Ethan held him back. Only tenderness transpired from their hug, but that meant David would suffer twice when they left.
“I have to go.” David kissed her cheek before rushing out of the room.
The moment Cora was alone with Ethan, she turned towards him. “Ethan, I must speak my mind,” she said in a bitterer tone than she intended.
He paused rolling up a long bandage. “Yes?”
“You can’t make promises to David.” She tried to keep her voice down. “My first rule with him is to never, ever make promises I can’t keep.”
He narrowed his gaze. “I mean to keep my promise and find him a tutor. I don’t give my word lightly.”
“And after you find him a tutor, then what? We can’t stay here forever and pretend nothing happened. What about Jacob? He’s still my husband and David’s father. The law is on his side. He can send the police here and force me back to his house.”
“He shot you. I seriously doubt a judge would defend him.”
No, she didn’t have any faith in the justice system, not when an earl was concerned. “You showed David a future he can’t ever have.”
“I want to help him.” His eyebrows lowered. “He went through a lot for a boy his age.”
“Exactly for that reason, I always tell him the truth.” Her shoulder hurt. Tarnation. The bandage did make a difference. “Please promise me that you’re going to tell him he won’t have a tutor. David and I will leave as soon as I recover.”
“I won’t do such a thing.” His chest heaved. “And leave to go where?”
“France was my idea, but Jacob knows about my contact in Paris. I might go to Brussels. A cousin of mine lives there,” she added in a whisper.
The clinking of glass stopped when he finished organising his bottles and tools to focus on her. “Cora?—”
“I understand if you don’t want to have anything to do with me after this mess,” she hurried to say when he exhaled.
“Bugger me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll give you everything you need, but you have other options.”
“Like what?” She reclined on the pillow as her arm bothered her.
He rushed to add another cushion to make her more comfortable. She didn’t even ask how he understood she needed another pillow. He was attuned to her needs, which started a flutter in her belly. More than a flutter. His kindness was breaking all her defences. Blazes. She wanted to trap his handsome face in her hands and kiss him.
“You can divorce,” he said. “It requires a private bill at the parliament, but it has been done several times in the past years. You can start a new life and be free.”
“I don’t think the parliament will grant me a divorce.”
“Why should you leave?” The bed dipped as he sat next to her. “You did nothing wrong. It’s him who should leave and be ashamed. Besides, I can give you the money to move to Brussels or anywhere else and live decently any time you want. But first, you should fight to stay here or at least try.”
“I don’t trust Jacob. In the unlikely chance the parliament grants me a divorce, he will find a way to make me pay. What if he forces me to return to him? What if an opportunity like this one doesn’t repeat itself? No, I want to leave him and never see him again.”
He squeezed her hand with sudden desperation. “At least talk with Finn. He’ll be here shortly anyway with news about Roxbury. He knows the law. He’ll tell you what your chances of getting a divorce are.”
A divorce was a ridiculous idea although the number of people who requested and obtained it in parliament grew each year. Many couples of thetonhad divorced. Could she really get her life back and leave Jacob behind without having to run away like a thief?
Ethan’s intense stare searched her soul as usual. He had a good point. She could move to Brussels anytime with his help. Besides, she couldn’t go anywhere now.
She nodded. “I’ll talk to Mr. Purnell, thank you.”
He kissed her hand. “Have hope.”
No, she didn’t trust hope. Only facts
fifteen
ALTHOUGH MR. PURNELL was a tall man with a set of deep black eyes that seemed bottomless, his presence didn’t frighten Cora. Just like when she was with Ethan.
