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“You will go directly to my father and inform him that you have received a letter,” her pride ordered coldly. “The letter was from a lady whom you had once hoped to marry, and now she is available and willing. You begged me to release you from our engagement so that you might marry your former sweetheart.”
“What utter rot.”
She ignored him. “I agreed because I felt it would be wrong to wed a man who longed for another. You will assure my father that my behavior was impeccable and had no bearing on your decision.”
“Your behavior! I will tell your father—the world!—about your behavior.”
“And I will tell them that on the strength of a passing comment I made, a misunderstanding—”
“A misunderstanding!”
“—You attacked my person. What kind of lord and gentleman do you claim to be? The famed war hero, who beats a woman.”
His mouth twisted with disgust as he ran his eyes over her. “Everyone will understand why. You yourself said you let another man fuck you first.”
She swallowed away her own disgust. “I don’t even know what that word means, so no one would believe I said it.”
“It will be your word against mine. You have no evidence. Who would believe a soiled, lying—”
“Oh dear, my lord,” she drawled. “Perhaps you are in the habit of only striking horses and dogs, so you cannot see the bruises on their skin.”
He went still. Completely still, but for his eyes, shifting to study her concealed arms. He could not know, but she knew her body. She would not think of it. First, one fought the battle; later, one wept.
“I should—”
He advanced on her but she held her ground.
“What? Add more bruises to my collection? Murder me, perhaps? I think people might notice, don’t you?”
He jumped back, wringing his hands. “I’ve never done that before. You made me do it.”
“If you give my father cause to suspect that I have misbehaved in any way, I will spread the word faster than you can blink. When everyone learns what you did, not one person in Britain will allow you near any ladies, let alone a precious daughter.”
“Is this meant to be some kind of blackmail?”
So now she was a blackmailer too. She had never asked for this. All she had asked was to exercise a little control over her own life. They had built the maze and dropped her into it; she was only trying to find her way out.
“I must protect myself, my lord, since clearly you will not.” She gestured at the garden entrance. “The days grow shorter. You should leave soon, if you are to cover a good distance before nightfall. Ride ahead. The servants will send your belongings after you.”
“And when this sweetheart does not appear?”
“Alas, the course of true love never did run smooth.”
His mouth worked as he stared at her, his red-rimmed eyes poisonous with loathing.
“Very well,” he finally said. “You say nothing, and neither will I.”
“Go.” Gathering her courage, Arabella turned her back on him. “You will be gone before I return to the house.”
Chapter 10
Arabella entered Vindale Court through the front door, with a secret sense of ceremony. Perhaps this would be her final entrance. Perhaps the next time she left this house, it would be for good.
Ramsay was in the foyer. He sent away the other servants as she peeled off her gloves.
“Lord Sculthorpe?” she prompted. She unpinned her hat and dropped it onto the table, ignoring the protest of her tender ribs. A chunk of hair tumbled onto her face. She pushed it back. It fell again. She must fix that before Papa saw her.
“He is gone and we are packing his belongings. Your father wishes to see you.”
