Page 55 of Marriage Most Scandalous
That simple statement, which was quite true, put the fear in her eyes, but her tone was still defiant when she demanded, “What do you want?”
“Answers. You’re going to tell me why you manipulated that duel between Giles and me.”
“But I did not—!”
He squeezed her neck just hard enough to cut her off. “Let’s get something clear before this goes any farther. I said answers, not lies or denials. We both know what happened in London. You instigated that rendezvous between us for an ulterior motive. What was it?”
There was a long moment of silence. She was determined not to answer him. His patience was occasionally his salvation. Much as he’d like just to break her neck, he refrained. But he did despise her, he was surprised at how much. In his mind, she was single-handedly responsible for destroying the life he’d known. And there was nothing he regretted more than having sex with her that night in London. He wasn’t even sure what he’d seen in her, other than an easy conquest. He hadn’t much cared where he found his gratification in those days. The ignorance of youth.
His own silence was the catalyst. She probably feared that more than his threats; at least it opened a can of spoiled beans.
“It—it was to punish him! He begs me to marry him, then he acts as if he were ashamed he did so. He hid me in London. Hid me while he went to confess what he had done to his father and his fiancée. As if it were such a horrible thing he had done. I was furious with him. I never should have agreed to marry such a coward.”
Oddly, it sounded like the truth, something a selfish, self-centered woman would do. But he reminded himself that he didn’t know her well enough to judge that. And her eyes were telling him something different. There was calculation in them, but also frantic thought, suggesting she could be weaving lies as they came to her. But again, he simply didn’t know her well enough to be sure either way.
“So you get your husband killed just because you think you made a mistake?” Sebastian tried again.
“No! That duel was not supposed to happen. You English, you overreact to such things.”
“Then what did you think would happen, when you told him you’d slept with his best friend?”
“I told you, it was just to punish him, to shame him. I thought you might fight, you and him, and you, being the bigger, would hurt him a little. No more than that. It was what I felt he deserved. Not death. I never wanted that.”
“And what I would feel mattered not at all in your scheme of things? You merely used me as a tool to teach your husband a lesson?”
She actually flushed. Contrived? He didn’t think so, but he had no way of knowing for sure.
“It sounds terrible, I know,” she said. “You—you were just a means to an end, yes. I am sorry for that. But I have a terrible temper and my anger was guiding me. I did not think beyond that.”
“You rarely think about anything but yourself, do you, m’dear?” Denton remarked, having just opened the door.
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder and saw that his brother appeared perfectly calm. “How much did you hear?”
“Enough to say I was given quite a different version of what happened between you two.”
“Ah, yes, that I was the seducer. Of course, she couldn’t give me that version when she and I know better. I think I would have been much more inclined to believe she was overcome with lust for me and couldn’t help herself.”
“Wounded, are you?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“Bastards! The both of you!” Juliette snarled over their English humor, then at her husband. “I could not tell you I was punishing Giles. You are my husband. I did not want you to think I would do the same to you!”
Denton lifted a brow at her. “But haven’t you? In so many ways?”
Instead of answering, she pulled at Sebastian’s fingers, which were still around her neck. He didn’t want to let go. He had a dozen more questions for her but knew he wouldn’t get the answers now—unless Denton was ready to talk.
He let go of Juliette. She immediately ran over to Denton and slapped him as hard as she could. “Do not ever let him near me again!”
Denton fingered his cheek, but he didn’t seem the least bit surprised by the violence. Sebastian sighed. He suspected he’d learned absolutely nothing, other than lies—and that his brother’s marriage was made in hell. Margaret had definitely been right about that.
He crossed to the door. Juliette scurried out of his way. He was done with her. He asked his brother for the second time that day, “Why don’t you divorce her?”
Denton said nothing. Juliette did. She laughed and taunted her husband. “Go ahead and tell him. What is the worst he can do? Kill you? How many times you’ve wished for death instead of marriage to me. Now is your chance, chéri.”
“Shut up, Julie!”
She just laughed harder. Sebastian reached for the door. He’d heard enough to make him want to kill someone, so it was a good time to leave.
