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“I do not know. But I will not stay away from you. And I will not give you up. Rafe will step aside. And I will find a way to warn off any other man that Simon finds for you.”
“The only way out of this is for us to tell Simon how we feel. But he will just see you as a seducer and then challenge you.”
It was a desperate situation. Simon should be happy that she was in a position to marry a Duke. That the tradition of Hathway women marrying young would continue and that the Hathway line would be joined to one of England’s oldest families. But, Simon’s hatred for Harold was a barrier to that.
We must find a way to change Simon’s mind about Harold. To prove that he had nothing to do with Eloise’s death. But how?
The answer came to them both at the same time. Harold pushed himself onto his arms, looking down at Alice.
“The truth of Eloise’s death must be discovered. That is the only way.”
“I have just had the same thought,” Alice said. “We have already spoken about the mysteries my family is keeping. If Simon hates you for what he believes you drove Eloise to do, which in turn led to Edward’s death…Well, then the truth must be shown to him, beyond all doubt.”
“If he cannot be convinced, we can never be together. At least not while Simon is alive,” Harold said.
CHAPTER22
Harold left the room first. When Alice had fainted, he had caught her before she hit the floor, then carried her to the end of the gallery. Beyond had been a further staircase leading to a corridor of bedrooms. Harold had chosen the first in a row of rooms. At one end of the hallway was a blank wall, bearing a mirror to give the illusion of further expanses of space. At the other end, he saw Rafe and Angelo.
Their heads were close together, voices inaudible. Angelo’s hand rested on Rafe’s shoulder and he seemed to be doing most of the talking. They both looked up at the sound of Harold’s approach. Harold wondered how much they had been able to hear from their position. It was ten yards to the room that Harold had taken Alice to. The doors were solid but it made him uncomfortable to think of.
“We decided to stand guard,” Angelo said. “Ensure no servants or other guests…disturbed you.”
Harold scowled, disliking the innuendo he heard in the Italian’s voice.
“My gratitude to you. It would be a cause of no little scandal. Perhaps I should have sent for one of her family. It was poor judgment on my part.”
“We understand, my friend,” Angelo said with a smile.
Anger bubbled beneath the surface. The insinuation was unmistakable. Harold cursed himself for his own impulsive actions. The opportunity to be alone with Alice had been too tempting to ignore.
And now I am exposed to this pair. They wanted my cooperation earlier to extricate Rafe from a marriage he didn’t want. But, what now?
“I presume that no one came along?” Harold said brusquely.
“No one. Your secret is safe,” Angelo said.
“I would like it to stay that way,” Harold said. “Though I appreciate that your own stated goals would be served well by further rumor concerning myself and Alice becoming public.”
“It would, certainly. If it was known that the young lady was consorting with you, unmarried. Well, I do not believe that the Viscount of Bath would be so keen to see Rafe married to her. What do you think, Rafe?”
Rafe had been silent throughout. He looked sullen, not meeting Harold’s steely glare. Looks were darted towards Angelo, then away, for all the world, like a naughty schoolboy.
“My father is a religious man. He would not allow marriage to a disgraced woman,” he finally said.
Harold clenched his fists, fighting the urge to grab Rafe by the lapels of his coat.
This is where your impulsive actions have gotten you.
“We both greatly respect you, Your Grace. And your family. We have no desire to make an enemy of you or to do anything that will cause you pain or distress,” Angelo said smoothly.
And here it comes. The blackmailer always begins with the assurance that it is not their intention to cause harm. So, it is with great sadness that they now do what they must.
He had been on the verge of respect for Rafe and Angelo. They were two intelligent and capable young men, possessed of strong wills and adventurous spirits. His meeting with Rafe at the Shilling Club had left him with that impression as well as a suspicion as to his motives. That did not matter to Harold. Rafe had a reason to defy his father and sought a way to do it without causing distress to anyone concerned.
The route that Harold himself had once taken towards the same end was to run away and join the army. That had caused distress to his mother and anger to his father. The fact that Rafe was taking care to avoid the same outcome was to be respected. But, those feelings were rapidly boiling away.
“What is it you want?” Harold said coldly.
