Page 26 of The Earl She Once Saved

“The term of the will stated that it could not be properly yours while you remained unmarried.”

Verity already knew it. Knowledge did not lessen the bitterness of hearing it aloud.

“Then Roland appeared.”

“An earl,” Cordelia whispered. “An earl, Verity.”

She spoke as though the title itself explained everything. Perhaps once it had.

“He wanted you.”

“He wanted the money,” Verity scoffed.

“I did not know that.”

“No,” I suppose not,” Verity confirmed.

Aunt Cordelia’s voice cracked. “No. I truly did not.”

Silence entered the room. Verity looked away. Her aunt rose slowly.

“What was I to have done?”

The words were not angry. That was what wounded.

“You had no father. No fortune you could command. No respectable place that did not depend upon another person’s charity. And an earl offered you his name.”

Aunt Cordelia swallowed.

“I thought I was saving you.”

Verity looked at her. Her aunt’s eyes shone.

“I thought a title would make you safe.”

A movement sounded near the door. Verity turned and she could see Rafe standing just inside the room. No one had heard him enter. His face was unreadable. Verity’s breath stopped.

How much had he heard? Probably enough.

She knew it at once.

Aunt Cordelia looked between them.

“My lord, I—”

“I beg your pardon,” he interjected in a voice that was utterly controlled. “I was told you wished to see me.”

“I did,” Aunt Cordelia said faintly. “It is no matter now.”

His eyes remained upon Verity. She refused to look away. The wound between them had opened again: Roland, her marriage, his name, and all the things neither of them knew how to cross.

Rafe’s gaze dropped briefly to the invitation upon the table, then returned to her. Verity lifted her chin.

If he pitied her, she would hate him. If he judged her, she would hate him more. He did neither. That left her with nowhere safe to put the anger.

Aunt Cordelia finally broke the silence. “We should go down.”

Verity turned first, but only because she chose to. About half an hour later, Aunt Cordelia occupied Rafe near the fire with a long explanation of the Marchmont family, their ancestry, their daughters, and apparently every marriage contracted by their relations since the reign of Queen Anne.