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“Nearly indebted himself just for you. I had never seen such a look of self-loathing on any man. He hated what he’d done to you in order to save your reputation.”
Why would he have indebted himself for her? It made no logical sense. He’d never professed love. And he hadn’t admitted that he was investigating her. Could he possibly have fallen in love with her?
“I see you have finally figured this out,” Regina commented with a smile.
“Oh dear God,” Tessa whispered. He loved her. “How could I have been so wrong about him?”
CHAPTER 27
After ordering the carriage for Tessa, Jack strode back into the house now ready to have her leave for good. If she couldn’t listen to reason, then she could have her lonely life. Somehow, he would find a way to forget her. He stopped in the corridor and shook his head knowing that forgetting her would never happen.
“Your grandmother would like to see you in the salon, sir,” Johnson said as he ambled down the corridor. The old butler had been here as long as Jack could remember and always had a smile, except today.
“Is everything all right, Johnson? You look rather dour today.”
“I am well, sir. Your grandmother is driving me mad, as usual,” Johnson said softly.
“She lives to drive all men mad.”
“Oh, how I know that, sir.”
Jack smiled and for a quick moment stopped thinking about Tessa. As he was about to walk into the salon, he froze unable to take another step. She stood by the fireplace alone in the room. “Where is my grandmother? I was told she needed to speak with me.”
“I needed to talk to you, Jack.”
He leaned against the doorframe unable to walk beyond the threshold. “I rather doubt there is anything left to say.”
“Why did you do it, Jack?” Her blue eyes pleaded with him.
“You already know the answer. It was the only way to force a confession out of the duke.”
“I meant, why did you pay for the guards, the cot, the private cell, and the food?” She stepped closer to him. “Why?”
“You know the answer to that, too.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“No, I do not. You don’t have the funds for such things.” She took another step toward him. “So why worry about me when you always had your doubts about my innocence anyway?”
“No, I did not have doubts.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “At least not long after I started the case.”
“Before or after our first time?” She was within arm’s reach but hadn’t closed the distance yet.
“Does it really matter?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I need to know.”
“After.”
She closed her eyes. “You did investigate my study, didn’t you?”
“Of course it was me. And I found nothing. No evidence of any kind.”
“Did that convince you?” She closed the distance between them until they were mere inches apart. “Did it?”
“Not quite but it allayed some of my doubts.”
She placed her hands on his chest and slowly brought them around his neck. “When did you have no doubts? Before or after you spoke with Anne?”
“Before,” he whispered. “I knew it couldn’t have been you because you were far too kindhearted. By the time I spoke with Anne, I already had a feeling that the duke might be involved. She only confirmed my suspicion.”
