He frowned, his pulse still thundering in his chest, his irritation with the girl finally reaching its limit. “You want to go home?” he yelled. “Then go down to the lobby. There’s a man down there looking for you. He’s been sent by your perfect brother Lucien, no doubt.”
Her bottom lip began to tremble. “I wantyouto take me, Roger. I want you to take me homenow!”
“I can’t!” he told her, all patience gone. “If I go back to London, Lucien and the twins will see me hang! If you want to go back, this is your chance. Go down there and throw yourself on that private investigator’s mercy.”
“Don’t think I won’t!” she screamed, her lovely face contorted with anger. “You’re a bad man, Roger! I know that now!”
They glared at each other, chests heaving, until Roger managed to get his temper in check. “I’m leaving within the next few minutes. Either come with me, or I’m done with you. And if that’s the way you want it, that man in the lobby is probably your best bet to get home.”
She squared her slim shoulders. “What does he look like?”
Chapter Seventeen
Luke pounded on Gemma’sdoor, battling his frustration. Adrian had reminded him that Gemma had also told him the baby had been a girl, and they had decided to question her again. Was she lying, or had she been misled as well?
At last, the surly little maid opened the door, and Luke presented his card. “Please tell Miss Cross that I need to speak to her.”
With a shrug, the woman led him and Adrian to Gemma’s small parlor. Gemma paused at her embroidery, looking not at all pleased to see them.
“What can I do for you, my lord?” she asked bitterly.
“I have some more questions,” Luke told her, taking a seat in the spindly chair across from her.
She sighed and put aside her needlework. “Ask me whatever you must.”
Adrian stood in the doorway, a dark forbidding presence, refusing to sit down. Gemma cast him a nervous glance, then looked back at Luke.
“When I visited you the last time, you told me that the child was a girl.” Luke gave her a piercing look. “How sure are you of that fact? Did you ever see the child? Were you there the night Serenity gave birth?”
Gemma glanced down, kneading her hands together nervously. “I was there, but I wasn’t in the birthing room. I didn’t think it was fitting, as I am still a maiden.”
Luke struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. He wanted to shake her. Why couldn’t she just help them? Why did she make him pull every tiny bit of information out of her?
“Was it a boy or a girl?” he asked succinctly.
Gemma glanced away, unable to meet his gaze. “I don’t know for sure,” she admitted. “They told me it was a girl, but I heard them talking. Winters, and your mother. They were concerned the baby could potentially make a claim to your title. And that wouldn’t happen if it was a girl, would it? I thought it odd.”
