‘I saw no other choice,’ Havershire admitted. ‘I couldn’t bring such a scandal upon our family. Regina’s future would have been ruined.’ He sank down into a chair. ‘I am dying. I don’t care what they do to me, so long as we save her.’
Dalton thought a moment about their circumstances. ‘I don’t think it will be necessary. We will meet with the magistrate and come to an agreement.’ In this instance, he believed that the Mallencourts would never back down—not unless it was to their benefit to do so. He was counting on it.
‘My lord, do not say anything,’ the attorney advised. ‘No good will come of it.’
Dalton could see that Havershire was struggling at the idea of letting others fight for his daughter. ‘I will not let her be imprisoned or face death. Never.’
‘Nor will I,’ Dalton reminded him. He met the earl’s agitated expression with his own steady resolve. ‘I swear it to you.’
Chapter Fourteen
Regina spent the first half-hour alone in a small office. Her father, Dalton, and the attorney had asked her to remain apart from the others, so she had sat in the tiny space with little more than a chair and a single desk.
The sound of voices and footsteps approached, and the door swung open. She was startled to see her former friend, Lady Anne, standing there. Anne’s face was red, as if she had been crying. She clutched her hands together and stood close to the doorway.
‘Regina? Can we talk for a moment?’
She wanted to respond with: I have nothing to say to you. Instead, she stared back at her friend and remained silent.
Anne took a breath and said, ‘I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am. But you must understand how destitute we are. There is no one to take care of my family. I did what I had to do to survive.’
‘You betrayed me,’ Regina answered. ‘A true friend would have asked for help instead of demanding blackmail.’
‘Your father would have done nothing for my family,’ Anne said slowly. ‘But he would do everything for you. I was careful not to ask for money he couldn’t afford. Without his help, my family would never have survived the past five years.’
‘You’re wrong,’ Regina countered. ‘He couldn’t afford it, and he had to borrow the money. My betrothal to Lachlan MacKinloch was part of his repayment.’ Her mouth tightened at the thought of her former friend’s demands. ‘And now, because of what you’ve done, I could face imprisonment. Or worse.’
Horror washed over Anne’s face. ‘No! I promise you, that will not happen. I won’t allow it.’
‘You can make no promises to me.’ Regina turned her back on the young woman. Inwardly, she was seething with anger. She had mistakenly believed that Anne was her friend. She had trusted in her, sharing parts of her life that she had not shared with anyone else. And now, to learn that her best friend was responsible for her father’s debts and the blackmail was too much. ‘You need to go.’
‘I just...wanted you to know that I still consider you my friend. There was nothing else I could think of to help my family.’
‘You could have lowered your pride and asked,’ Regina said. ‘Instead, you betrayed our friendship.’ Without another word, she turned away. She heard the sound of Anne weeping, and tears gathered in her own eyes for the loss. It could have been so different between them.
Regina rested her forehead against her hands. Time seemed to stretch out endlessly before she heard the footsteps approaching again. This time, when the door opened, she lifted her face to see who it was. When Dalton stood there, she felt her emotions breaking apart.
‘Regina?’ he asked. ‘Are you all right?’
‘No,’ she whispered, her voice breaking. She stood up from the chair, feeling so fragile and yet filled with hope. ‘I’m not.’
The sight of this man eased her in a way she had never expected. He opened his arms, and she ran to him, heedless of what she had said to him the last time. ‘I love you,’ he said against her hair, holding her tight. She gripped him as if he were a bastion of strength against the storm of fear coursing within her.
‘I love you, too,’ she cried. ‘Dalton, what will happen to me? I’m so afraid.’ Her skin felt icy, and prickles of gooseflesh rose up, despite the heat of his embrace. His mouth came to hers in a warm reassurance, his kiss healing her.
‘I’m going to help you,’ he promised. ‘I swear it.’
She kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck. The comfort did not diminish her fear, but it made it more bearable. For a time, she simply let him hold her, and she was grateful for his embrace.
When he pulled back to look at her, she asked, ‘What have they decided?’
‘Nothing as yet. I have asked my father to intervene on your behalf,’ he said. ‘He knows many people in London, and I believe he can use his influence to help.’ After a slight pause, he added, ‘They want to question you now.’
‘I thought I was to say nothing.’ She wiped at her tears, and he cupped her face, kissing her again.
‘Your attorney will ask the questions,’ he said. ‘Just answer him honestly. And know that I will fight for you with every breath I have.’
He held her again while she wept, and she realised that this was what marriage was meant to be. Standing by a loved one, no matter what happened. And for the first time, she realised that she was lost without him.
She braved a smile. ‘I want to believe that somehow we will get through this.’ Even as she spoke the words, she tried to push away the doubts. Her heart ached at the thought of enduring a lifetime of prison.
There was a slight shadow on Dalton’s face, but
