Page 101 of A Misguided Devotion

There was another reason for staying in Weymouth, which he wouldn’t admit out loud. He was scared that Kitty might say no all over again. He didn’t think he could deal with that face to face.

It still rankled that she thought he would change his mind about marrying her. He would prove that she was wrong. Show her how serious he was about her. He would write that letter to his father at once. Throw himself on his mercy.

Because if Kitty came back with them tomorrow, he was never going to let her go again.

Chapter 29

Kitty had no choice but to stay at Rufus House until Mr Jenkin was well enough to leave. Unless William came back for her. Why had she been such a coward and refused to go with him?

She should have realised that staying would force her to spend far too much time alone with Hugh. Dinner was an altogether too intimate affair, and he took every opportunity to impress on her the normalcy of it all. As if this were how it would be once they were husband and wife. He seemed convinced she would soon come around to his proposal. Whenever she glanced across the table in his direction, she discovered him staring at her, as though he found her desirable.

She let him do the talking, adding little to the conversation. He did not reiterate his threat of blackmailing the Duke over the scandal in her past, but she could not forget it. A tight knot remained in her stomach that didn’t diminish. The conviction that despite the facade he showed to the world, Mr Barrington could be ruthless when pursuing his own interests.

As the cloth was cleared away after the meal, he expressed his intention of joining her in the drawing room straightaway. Eager to put some distance between them, Kitty hastened to counter the suggestion.

“Please excuse me, Hugh. I wish to check on Laura.”

She rose from the table and hurried out the door, hoping he wouldn’t take it into his head to join them.

Sutton let her into her friend’s chamber as usual. The maid was beaming from ear to ear. “Go right ahead, miss. The master’s awake.”

Laura was sitting in her normal place by Mr Jenkin’s bedside, looking like a woman who had just received her husband back from the dead. Which, to all intents and purposes, she had.

Tilting her head to one side, Laura peered around her. “Are you alone? We were hoping Lord Droxford was with you.”

Not half as much as Kitty did. “He left this afternoon.”

“Bother. Did he drive David’s mother back to Weymouth?”

Mrs Jenkin was no longer here? That was news to her. “I didn’t realise she’d gone. I thought she’d be staying.”

“Papa sent word that a carriage was waiting to take her home. As David is now on the path to recovery, I didn’t like to argue with him. If Lord Droxford wasn’t employed on that mission, where has he gone? Are we expecting him to return today? My husband wants to talk to him.”

“He isn’t coming back.” Not unless his father gave his permission for their marriage, and the chances of that were slim. Why was it so hard to say the words? It didn’t make it any more real than it already was.

“But I thought he was making a copy of my portrait.”

“He was asked to leave.”

Laura blushed. “Oh, I see. Papa does not like to have his plans overset. His lordship would be a constant reminder of my imprudence in marrying David.”

Mr Jenkin squeezed his wife’s hand. “The imprudence was mine in not taking you away from here while I could. My work is important, but I hazarded our future together through my pig-headed pursuit of my goal.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, darling. You were only doing your duty.”

A twinge of jealousy caught Kitty unawares as she watched the two of them banter with such sweetness. The love between them was so obvious. They had risked family disapproval to be together. She wished she had been that brave. If she were given another opportunity to be with William, she would not give it up so readily.

“You have my sincere gratitude for being a friend to Laura while I was asleep, Miss Lacey. I thank God that I have woken up and have a second chance of keeping her safe.”

“What of your attackers? Lord Droxford said he thought from your expression that you recognised the person who hit him.”

His eyes darkened. “I did. It was one of my own men.”

“A member of the preventive force? How despicable!”

“Corruption is not as rare as you’d like to think. It’s dangerous work, and the temptation to avoid conflict is great. A bribe to turn a blind eye. The offer of a share of the contraband. Money has the power to lead a man from the narrow path—and those of us who stick to our duty stand out.”

“But why risk being seen?”