Chapter 5
After hearing Melody’s account of recent events, Samantha could think of only one thing to say. “You cannot marry him.”
“What would you propose I do instead? Run away?” Melody’s misery was visible in her bleak expression, accentuated by the unhappy laugh she gave.
Samantha was outraged on her behalf. However hurt Edward might be, he had no right to ruin Melody’s life. “I never would have thought him capable of such cruelty.”
“It is what I feared might happen,” Melody said. “Evie’s death broke him, but his heart remained open and hopeful, until I sliced it to pieces.”
“Not just you,” Samantha reminded her. She would not let Melody bear all the blame. “Adrian and I could have told him the truth as well, had we not been afraid of what Harlowe might do if he realized we’d leaked information about his project.”
She had been sworn to secrecy. Melody, Tara, Holly, and Hazel as well.
To bring Edward into their confidence, potentially undermining decades of work, would have jeopardized them all.
Harlowe might not have had any other choice but to shut down the program, which would have involved removing all evidence of it, including his agents.
The understanding Samatha had with him would have evaporated as the threat of the Nightingale Project being revealed to the public expanded beyond her control.
After all, he was only willing to forgive her decision to confide in Adrian because the information she’d shared with him was contained.
If that were to change — if Harlowe so much as suspected she’d brought others into her confidence – he’d come for her.
Probably with the king’s army, just to make sure she would be overpowered.
“In the end, our attempt to do the right thing didn’t matter,” Melody whispered. “We’ve still ended up in the place we fought to avoid.”
“You said he spoke with Harlowe.” This was Samantha’s primary concern. “Do you know what was said?”
“No, but if he shared his knowledge about my secret identity, then Harlowe would surely have come to demand an explanation.”
Or rather, Melody and Samantha would not be sitting here having this conversation, but locked in a cell and awaiting trial. Or worse.
She placed her hand over her rounded belly. “Since that hasn’t happened, Marsdale must have refrained from mentioning it.”
“When he spoke with Lady Heathbrooke earlier, he used the kiss Moorland witnessed as his reason for demanding a hasty wedding. It could be he made the same point to Harlowe.”
“And Harlowe might be pleased by this turn of events,” Samantha mused. “When you speak with him next, I recommend you let him believe this was all part of a plan to infiltrate the upper levels of Society.”
“As countess, I’ll be privy not only to information but also to power.”
“Provided you go through with it, which I’m still not sure you should.” Samantha readjusted herself on the sofa. The pregnancy was making nearly every position increasingly uncomfortable. “Marsdale is being unreasonable. His behavior is out of character.”
“Which surely means his behavior is fleeting.” Melody’s brow crinkled. “Given enough time, I’m sure he’ll return to his normal self.”
“Is that truly a risk you’re willing to take?” Samantha hated the situation her friend was caught in. Such a marriage would be like a prison sentence. “I want you to be happy, Melody, not tied to a man who loathes you.”
“I have thought about running away, as you suggest. It wouldn’t be hard, returning to Italy. Alessandro might still want to marry me, but even if he doesn’t, I think I could build a peaceful life there.”
“Then do that.” Heavens, if she herself could escape Harlowe’s clutches, she would. Maybe later, once Adrian found the man responsible for his sister’s death, the two of them could move abroad.
“No.” Melody shook her head. “I made my decision before coming here. What happened between me and Edward is my responsibility. I’ll not run from it or from him. Instead, I’m going to fight for our future happiness.”
“Melody…”
“To abandon him now when he needs saving would be cowardly and wrong. It would suggest I don’t care what happens to him when nothing could be further from the truth.” Melody slumped in her seat. “I love him, Samantha. I’ll suffer whatever torment I have to in order to win him back.”
“There’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise?”
A sad smile curled the edge of Melody’s lips. “No more than what I could have said to dissuade you from marrying the man you were meant to be hunting.”
“Point taken.”
Melody settled her hand over Samantha’s. “I have to fix this. I need to earn Marsdale’s trust once more and help him heal. It’s the only way in which I’ll be able to live with myself.”
“I understand,” Samantha said. She’d gone through hell in order to prove herself to Adrian and would do it again if need be. “You said the wedding is due to take place at Saint George’s tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’d best start preparing.” Samantha turned her hand over and clasped Melody’s fingers. “Every bride deserves to look her best on her wedding day.”
