Page 68 of An Unexpected Earl

“Because you are.”

Her bright eyes found his. “Because he reminded me of you.” Her confession was barely louder than a whisper, but it rang between them like a gunshot. “He was everything I’d always loved and admired about you—strong, dashing, brilliant, protective… And you hadn’t answered any of my letters.” She sucked in a pained, jerking breath, as if hiding the start of a sob. “I thought you were gone from my life forever.”

Turning away, she began to pace the length of the small room, wringing her hands in front of her with every step.

“When Aaron asked to court me, Freddie didn’t hesitate to say yes. After all, Aaron was the son of a wealthy merchant with ties to the aristocracy through his mother. Because his parents were dead and he had no other family, the money had all come to him. There was even joking between him and Freddie about what should be included in the marriage agreement, given all the money between us, although it was far too early for that. I thought I was being careful in avoiding fortune hunters.” She turned her face away, but not before he saw the self-recrimination that twisted her features. “But I wasn’t as careful as I’d thought.”

“What happened?” He picked up the glass of whiskey and held it out to her, stopping her in midpace.

“My brother.” She stared at the glass, not yet accepting it. “That was right when he decided that he wanted a career in politics and set about maneuvering his way into the best social circles, the best clubs… He’d been called away to London, with no plans to return for at least a month, because he needed to wrangle his way into a seat in Parliament. But Aaron said he loved me, that he didn’t want to wait for Freddie to return to start our life together.”

Suspicion pricked the little hairs at Pearce’s nape. And dread that he knew where her story was heading.

“So we married anyway.” She took the glass from him, her hand trembling as she raised it to her lips. “Because he lived in York and only visited Birmingham on business, he’d already gotten a special license so that we didn’t have to worry about the banns, one that let us marry in any parish. We’d planned to marry, then drive on to surprise Freddie in London with the good news. Aaron had heard there was a lovely little village three hours’ drive southeast of Birmingham with a pleasant vicar and a fine inn.” She smiled ruefully against the rim of the glass. “A marriage and a honeymoon, all in one. Such a romantic idea…so of course I agreed.”

Pearce said nothing as she took another swallow. Drink would be good for her and give her the courage to get through this.Hisonly consolation was that after tonight there could be no more secrets.

She frowned at the whiskey. “We married as planned, but never had our wedding night. He changed his mind after the ceremony, said that he wanted our first time together to be in our home, not in an inn. So we took separate rooms.” She shook her head. “I should have known something was wrong right then, because what new husband finds excuses to avoid coming to his bride’s bed on their wedding night, even at what turned out to be a flea-ridden tavern?” She idly traced a fingertip around the rim of the glass. “At the time, I thought it was just another example of how much he cared about me, just another example of how romantic he was. Such a damned fool I was!”

She tossed back the remaining whiskey in a gasping swallow, then stared down into the empty glass. Not all the tears glistening in her eyes came from the bite of the drink in her throat.

“When I woke, he was gone. He’d left in the night. No word, no note, just…gone. I waited for him there for two days, but he never returned. Finally, I took the mail coach home to Birmingham and found not Aaron at the town house but Freddie. He’d returned unexpectedly from London, only to find a message from our banker. That was when I realized that I was missing more than a husband… I was also missing a fortune.” She lifted her gaze to his, and misery darkened her eyes. “Aaron had gone to the bank and withdrawn every pound and penny I possessed. He took it all, then booked passage on the first ship to Philadelphia.”

“But the settlement—”

“Was never signed,” she admitted with humiliation. “Frederick hadn’t signed it before he left for London. I thought he had. I swear to you that I believed that!”

When she began to gesture emphatically to convince him, she realized what she was doing and stopped, her hand going to her forehead in desolation. Pearce knew not to reach for her, but it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to go to her.

“Freddie had even taken Aaron to the bank, for heaven’s sake, to introduce him to our accountant and the bank manager, to pave the way for settling the dowry and contract. We’d negotiated terms—all three of us. I put my signature to the agreement, so did Aaron. But…” Her pale face twisted with humiliation, and she sucked in a deep breath to gather the courage to continue. “But somehow, in all the excitement of the proposal and the wedding plans, Freddie hadn’t signed it, and without my guardian’s signature, all my property became Aaron’s the moment we wed. Legally, as a minor, my signature meant nothing.” She turned away, too humiliated to look at him. “Aaron told me Freddie had signed it, and I trusted him. Why wouldn’t I? What woman wouldn’t trust her fiancé? I loved him. We were going to share a life together… It never occurred to me that he was lying. About everything.” A hoarse, bitter sound came from her throat. “The only thing he wasn’t able to take in his hurry to flee was Bradenhill.”

A grim realization settled over Pearce. That was why the property was so important to her, why she was fighting the trust tooth and nail. Not because of her charity, although he was certain she wanted to use it for that, but because it was all she had left.

“Did your brother go after him,” he asked quietly, attempting to fill in the blanks, “try to bring him back and force him to return your money?”

She gave a jerking nod. “Freddie hired lawyers and thief-takers, went so far as to hire two men from Bow Street to find him and bring him back by force, if necessary. But it was all for nothing. Aaron had vanished, and my fortune along with him, with no way to get it back even if we found him. Because Aaron had every right to take it. He and I were legally married.” A single tear slipped down her cheek and ripped open his heart as she choked back a sob. “We still are.”

* * *

Unable to bear any look of recrimination or pity from him, Amelia turned her back and lifted her hand to her mouth to physically press down the anguish swelling inside her. How could Pearce understand all that had happened to her, when she could barely fathom it herself?

“He took everything from me,” she choked out. “My fortune, my happiness…my future.” Her shoulders trembled as she pulled in deep lungfuls of air to find the strength to keep from falling to the floor. “Now he’s taken you.”

“No, he hasn’t.” Pearce stepped up behind her and slipped his arms around her, to wrap her securely in his embrace. “I’ll never leave you again, understand?Never.”

She didn’t have the resolve to nod. Emotion overwhelmed her, and she simply gave up, shutting her eyes against the pain and humiliation.

“Wewillfind a way out of this together, Amelia. I promise you.”

Oh, he was wrong! There was no way out of her marriage. She’d pored through her lack of options so many times before that she no longer held any hope of finding one. “It takes an act of Parliament to grant a divorce,” she rasped, “and neither the courts nor the Church recognizes abandonment as grounds.”

“They recognize adultery. I’m certain he hasn’t been faithful to his marriage vows during the years he’s been away. ” His arms tightened around her, but his embrace gave her little comfort. “We’ll hire new investigators, send more Bow Street runners to find him—and find evidence of what he’s been doing. ”

Her heart wrenched. He was trying to rescue her. Even now. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking. I’m giving.” He nuzzled his cheek against her hair. “We’re working together now, remember? That includes this.”

His kindness tore a desolate sob from her. “Even if you helped me,” she whispered, the truth of her situation both undeniable and brutal, “it’s not enough. A woman has to prove not only adultery on the part of her husband but cruelty as well. How do I do that when he’s put an ocean between us?”