“Sweetie, I may be dumb, but I’m not stupid.” Bart stared flatly at her. “You left the country to run away from me and take your money and your sweet ass with you. But I’m not having it. I bought into your sneaky plan to marry me because your daddy is one of the most important members of the WSGA. His vote means a lot. His money means a lot too.”
“You agreed to the plan because of the connections it would give you,” Lenore said, sighing as part of the mystery of why Bart had fallen for her scheme came clear to her. Of course, that was why he would fall for something so transparent. She had considered that the marriage and the connections it would provide could be as important to Bart as saving her life was to her, and now she had confirmation. All the same, she shook her head and took a few more steps away from him. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. I’ve made a life for myself in England, and I’m not going back. I want an annulment.”
“Why?” Bart snorted. “What good would breaking things off with me do you?”
“I…I have a man here who wants to marry me,” she admitted, though she wasn’t about to let on that it was Phin and not Freddy.
Bart narrowed his eyes even more. “You think I’m going to let some lily-livered, limp-wristed limey snatch your dowry out of my hands?”
Lenore’s heart sank. Bart wasn’t going to give up easily. She’d been fooling herself by entertaining the idea he would.
He stalked closer to her. “I want what’s mine.”
“I am not yours.” Lenore stepped away again, fighting to put space between them, even though everything felt as though it were slipping out of her grasp.
“You will be,” Bart growled. “And then we’ll send a little telegram over to your daddy and get him to wire the money that goes along with you to my account.”
Lenore frowned in confusion. “Why didn’t you accost my father for the money as soon as he returned from England last year? Why come all the way to London to bother me instead of going straight to him?”
Bart laughed slowly, but Lenore was certain she saw a shift in his confidence. Something didn’t add up. “You think it’s all about the money, sweetheart? Well, it ain’t.” He prowled closer to her. His words felt like a lie.
Lenore was caught between wanting to stand her ground and get to the bottom of things and wanting to run across the hall to throw herself into Freddy’ and Reese’s protective arms. The latter would have cost her every bit of self-worth she had, though, so she squared her shoulders and glared at Bart. “An annulment, Bart. I won’t settle for anything less.”
“And I want what I’ve wanted all along, pumpkin.” He came to a stop in front of her, raising a hand to stroke her cheek.
Lenore flinched and stumbled back. As she did, Freddy and Reese burst across the hall and into the room, taking up defensive positions by Lenore’s sides.
“How dare you touch her?” Freddy growled.
“Leave my house this instant,” Reese demanded.
“I’ll leave if my wife comes with me,” Bart said.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Lenore bit back. “And I’m not your wife, not really.”
“Yes, you are,” Bart insisted, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “And believe you me, if you don’t come around to that opinion soon, there will be consequences.”
“As there will be consequences for you if you do not leave my house this instant,” Reese said. “Tilney!”
Not only did Mr. Tilney step into the doorway almost immediately after Reese’s call, two of Reese’s footmen appeared with him. Whether Bart liked it or not, he was one man against five, and Reese’s footmen were built like athletes.
Lenore could have wept with relief when she saw the flicker of uncertainty in Bart’s eyes turn into the realization that, for the moment, he was outnumbered. “I’ll go,” he said. “I’m gonna give you until tomorrow to see things my way. When I come back, you’d better be ready to do your duty as my wife.”
He strode past Lenore. She took a step back, and both Freddy and Reese reached out to rest a protective arm around her back, which resulted in a confusion of limbs and intentions. As comical as the moment was, Lenore couldn’t feel even a tiny spark of humor. She held her breath as she watched Bart leave, only letting it out when Mr. Tilney and the footmen departed with Bart to show him out.
Then she collapsed with a useless sob. Freddy and Reese worked together to relocate her to the sofa, sitting on either side of her.
“That man is dangerous,” Freddy growled, rubbing a hand over Lenore’s back.
“You have no idea,” Lenore breathed, shaking her head.
“I think it’s about time you told us the entire story of how you ended up here,” Reese said, ever the leader and protector.
Lenore glanced up at him, racked with guilt, then looked to Freddy. “You’re right. It’s time I come clean. But you’re not going to like what I have to say.”
Chapter 15
Phin spent no more than half an hour at home, handing off his suitcase to Dora to unpack and take whatever needed washing to the laundry, changing into a fresh suit, and allowing Mrs. Wallace to feed him something—he was hard-pressed to remember what he’d eaten within minutes of swallowing it—before dashing out of the house again and through the city to the cramped flat where Lionel lived.
He half expected Lionel to be entertaining someone or another, so he knocked politely on his brother’s door instead of pounding, like he was want to. He was surprised when Lionel opened the door only a few seconds later, dressed in perfectly-pressed trousers, a shirt that had to be silk, and a waistcoat of
