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He set his jaw. Her anger was not unanticipated, but he’d expected her to understand after what had happened with his father. “Damned right, I cannot.”
Her eyes widened. “Not even when you deserve it?”
“I do not see—”
The maid tapped Chastity’s arm. “Maybe I should leave...” she murmured, peering around the empty hallway. When Chastity didn’t respond, her glare continuing to bore a hole in him, the maid gave a hasty dip in Valentine’s direction and dashed off down the hallway.
Valentine waited until her light footsteps had retreated before squaring up to Chastity. He’d have thought of all people, she’d recognize why he desired discretion about the matter of Julian’s birth. She loved her sisters dearly. Could she not see he felt the same about his?
“Was it all a lie? The talk of no lovers, of being some sort of a recluse? Was it a ruse to lure me in?”
Lovers? He struggled to pick up the thread as she flung the words at him, bitter and sharp. “Now, wait—”
She twisted away but not before he caught the shimmer of tears in her eyes.
“I did not want to lie to you,” he said softly.
“Yet you did.”
“I did,” he admitted. “But only on that matter.”
“What of the others?”
He let his frown deepen. Why did he have the feeling they were talking on different matters? “Others?”
“The other children.”
“What other children?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Chastity, I think we are speaking on different matters here.”
She turned to face him, her mouth drawn into a thin line. “It explains why you are so good with them.”
“I happen to like children,” he said. “I do not see what is so wrong with that. Lord knows, they are a darned sight easier to understand than adults.”
Closing the gap, she lifted her chin. “You still chose to lie to me?” She shook her head. “Even now you are discovered, you would try to twist the truth and make me doubt what I know.” She made a noise of disgust. “You are more like John than I realized.”
“Now, that’s damned unfair.” The accusation stung. To be compared to such a man hurt even his ego. He went to take her arm, but she shirked his touch. “I lied to you about one thing, Chastity.” He lifted a finger. “Julian. That is it. I had my reasons, but it seems you cannot understand them at present.”
“How do I know you have not sired hundreds of other children?” She glanced to the floor. “I cannot trust you now.” Her voice cracked on the last word, the sorrow seeming so deep he almost missed the content of her words.
“Sired?” He held up a hand. “Wait—”
Her gaze met his. “You are just like every other man and I was a fool to trust you.”
“I am nothing like your late husband,” he shot back. “And I have never sired any child, let alone one out of wedlock.”
“So now you are trying to make me doubt the truth?”
“Julian was my sister’s son.”
She blinked a few times, then shook her head. “How can I believe you? How do I know you are not like every other man? If you were willing to lie to me about Julian…”
“You know I’m not, Chastity.”
A hand to her chest, she rubbed it while biting on her bottom lip. Her breaths were audible, and he braced himself in case she went into a faint. The sudden pallor of her complexion made her look weaker than he’d ever seen her before. He damned well didn’t like it, and he hated himself for having created this situation.
“The other children...” She gestured vaguely.
That was it. He wanted this over. No more talk of Julian or him supposedly having sired other children. They were talking in circles and getting nowhere. Could they not be back to yesterday? Dancing in each other’s arms and unable to look at anyone else instead of arguing over whether or not he was a liar?
“You are being ridiculous, Chastity,” he snapped.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Her eyes widened, the paleness was replaced with bright spots of red.
“You lied to me.” She jabbed a finger hard into his chest. “There is nothing ridiculous about doubting the words of a liar.” Swiveling on her heel, she tossed a curl over her shoulder. “Do not follow me,” she ordered.
“Chastity, we need to talk about this,” he called after her.
Valentine didn’t make a move to follow, though. He watched her march down the hallway and vanish around the corridor. He’d erred. In many ways. And he deserved her fury. Now he just had to figure out how to fix this trouble he’d put himself into.
