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I thought she’d be pleased, yet it wasn’t pleasure or relief that rippled over her face, but shock. ‘Why?’
‘Isn’t it obvious? You were very clear that you didn’t want to marry me.’
‘Yes, but...you were so insistent.’ The pretty stain of pink had drained away, her cheeks now pale. ‘Why did you change your mind?’
‘As I said: you refused me, and I do not force women.’ I searched her face. ‘You should be pleased. You were clear that marriage isn’t what you want.’
Abruptly, she looked away, smoothing down the red silk of her dress. ‘It’s not. I mean, one day. But...’ Her smoothing hands paused, and she glanced back at me. ‘What about the baby?’
‘You and the baby will be taken care of. We can arrange the details later.’
‘Details?’ she echoed faintly, as if the word held no meaning for her. ‘Right.’
I frowned, trying to follow the expressions on her face, because she wasn’t acting at all the way I’d expected her to. ‘This is what you want,’ I said again. ‘Isn’t it?’
‘Oh, yes, it is.’ Her smile had returned, but it looked forced. ‘Yes, absolutely.’
Yet from her expression it appeared to be the opposite. Curiosity tightened inside me. Why wasn’t she pleased? She didn’t want to marry me—not when I couldn’t give her what she wanted—so why was she disappointed?
But I couldn’t start thinking like that. I had to cut her out of my life and that started now.
‘Good.’ I made my voice cold and hard. ‘Once you’re back in London we will not see each other again.’
Her forced smile faded. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, apart from being the mother of my child you will no longer be a part of my life.’
She searched my face as if she didn’t believe me. ‘You’re serious?’
There was a dull ache behind my ribs, growing stronger, becoming pain. I knew this wouldn’t be easy—not for her or for me—yet there was no other option.
There was too much of my father in me.
‘I wasn’t myself this morning, and I cannot risk you being harmed or scared by my behaviour. I’m not an easy man to be around, Jenny, so it’s better for your sake if you are not.’
She was still pale. ‘Youarean easy man to be around,’ she insisted. ‘I’ve been around you for years. I mean, not the past four years—which you haven’t explained, by the way—but still... I don’t understand. Is this an ultimatum? If I won’t marry you, you won’t see me any more?’
A thin thread of anger wound through me. As if I would stoop to using Domingo’s tactics. Except he had couched his ultimatums with charm, so that the person he was giving them to wouldn’t realise what he was doing until it was too late.
Domingo Silvera had been a charming psychopath, and no one had ever known his real nature except Valentin and I. We’d had to survive any way we could.
Valentin had survived by disobeying him at every turn.
I had survived by becoming him—at least on the outside.
Are you sure it’s just on the outside?
Well, that question was why Jenny had to leave.
‘I do not give ultimatums,’ I said coldly. ‘And I’ve already made the decision. You will be leaving for London tomorrow morning.’
Her face was white, her eyes very dark, and she opened her mouth to say something. But the pain inside me was too great.
I couldn’t stand to be in her presence any longer, knowing that it would be the last time.
So I turned on my heel and went out.
CHAPTER NINE
