Page 45 of His Revelation
“Why would you do this?” she whispered, lifting shaking fingers to press against her lips, and trying to forget how good he’d tasted. “Why?”
He winced and ran his hand through his hair. “Because…I thought ye were vain and self-centered,” he finally admitted. “I thought ye were cruel and…”
Her traveling companion was Lysander. Lysander was her Lunzie. The man who’d taught her so much about herself, who’d made her feel strong and capable and determined…and he was the man she once thought she loved.
You loved him for his money and his handsome face and his charming manners.
Her subconscious’s tone was surprisingly sly, and Tiffany tried to ignore what it meant. She’d thought she loved him, but the reasons had been as superficial as his opinion of her had been.
But all she said was, “I am not cruel.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Can ye blame me for thinking that?”
And in that moment, she understood.
She knew why he’d done this, why he’d tricked her. She remembered what she’d told him yesterday—Oh God, had it only been yesterday? Her heart had changed so much in such a short amount of time!— on the train about how she’d wanted to marry a viscount. And why it hadn’t happened.
“Because of what I said,” she whispered dully, turning away from him. “What you heard me say about your brother.”
It hadn’t been a question. But as she looked over atThe Curios Cabinet, knowing—knowing—the manuscript was already beyond her reach, she heard him shift behind her, and mutter, “Aye.”
Tiffany straightened her spine, knowing he was watching her, and not sure how she could keep from falling apart while he watched. He’d done this to her in revenge, she knew it.
And despite the pain of knowing all the feelings from the last few days were false, she also knew she deserved it.
She cleared her throat. “And your intentions in response to my words, milord? It was all an elaborate plan…to what?”
He didn’t speak for a long moment, but then she heard him blow out a breath. “To humiliate ye, Tiffany.”
Squeezing her eyes shut on the tears, she managed to keep her breathing from sounding like a sob. This man had just stripped her down to her very soul, making her feel better than any person ever had…and then admitted it had all been in an attempt to hurt her.
She couldn’t allow him to see how much that hurt.
There was nothing here for her anymore. The manuscript was gone, and her self-respect along with it.
Stiffly, she turned toward the street in the direction of the hotel. Her carpetbag was there, and she could make her own way to the train station. There was an afternoon train which would return her home in the wee morning hours. Inconvenient, yes, but she couldn’t stay here any longer.
To humiliate ye, Tiffany.
She lifted her chin, took in a slow breath, and kept her voice from shaking by sheer will alone. “It worked.”
CHAPTER 10
Lysander knew he deserved to feel like shite, so he supposed it was rather convenient he did.
When she walked away from him, he just felt…numb. If he were honest with himself, he’d have known yesterday—perhaps even earlier—that this had been a bad plan. She wasn’t the woman he’d thought she was, and she didn’t deserve to be hurt in the way he’d wanted to. He should’ve protected her.
But he hadn’t protected her from himself.
She was planning on walking through the streets of York alone, and he knew he couldn’t allow her to come to more harm. With a sigh, he brushed his palms against his kilt and followed her.
She didn’t take his arm when he offered it, just kept marching. He tried several times to apologize, but each time he tried to start a conversation, she’d rebuff him. And he wasn’t sure how to say what he needed to say, so each time, he stopped trying.
They returned to the hotel, but rather than retiring to her room, Tiffany picked up her bag and the packed food neither of them had touched and began to walk. He paid the rest of their bill andhurried after her, not quite surprised to find her heading for the train station. Once there, she said nothing to him as she bought her ticket north.
Oneticket.
It was clear she wanted nothing more to do with him, and he couldn’t blame her.
