Her father started to tell her all the reasons why she’d made such a mistake, and Regina bit her lip, wondering how to best proceed. He appeared intent upon stopping them from leaving, and she glanced over at Camford in a desperate plea for help.
The viscount understood her, and he interrupted the earl’s tirade, saying, ‘Your daughter received another blackmail note just the other day, threatening to tell everyone her secrets. Is that something you want?’
The earl blanched at his words. ‘Wh-what do you mean?’
‘I mean that your daughter is afraid of the threat. Since Locharr cried off and married his governess, I offered to take Regina to Scotland myself. You needn’t worry, because I will protect her.’
‘But—I swore to Tavin on his deathbed that my daughter would wed his son. They were promised.’ He reached for his handkerchief, fighting back another cough.
‘That promise is over now,’ Camford said. ‘But the blackmail must stop. I am taking Regina to Cairnross in Scotland, and I have an investigator searching for the culprit. They will be apprehended soon and prosecuted.’
With that, the earl grew more agitated. He shook his head. ‘No. You cannot investigate this.’ He stepped back and turned his face as a coughing spell overtook him. When he had finished, he insisted, ‘The past must be left alone.’ Then he turned back to her. ‘Regina—I promise, I will take care of you. I will talk to Locharr. Make him see what a mistake he has made.’
She could see how upset he was, and she felt the need to reassure him. ‘Write to him if you wish. But Papa, this was my choice. It may not be a true marriage, but I believe that Lord Camford will protect me. He has promised to bring me to Scotland, and that is what I want.’
Her father didn’t appear to be listening. He was muttering to himself about talking to Lachlan, and without saying farewell, he turned around and went back to the house. His behaviour was so unlike him, she didn’t know what to do. But Camford gave orders to the driver and closed the door.
‘Do you still want to go to Scotland?’ he asked.
She nodded. ‘I think it’s best if I go away for a while. Then maybe my father will calm himself, and I can decide what I want to do next.’
They travelled through the London streets, and Lord Camford moved to sit beside her. She didn’t truly know what he wanted, but he said, ‘We need to talk about this marriage and come to our own understanding.’
His voice was calm and reasonable. He was right on that account, and she turned to face him. ‘Thank you for helping me save face today. I don’t know how I made such a mistake about Locharr. I truly thought he would come.’
‘He called off the engagement in the letter I gave you. He said he spoke to you about it at the ball, but I think there was a misunderstanding.’
She thought about it and recalled that they had spoken about his governess. ‘I told him I knew he was in love with Miss Goodson. It didn’t matter to me because we were never going to have a marriage based upon love. I said that we needed to move on. But perhaps he thought I meant we needed to end it.’
Camford nodded. ‘He did. And he asked me to give you the letter to ensure it. When I realised you were still making wedding plans, I tried to call upon you several times. Your parents and the servants refused to let me see you.’
And she hadn’t answered his notes either, feeling so caught up in worry for her father. ‘It was my fault about ignoring everyone. I just...didn’t want to think of the wedding, aside from wanting my father to be there. He’s been so ill, I fear that he doesn’t have much time.’
Camford reached out to take her hand. His palm was warm, soothing against hers. ‘I understand. But I also need you to understand that...there are complications now.’
She was fully distracted by his touch, knowing she should pull her hand away...and not wanting to. ‘What sort of complications?’
‘Even though our ceremony was not legal, we are bound together. Just by travelling alone together to Scotland, your reputation will be ruined if we part ways. I would rather wed you again legally so that does not happen.’
She turned to look outside the window. So much had happened, she hadn’t had time to consider the long-term consequences of this impulse. To stall him, she asked, ‘Why did you help me today? I never imagined you would do such a thing.’
He reached out to take her hand. ‘Because you needed it.’ Though he did nothing more than hold her hand, shivers erupted against her skin. She was torn between wanting to pull back and knowing that he was not threatening her.
It was as if her mind and her body were separate beings. She knew that he desired her, but why? This went beyond friendship. ‘Camford, I don’t think—’
‘You needn’t worry that I will ask for more than you can give,’ he interrupted.
Her cheeks flamed at the mention of intimacy. Even now, just the touch of his hand upon her palm, was enough to unnerve her. Regina calmed herself and took a deep breath. ‘That—that’s good,’ she agreed. To calm herself, she pulled her hands back and folded them in her lap.
But her mind was spinning with the true consequences of what she’d done. Camford was right. Even without a legal marriage, the rest of the world would believe that she given herself to him. ‘I am grateful that you came to my aid today.’ He had done everything in his power to save her, and she was thankful for the farce.
He inclined his head and then asked again, ‘So what do you want to do about...us?’
Regina drew in a deep breath. The last time she had made choices
