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“Trust?” Millie stared at the far wall, her spine growing straighter with every word.
Parker knew her repetition of his words were not a good sign. Holding up his hands he tried to catch her eyes. “Millie.”
“Lady Millicent,” she bit out and then her gaze did swing to his and her eyes were hard in a way that he’d never seen before. “You’ve grown too familiar, my lord.”
His teeth snapped together. “Lady Millicent,” he started. “I can assure you it was not my intent to be overly familiar. I thought our feelings were mutual.”
Her hands clenched into fists. “You can trust me to be fair, to try and be honest and forthright, and to attempt to act ethically, though I believe I failed on that account. But I will make up for my wrongdoing. However, that is not mutual.”
“It isn’t?”
She gave her head a hard shake. “A woman such as myself should never trust a rake like you.”
Rake? He deserved the word. He’d been that man in the past and supposed he should have known that those wrongdoings were bound to still have consequences but the name from her, cut him deeply. “That’s what you think I am? That I am treating you with disrespect?”
Her voice dropped down to a hiss as she stepped closer to not be overheard by the crowd around them. “Do you deny that you attempted to kiss me while pursuing my sister?”
His jaw locked as regret lanced through him.
Her hand slashed through the air. “See. You can’t even deny it.”
No. He couldn’t. But not for the reasons she’d assumed. “At the end of this house party, I’d like to speak with you again about all of this.”
“I doubt that will be necessary.” And then she stepped around him and joined her mother’s side.
Parker looked at her for a moment before he turned and walked out of the tavern, starting back down the road toward the Farthington Estate.
He’d made promises to Tillie. He knew that. And he’d have to see them through. But he couldn’t stay in the village and make merry today. Not when his heart had been torn from his chest.
* * *
Millie watched Parker leave,regret welling up inside her.
“What was that about?” her mother asked as the innkeeper left to secure a private room for their party.
“Nothing,” Millie lied.
Her mother huffed a breath. “Your sister spends every waking moment with her head bent in quiet conversation with Juliet, speaking with almost no one else, and now you’re having regular discussions with the man who should be her intended.”
Millie ‘s stomach twisted into knots.
Her mother was right on both counts. Clearly, Millie needed to have that conversation with her sister—and soon. The feeling that Tillie had her own secret crept to the surface and suddenly, Millie looked at the door that Parker had just exited.
Did Tillie have a secret?
Another horrifying thought occurred to her. Did Parker know what her sister was trying to hide? He’d made some references like, there are things that I can’t share and for now you have to trust me.
What did he know? And had she falsely accused him of acting rakishly when something else entirely was happening?
A wave of dizzy nausea made her sway, and she reached for the counter of the welcome desk. She’d said terrible things to him.
She’d wanted to find her strength and her voice, but not if she were going to falsely accuse people of wrongdoing.
Is that what she’d done?
“Millie?” her mother asked, her brow crinkling in concern. “Are you all right?”
Millie swallowed down her fears, straightening up. “I’m fine. I’m just going to fetch Tillie. I’ll be right back.”