* * *
Standing on Edward’s front step, Adrian tried to refrain from resorting to threats. The butler was only doing his job.
“My apologies, Mr. Croft, but his lordship has no time for social calls today.”
This explanation after the man had gone to check if Edward was even at home. More likely, he just didn’t want to see Adrian.
Well, too bad.
Adrian took a steadying breath and resolved to address the butler’s reasonable side. “This is not a social call, Bertram. I’m here because a connection was made this morning, between your master and the disappearance of Lady Edwina, the Duke of Wrengate’s sister.”
Despite whatever attempt he made to keep his expression neutral, the butler’s shock showed in the slight widening of his eyes. He stared at Adrian for a couple of seconds, then made his decision and stepped aside, opening the door wider.
“Please wait here,” he said after showing Adrian and Murry to the parlor. “I’ll see if his lordship can make time to see you.”
Adrian looked to Murry as soon as the butler was gone. “If Wrengate catches a whiff of this, he’ll murder Marsdale on the spot.”
“Wouldn’t you do the same if you were the duke?” Murry asked.
Adrian chose not to answer. Murry knew full well that his vengeance against anyone who dared to threaten his loved ones would be lethal.
Silence settled between them. Adrian’s mind drifted toward other issues he had to deal with, like Finn O’Leary’s disappearance.
The Irishman remained at large, leaving Adrian and his family vulnerable to additional threats.
Finding the bastard and shoving a blade through his heart was essential to Adrian’s peace of mind.
Jaw clenched, he turned to the door at the sound of approaching footsteps.
He really didn’t have time to do Bow Street’s job, yet what choice did he have? His conscience would never permit him to turn his back on an innocent woman who might be in terrible danger.
The thought evaporated upon seeing Edward. He looked…so very different from how Adrian remembered him. The kindness that used to shine in his eyes had iced over. Gone was all semblance of the good-natured spirit that had defined Edward’s character for as long as Adrian had known him.
Not even when Evie died had he looked this forbidding. Unspeakable pain had marred his features back then, but now…it was rather like being met by a hollowed-out version of the man he’d once been.
“Bertram says you want to question me about Lady Edwina’s disappearance.
” Edward stared at Adrian, his expression as frigid as the North Sea in winter.
“Honestly, I didn’t imagine you capable of destroying the last remaining shards of our friendship, but it seems I was wrong.
Suspecting I might be involved in what happened to her proves it. ”
“Aren’t you the slightest bit curious to know why our search for her brought us here?” When Edward didn’t respond, Adrian scoffed and decided it might be best to match severity with severity. He turned to Murry. “Please wait for me in the hallway.”
Murry didn’t so much as blink before doing as Adrian asked.
Adrian waited until the door closed, providing him privacy, before telling Edward, “I realize you blame me for the disastrous outcome between yourself and Miss Roberts.”
“Do not—”
“What you’re probably too angry to see,” Adrian snapped, silencing Edward’s words of warning, “is that I was unable to tell you the truth without putting Samantha’s life in danger.
Harlowe will kill her if he believes it was she who leaked the information about Miss Roberts’s true identity.
So I did the only thing I could think of, which was to try and warn you away. ”
“Not only did you deceive me, but you lied.” Edward’s gaze pinned him in place. “When I asked you if there was anything you were omitting, some other reason besides class differences that prevented you from supporting a match between myself and Miss Roberts, what did you say?”
“I told you there wasn’t.” When Edward produced an answering snort of contempt, Adrian gnashed his teeth together and leaned toward him. “What would you have done had you been in my place? I had to put Samantha’s safety above a love interest destined to fail.”
Edward angled his head. A frightening gleam appeared in his eyes.
“Did you imagine that I would share what you told me in confidence if there was a chance it could harm someone? How little you think of me, Adrian, not only to deny me your trust but also the chance to make an informed decision. Only for us to end up in the very position you hoped to avoid.”
A chill swept Adrian’s spine. Had Edward revealed his knowledge about the Nightingale Project to Harlowe? “What do you mean, the same position?”
“Miss Roberts and I will be married tomorrow by special license.”
Adrian’s heart plummeted. “What?”