It’s not like he would ever be willing to even look at me again. That look on his face… I will never forget how badly I hurt him.
“No,” Isla told her mother sharply. “Can’t you leave it alone?”
“Whatever for? I am only trying to help!”
Everyone keeps saying that! Why don’t they understand? Why does no one understand what I am telling them?
“No! I don’t need help.” Isla’s voice fractured as she made it up the stairs, leaving her mother behind. “I’m trying to protect this family. Now leave me alone!”
Knowing her sisters would be abed in their room, she took to the small upstairs library instead. She shoved a table against the door so no one could come in. There was no proper place to sleep but the window seat, but she didn’t care. Most likely, there would be no sleeping tonight.
Just more tears. Isla was beginning to wonder if she was made of them.
CHAPTER 34
Ronan jerked awake, reaching for something.
He stopped. His hand came down. He didn’t know what was happening.
Sitting up, he glanced around in confusion. He was on a handful of cushions beside a sofa that didn’t belong to him. Shelves and a desk proved it was a study.
Then he noted curly gold hair. Someone slept at the desk. Grabbing the smallest of the pillows, Ronan threw it at the head.
Cursing, Julian blearily looked up. “Why am I not in bed?”
“A most excellent question,” chirped a cheery voice too loud for Ronan’s liking. He groaned at the sight of Genevieve who brought forth a loaded tray of bread and tea.
He slowly pieced together the last day. Julian’s arrival at his estate had him questioning Isla’s departure. So they had sought to speak with her, but she wasn’t at home. They’d learned rumors at the club and returned… A glance at his pocket watch proved it was only four hours ago.
“Why are we awake?” He grumbled as the platter was placed noisily at the desk.
“My dearest, best wife, I must agree with his sentiment. Can you not give us a few more hours?”
Genevieve sniffed as she straightened, putting her hands on her hips. “Certainly. I doubt you would be interested in anything I have to learn about the MacLaren family anyways. Sleep well.”
That had Ronan shooting up, swaying and holding onto the sofa for support. “What? What did you learn?”
“More particularly, how?” Julian asked as he folded his arms. “You were at a dinner party last night and should have come straight home. What did you do?”
Genevieve smirked. “I’ll pour the tea, then.”
She served them politely while explaining she had indeed attended the party… with Isla. Seeing the way Isla had practically jumped from a moving carriage––a sickly image that had Ronan needing to take a seat to keep breathing––had made Genevieve curious enough to follow and ask at the back door.
“I didn’t have to ask the servants. Another daughter was there. Margaret. She was attempting the courage to go seek Ronan out, though she didn’t know how she might do that,” Genevieve explained.
So Genevieve had been there at the perfect time. Because Margaret knew a family secret: their father had left behind debts under forged names, a secret he had whispered when she was young, thinking she might never remember. Only it had haunted her and now she worried it had something to do with her sister’s strange behavior.
Julian and Ronan stared at one another in amazement.
“What if… What if Dunn knew about them?” Ronan finally asked aloud.
“It would surely tempt her to do something drastic to protect the family,” Julian said in reply. “Would she leave you to protect them?”
He recalled her hard words when she left him. His own cruel tone. And he recalled the day she had rescued his nephew from a horse, protecting him with her whole body. “Yes. She would do anything for them.”
“She said she was leaving you?” Genevieve asked in alarm, not having known the whole of the story.
Draining the last of his tea, Ronan climbed to his feet. He found his cravat and looped it around his neck as a plan formed. For the first time in days, he felt a small inkling of hope. And for once, he didn’t deny it.
