“Undoubtedly,” Rose said in a flat tone, “and he’s honest and upright and should have a whole fleet of ships christened in his name.”
Lily planted her hands on her hips. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“Then what will Mr. Honorable do when he sees the vulnerable girl he grew up protecting left heartbroken and alone? Leave her at the mercy of her callous foster father?”
Lily opened her mouth. She closed it. She ran her fingers along the scars on her hand, thinking.
“Come, Lily,” Rose went on, “you’ve seen the two of them together. The way they charmed that guard at Armstrong’s house. And earlier today, they kissed—”
“How do you know that?” Lily demanded. “You stayed behind to finish breakfast.”
“I finished.” Rose shrugged. “Then I decided to take some air.”
Lily narrowed her eyes. “You want me to doubt him. You seem to want me to go home, though you were the one who urged me to come here. Why?”
Rose crossed her arms, as if she were cold. “I’m telling you what I see. When I brought you here, I didn’t know it would be so complicated. I thought it would be…manageable.”
“And now you believe I cannot manage?”
Rose shrugged again.
“And you’re not trying to sabotage my relationship with Rand because you still want him for yourself?”
For a split second, Rose looked like a statue of a vengeful goddess. She was still with cold fury. Then she was gone, without a word, so quickly that Lily hadn’t yet decided whether she regretted making the accusation.
After the ugly argument, Lord Hawkridge didn’t even show himself at supper. Claiming a backlog of work due to Alban’s loss, he’d rung for a tray in his study instead.
Rose silently fumed all through supper, and afterward, when the four young people passed the evening hours in the north drawing room, she sat with her nose pointedly buried in a book. Lily played gentle tunes while Rand and Margery sat nearby puzzling over Lord Armstrong’s fate. In spite of herself, Lily watched them closely, Rose’s words of caution echoing in her mind. Every so often, Rand would catch her eye and smile, and she’d get that melty feeling inside and feel reassured. What did Rose know, anyway?
Rand had said it himself: He’d never let anything keep them apart. Ever.
It had grown quite late, and all four of them were yawning when Lord Hawkridge appeared in the doorway. Lily’s fingers stilled on the keys, leaving an expectant silence. Rose looked up from her book.
“No matter what you believe,” the marquess said, addressing himself to Margery, “I have raised you like my own daughter and care for you as though you were. Your pleas haven’t fallen on entirely deaf ears.”
Lily saw Margery’s heart leap into her eyes. “Yes?” Rand asked when his foster sister appeared unable to speak.
The marquess swung his harsh gray gaze on him. “I have a plan to spare her paramour’s life.”
“Thank you, God,” Margery breathed. “Thank you.”
“Thank me,” Lord Hawkridge snapped. “The truth is I know better than to make this offer. You should be thankful I have a soft heart.”
Rand flinched, clearly struggling to suppress a retort.
Margery rose, her black skirts trembling as she slowly approached the doorway. “What is your plan, Uncle William?”
The marquess straightened. “On your twenty-first birthday, one week hence, you will wed my son.”
“Oh, no—”
“Oh, yes. Should the two of you fail to marry, your paramour will hang. Should the wedding take place, I shall see that he is granted a commutation of sentence and transported to the colonies instead.” He paused, drawing breath. “May God forgive me my weakness,” he said, closing his eyes briefly before he turned and strode from the chamber.
As one, the rest of them released their breaths. Lily tried and failed to swallow past a new lump in her throat. No longer pretending indifference, Rose gaped at Rand and Margery, clearly waiting to see what they would say.
“This is unconscionable,” Rand gritted out.
Margery’s face was even paler than usual. A pure, bloodless white. “We must marry,” she whispered, casting Lily a stricken glance. She focused back on Rand. “We must marry to save Bennett’s life.”
FIFTY
MARGERY TOOK a few faltering steps toward Rand, then dropped to her knees at his feet. “We must marry.” She hid her face in her hands. “We must.”
Wearing a dazed expression, Rand reached for her shoulders and raised her to stand. “There must be another way.”
Lily wasn’t aware that her whole body was shaking until she noticed the harpsichord emitting sour, erratic notes. Snatching her hands from the keys, she wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to hold herself still.
Margery finally lifted her head and searched Rand’s eyes, her own green eyes frantic. She gripped his hands in both of hers. “But will you? To save his life? Tell me you will. From my earliest memories, I looked up to you, Rand. You were my big brother who could do no wrong. You won’t let me down, will you? Tell me you’ll marry me to save Bennett’s life.”
Though a muscle in his jaw twitched, he nodded. He didn’t even look at Lily—perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to. ”I won’t doom a man to die. But there must be another way.”
Tears streaming down her face, Margery hugged him, hard. Then, muffling a sob, she ran from the room.
Lily released a long, shuddering breath. “Rand—”
She cut herself off upon noticing her sister lingered nearby, as if she wanted to say something. But then Rose seemed to change her mind and quietly excused herself.
Now only Rand and Lily remained. ”I’ve never seen Margery this selfish,” he began, his gaze moving from the empty doorway to meet hers. “She didn’t for a moment consider how I’d feel about this marriage. Or you.”
Lily clenched her teeth to stop
