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What would become of her? Would she be married away to a man who made her long every day for someone else? How wretched, howlonely,that existence! That was to be the state of her reign? Why had she been born into this family? Why couldn’t she have been born to a simpler life?
She heard a noise and whirled around, expecting to find Mr. Thompson. It was William. Thank God,William.
He held out a single rose.
She couldn’t help her smile. “You took that from the vase.”
“Aye. I wanted to bring you something and it was the only thing available. What are you doing here? Your suitor is on the terrace.”
“My suitor,” she scoffed. She was hiding; she was escaping that so-called suitor. She was doing everything she was not supposed to do, and it was because of William. “WhatamI doing? You want to know what I am doing, William? I’m falling in love, that’s what.”
He looked stricken. His hand dropped, still clutching the rose. “With Mr. Thompson?”
“No! Withyou!”
His expression shifted from horror to shock to torment. “Diah,Justine, I—”
“But Ican’tfall in love with you, William! You’re poor and I’ve heard the most distressing rumor.”
The rose fell to the floor. “I’m no’ poor, for God’s sake. Far from it. But never mind that. How did you hear it?”
He knew what she was referring to and didn’t attempt to deny it. Justine began to quake inside. She felt like she might explode. “Then it’s true?”
“No,leannan.Nothing you’ve heard about me is true. But that’s the trouble with rumors, aye? I canna prove it to you. You have only my word. The lass, she is indeed carrying a bairn, or perhaps has now been delivered of a bairn, I donna rightly know. But the child is no’ mine. My crime was attempting to help her escape to her lover, to marry the father of her child. But that man, whoever he is, was no’ acceptable to her father. He caught her and hid her away and tried to extort my father with lies.Thatis the truth, on my honor.”
Justine wanted to believe him more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. But her father’s words were whispering through her, warning her to trust no one.Was she as foolish as her mother had accused her of being? Believing yet another man and his lies? But William was so different from any man she’d ever met. She couldn’t imagine him abandoning a woman, particularly if she had his child. He was unfailingly honest. Why would he lie to her about this when he’d told her everything else? “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”
He winced, as if her question had physically struck him. “You donna know, lass. You have to trust me, but moreover, you have to trust your instincts. I’m no’ lying to you now because I would no’. I am no’ lying to you now because I have fallen in love with you, too.” He took her hand and drew her closer to him. His gray eyes locked on hers. “I would give up everything for you and I would no’ risk it with a lie. I canna help that this thing has been said of me, but it’s no’ true. I would never treat a woman so abominably. And I have always been faithful to my family’s legacy, just as you are to yours. Much can be said about me, but no’ living up to my word is no’ one.” He paused and drew a deep breath. “But more than that,muchmore than that... I’d sooner die than have you believe I am the sort of man who would abandon that poor lass. If the child was mine I would marry her because of my own conscience.”
He gripped her hand as if he feared she would pull it free.
Justine believed him. Completely. Things had been said about her that weren’t true, and there was never anything she could do about it. It was possible she might be the one person who could understand how some man in Scotland had used him ill. How people attempted to use others if there was something to be gained.
“I believe you, William. I do.”
He released a breath of relief and glanced down. “Thankyou.” He pulled her closer. “You canna know how much it means to me. For you to have heard such an ugly thing is terrifying. To believe it—”
“But it doesn’t matter what I think,” she said desperately. “Under these circumstances, my parents would never accept an association with you. I have to live above such rumors. I must be untarnished in everything I do or lose the trust of the people. You know it’s true, William. You know the burden I bear. On my word, I wish I could give the throne to Amelia. I want—”
“There you two are!” Lila trilled somewhere behind William.
William closed his eyes in anguish.
“Your Royal Highness, Mr. Thompson is looking for you.”
William turned and moved aside, and Justine watched Mr. Thompson saunter forward with a knowing grin, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Well, then. What are the two of you cooking up?”
Justine lifted her chin. She’d had enough of him, of the whole business of matchmaking. “Mr. Thompson, I will be a queen soon, and it is not considered acceptable to question a queen on her actions.”
He laughed. When she didn’t, his smile faded. “Are you serious?”
“Quite.”
“Mr. Thompson,” Lila said quickly, “might I have a word with you?” She stepped in front of him, gesturing to the study. Mr. Thompson didn’t seem to notice her—he was staring at Justine with an expression that said he meant to challenge her. But he conceded to the pressure on his arm and allowed Lila to lead him into the study.
William smiled. “You hit him right in the gullet with your crown.”
“Sometimes it is necessary.”
