Page 56 of How to Best a Marquess

Old feelings of remorse and shame arose in a flash. “I did not want to beg to your brother. I wanted better for you.” It had been bad enough he’d had no say with his father. If he’d been indebted to Ellie’s brother, he would have given over the remaining control of his life.

“So you purposely kissed Isabelle and arranged for me to see it?” The accusation hung in the air like a frigid mist.

“She kissed me, and although I did not fight her, I thought it would be easier if you walked away rather than if I broke your heart.”

Her eyes blazed, and she looked like she wanted to hit him. “You fool! You did break my heart.”

Frustration roiled in his gut. “Don’t you understand? I did what was best for you. To protect you.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? You do what you think is best, not what I consider best. You should have told me. We could have found a way together. Instead, you let me grieve for years. Years!”

This was not going the way he’d planned. Ellie was looking at him with more hatred than when she’d first learned he wanted the Raven Club for himself. Why couldn’t she see?

Why couldn’t she understand he had done what needed to be done?

“Ellie. There is no need to grieve now. We can continue as we had years ago.” He reached for her, but she scrambled to the opposite side of the bed and clutched the sheet to her.

“You expect me to forget everything and leap into your arms now?” Her eyes were large blue orbs of disbelief.

He hesitated, more unsure than before. “Yes, it is my hope. Don’t you see? You can even give up your pursuit of the Raven Club.”

Her face fell, and her expression veered from anguish to anger in a flash. “Give up the Raven? Is that what this is all about?”

“No. You misunderstand. This is about us. The past.”

Her knuckles turned white where she clutched the sheet to her chest. She left the bed, dragging the sheet with her. “Get out.”

He froze. A cold knot began to unfurl in his chest and spread to his limbs. “You are being unreasonable,” he said, keeping his voice low.

“No. I’m not. You need to leave. Now.”

His stomach felt as if someone had hollowed it out with a dull knife. Somehow, telling her had been a horrible mistake. He’d thought he could make things better between them, that she would realize she could trust him. Instead, he’d achieved the opposite result. She looked at him with utter disdain.

Without a word, he put on his trousers and boots. He turned to her. She looked so small and vulnerable standing by the bed. “I’ll always do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“Out!”

He slipped the bloody shirt over his head. Not bothering to wear the rest of his clothing, he grabbed his coat and waistcoat and left the room.