disbelief in Blake’s voice sent a chill through Arianna. It seeped its way through her pores and down into her bones, which she was certain would snap at the first bit of pressure. “I shall send Dr. Hopkins in. Make whatever arrangements necessary to ensure the babe…and you, come to no harm in the coming months.”

His face hard and inflexible, he strode toward the exit. Horrified he was leaving without having resolved the matter between them, Arianna rushed after him.

“Blake, please,” she pleaded as tears formed in her eyes. “Try to understand.”

“I understand all too well, my lady. You wanted a husband, and you were unwilling to jeopardize that ambition.”

“Ambition?” she sputtered in horror. “I married you because I love you.”

“I find that statement questionable at best, Lady Sherrington.”

“It’s the truth,” she exclaimed fervently.

“Is it? I wonder.” His gaze was cold as he looked her up and down then sneered as if he’d found her wanting. “Do you even know what the truth is?”

“Yes. I love you. That’s the truth. I have from the first moment we met.” Her words made him arch his eyebrows in skepticism.

“A meeting that was no doubt contrived.”

“No, our meeting was purely accidental. I would never have done such a thing.”

“I find that questionable under the circumstances.”

“Dear God, Blake. How can I make you understand how difficult it was for me to believe you could love me, let alone overlook my past? I couldn’t risk losing you. I love you.

“Love requires trust, Lady Sherrington. Something you clearly lacked in me, or you would have entrusted me with all your secrets before we were married.

Blake didn’t wait for her reply, but strode out of the salon. The door crashed shut behind him with a violence that emphasized his rage. Arianna stumbled toward the nearest chair, sinking down onto the needlepoint seat cushion. A shudder rocked through her. What she’d feared the most had happened. She’d lost him. Rhea and Aunt Beatrice had been wrong. Blake didn’t love her enough to understand why she’d kept Lucy a secret from him. She’d gambled and lost. The realization drove a spike so deep into her she thought she would die from the pain. Tears pushed past her closed eyelids and she buried her face into her palms. Once more, Ruckley had destroyed her life.