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“I cannot marry you. I can’t go back to town. I have to leave before they discover the truth.”
“Who and what truth?”
“The investigators, you fool. Now that Vanessa told everyone that I killed him, there will be another inquest. I lied to them five years ago.” She covered her mouth with her hands and mumbled, “Oh God, you lied to them, too.”
Matthew grabbed her shoulders and brought her closer to him. There was no way he was going to let her go now. He knew she loved him. But somehow, he had to find a way to get her to admit it and trust him enough to face the gossips.
“Jennette, no one will believe Vanessa. She isn’t a lady. She’s just a bitter mistress who lost her protector.”
“I saw the looks on the faces of the people at the party. They were horrified.”
“By her actions, not yours,” he said softly, trying to calm the wild look in her eyes.
“I can’t go back there, Matthew.” She flung herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Come with me. We can build a new life together in America.”
He slowly disentangled himself from her clinging body. Cupping her face, he said, “We cannot do that. I am the earl. I have responsibilities to my tenants, to my estates, to you. I cannot leave and you know that.”
“I do know that,” she mumbled. “Then I shall have to go alone.”
With his thumbs, he wiped away her tears. “Jennette, I promise you, everything will be all right. No one will believe her. Your family and friends will support you. Your brother has been out of his mind since he learned you were missing. You can’t leave them.”
He paused before whispering, “You can’t leave me.”
She closed her eyes as tears continued to fall. “I don’t want to leave you…or my family. But how can I stay?”
“You have to trust me,” he said softly. “I’m not going to let you leave, Jennette.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I shall be by your side the entire time. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You are far too good for me,” she whispered. “I don’t deserve such an honorable man.”
He laughed softly. “Hardly honorable. Just a man in love.”
She blinked her blue eyes and stared at him. “I love you, Matthew.”
“I know, Jennette,” he said with a smile. “I think I’ve known since that first night we made love. You never would have given yourself to a man you didn’t love.”
“I do love you, Matthew,” she whispered.
“And do you love me enough to disregard the gossips?”
She bit down on her lip and nodded slowly.
“I will never let anything happen to you, Jennette. I will protect you with my name, my title, and more importantly, my love.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “I love you, Matthew. And I want more than anything to be your wife.”
“Then so you shall. But if we don’t leave now, I’m going to make love to you here.”
Jennette kissed his mouth tenderly. “And that wouldn’t be good?”
Matthew laughed. “Oh, it would be good but we would spend our honeymoon traveling to New York.”
She leaped backward. “The ship! It’s leaving soon.”
“Not with us on it.”
Epilogue
Anthony watched the faces of the people at the wedding breakfast held at Selby’s home. Lady Jennette Blackburn clung to the arm of her new husband as they g
