Page 121 of Four Promises to Love

“Since I married Xenia and realized that love—the real kind—heals.”

“I suppose the same can be said of brotherly love.” Owen’s eyes heated, and he had to clear his throat. “Thank you, Ethan. For…for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Ethan coughed into his fist, taking undue care opening the basket. “Now stop brooding and have one of these currant buns. As my lady was indisposed, these were not made by her hand—a fact your teeth shall thank you for.”

Thirty-Five

“His lordship will see you in the drawing room.”

Finn had expected Brunswick’s icy disapproval and was relieved that he was admitting her. She hadn’t been sure that Owen would see her; if her attempt failed, she’d planned to break into the gamekeeper’s cottage. Given her new policy of avoiding criminal behavior as much as possible, this was the better outcome. Tansy had come too; there had been nowhere else to leave her. Brunswick, to his credit, had already steered her toward the kitchen with the promise of something to eat.

Now the butler ushered Finn into the drawing room, and her heart shot into her throat. It wasn’t just Owen who was waiting for her but his entire family. With roiling shame, she met the hard stares of the men, who hovered protectively by their ladies. The women had softer expressions, but that only deepened her shame. When she saw Xenia tucked under a blanket on a chaise longue, guilt clawed at her.

But the worst and best of it was seeing Owen again. Standing by the hearth, he was unbearably handsome. He also looked exhausted. The dark hollows beneath his eyes amplified the brewing storm in his grey gaze. His face was tense with anger, his posture rigid. He did not acknowledge her arrival with any courtesy, nor did he offer her a seat. She felt like a criminal in the dock.

Which was as she deserved.

Nerves thrumming, she said, “Th-thank you all for seeing me.”

“Why have you come?” Owen said curtly. “I believe I made my wishes clear that our previous meeting was to be our last. When I said I would summon the magistrate, it was no idle threat.”

Stay calm, Finn. Say what you came to say.

She twisted her fingers together. “I know there is no way to right the wrongs I have committed against you—against all of you. No apology can express how truly sorry I am. But I wanted to explain my actions.” She drew a breath and forced herself to be entirely forthright. “And to ask for your help.”

“I knew she wanted something,” Grantley muttered from the settee.

Gigi shushed him. “Let her speak, darling.”

“You have some nerve.” Owen strode toward Finn, his eyes blazing. “You deceive us, and now you have the gall to ask our assistance?”

It took all of Finn’s courage not to retreat. She hated asking for help and wasn’t good at it. Now to ask it of the man she’d wronged, and whom she so desperately loved, made her quake. But she stood her ground.

“I know it is a lot to ask. I lied to you. I cannot communicate with spirits—at least, I couldn’t until⁠—”

“You are a fraud, that’s what you are,” Owen snapped. “You’re just a greedy swindler after the jewels. As part of your scheme, you used me and my family.”

“That’s not entirely true,” she said. “That is, I was trying to find the jewels, but not because of greed.”

“Let me guess: you intended to give it to charity—ouch.” The duke grumbled, rubbing his side. “Watch that elbow of yours, duchess, or I shall end up black and blue.”

“Why else, then?” Owen said coldly.

In the face of his hostility, Finn felt her resolve wavering. He was a gentleman to the bone, and his behavior conveyed just how far she’d fallen in his esteem. She hadn’t just lost his love, but his respect as well, and it made her feel smaller than an insect. The insecurities of a lifetime swarmed her, leaving her with welts and stings.

You are nobody. Your own parents abandoned you. You’re worth as much as that rusted piece of tin around your neck. You couldn’t save Iris, and your gang left you. How could you expect this gentleman—who you deceived and manipulated—to listen to you? Why would he give a damn about you?

She was ready to cut her losses and walk away.

But a different voice spoke to her.

Understand your fear, Finn. Face it.

“Love,” she blurted.

Owen glowered at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“The reason I need the jewels is love.” She drew a breath. “I belong to a gang called the Hawks, which includes Nell and the others.”