For a moment Lucia had no idea who John referred to. Then, like a hazy dream, her engagement, her life in London floated back to her. “No! Of course Reginald doesn’t know, but I don’t care if he does. You know how I feel about him.”
“He’s your fiancé!”
Lucia shut her eyes and buried her face in her hands. She didn’t want to think about Reginald. Suddenly everything seemed to be falling apart.
Beside her, John was fuming and cursing. With his good arm, he yanked his pillow up and finally pulled himself to a sitting position. Lucia watched him under lowered lids. Like hers, his outbursts of temper were short-lived. A moment later he took her hand again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout at you. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.” She hadn’t meant to start crying, but the words came out on a sob.
“Do you love him?” John asked quietly.
Lucia’s breath caught. Her heart hammered so hard, she thought it would break. She’d wanted to avoid all thoughts of love, knowing Alex would never allow himself to love her. Knowing for certain, after the discussion of his father, Alex would never be hers. She looked at John.
“My God. You love him,” he whispered.
She squeezed her eyes closed, but the tears spilled out anyway.
“No, Lucia. Not him.”
She nodded miserably. “I didn’t want to love him, but I couldn’t seem to help it.” She dropped her face in her hands. “I know it is hopeless. He’ll never marry me.”
“Wrong.”
She looked up at John’s unyielding face.
“He’s compromised you, Lucia, and can be made to marry. He may be a rake, but he’s also a man of honor.”
“No.” Lucia said.
“Lucia, don’t argue—”
“No!”
John frowned. “Why?”
“Do you think I want to marry a man who doesn’t want me? Do you think I want to force a man to marry me? I’d rather die.”
“Dammit, Lucia.” John grasped her shoulders. “Listen to—”
There was a knock on the door, and like naughty children, Lucia and John went silent. The door opened and Alex entered, Camille behind him.
She quickly dashed the tears from her cheeks and looked away.
AS SOON AS ALEX WALKED into the room, he knew something was wrong. The chamber was deathly silent, and Lucia had been crying. He had never seen her do that. Her brother was staring at him, stone-faced and with teeth clenched.
“You bastard,” John spat. Alex looked at Lucia. She closed her eyes and put her hand over them, and he knew the cause of her tears then.
“Yes, I am,” he said. Lucia’s heart broke at the coolness in his voice.
“Is that all you can say? You’ve compromised my sister. Your sister-in-law!”
“John, do not overreact,” Lucia said quietly.
“Overreact? I am not overreacting, Lucia!”
“No,” Alex agreed. “You’re not overreacting. I take full responsibility.”
