“Oh? And what of the rest of it? What of the company? Theboard?”
She lifted her chin. “That is no longer your concern.” It was her cool demeanor that grated the most, he realized. The way she always seemed to occupy a higher plane than the rest of them, where she wasn’t troubled by such pedestrian concerns asfeelings. And perhaps, at one point he might have truly believed it. But now it was too late. She had let him see too much behind the mask.
“You’re afraid,” he said, like it was an accusation. “You’re afraid to actually feel something real. Something you can’t control or write into a contract or buy out.”
“I feel guilty about what happened to you,” she allowed. “Because of my negligence.”
“Do you know why I was there that night? Have you even once considered it? I went there foryou,” he said. “To ask you to give us a real chance.”
Alex stared at him for a long moment while her face remained carefully blank. “Well, that would have been a waste of time,” she finally said. “I would have just sent you away.”
Her words cut him to the quick and managed to hurt more thanall those punches and kicks to his body. Yet he smiled at her then, through the pain. And it must have looked as deranged as it felt, for she shrank back a little. “It was eight o’clock on a Friday night and you were still there,” he said. “Why? What possible reason could you have for being there at that time?”
Alex shook her head but did not answer.
Lucien took a step forward and leaned in. “Because that is all you have. Because your life isnothingwithout that office and those papers.” He pulled back and shook his head. “And you deserve it.” Then he turned on his heel and headed for the door.
Lucien did not wait for her response and did not look back. If he couldn’t have her, he could at least have the last word.
Twenty-Eight
Alex returned home that evening later than ever before. She had stayed in her office reviewing contracts and marking up reports until the words swam before her aching eyes and her back felt as stiff as a board. Until she reached her limits, both physically and mentally. Then she rode home in a daze, her mind blessedly empty of thoughts and recriminations.
At this hour she expected her family to either be out or abed and she sent up a silent prayer as she stepped into the quiet entryway and gave her cloak and gloves to the sleepy-eyed footman. Then she padded up the stairs toward her room, too tired to even ring for a tray. It wasn’t until she had closed her bedroom door, turned up the gas lamp, and begun unbuttoning her bodice that she noticed someone in the corner.
Freddie tugged on the lamp beside her with a well-timed dramatic flair and, even in her addled state, Alex was willing to bet she had practiced the motion at least several times.
“I’ve been waitingagesfor you.”
Alex didn’t even try to hide her tired sigh as her gaze traveled over her sister. She was in her nightgown and slippers with a book on her lap. Alex narrowed her eyes. “With the light off?”
But Freddie merely lifted her chin in challenge. “No, I heard your carriage out front and set the scene.”
Something about this proud admission made Alex’s lips twitch with amusement, but she wasn’t in the mood for Freddie’s inquisition. “Can we leave the bevy of accusations for tomorrow? I’m really quite tired.”
Freddie set the book aside and came to her feet. “I’m not here to accuse you of anything.”
“No?” Alex couldn’t hide her surprise.
“I came to see if you are all right.”
Well, this was not what she had expected. Somehow that was almost worse. “I’m fine,” she insisted even as her shoulders hunched.
Her sister tilted her head. “It would be understandable if you weren’t.”
“You’re speaking of Lucien, I assume,” Alex said primly.
Freddie huffed a laugh. “You don’t need to pretend with me. Iknowyou’re devastated.”
“I assure you, I am not,” Alex began. “We had an agreement. If you don’t believe me, ask Papa. He can confirm everything. Whatever you saw, it was only an act. A mutually beneficial arrangement that has come to its natural conclusion.” She finished this little speech with a decisive nod.
There. Now that it was all out in the open, she wouldn’t have to continue with this farce and play the part of the jilted woman.
“Oh, Alex,” Freddie sighed and shook her head. “You poor thing.”
“It’strue. Ask Papa,” she repeated, hating how desperate she sounded. “He’ll tell you we set it up.”
“For heaven’s sake, I know that,” Freddie snapped. “It was terribly obvious you were up to something at Mother’s birthday. And while I was furious in the beginning, neither you nor Lucien are that good at acting. Especiallyyou.”
