Page 70 of A Secret Desire


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“Did you run here?” he asked.

She opened her mouth to answer, but Tobias stuck his head in the open carriage door. “Couldn’t stop her.”

Henrietta’s eyes never left Grayson’s face. “Get in here, Tobias,” she rasped between breaths.

“Not sure I should.”

“Now.”

“Fine, fine,” Tobias grumbled, climbing back up and sitting next to his sister. “Well, here we are again, nice and cozy. Brings back memories.”

“Shut it, Tobias.” Henrietta pierced Grayson with her fiercest scowl. “I thought you two hated each other now.”

Tobias waved his arms over his head. “Some things transcend hate.”

Grayson spoke through gritted teeth. “What are you doing here, Henrietta. You’re supposed to be safely on your way to Manchester.”

“She’ll ruin the plan,” Tobias whined. “It’ll never work if anyone sees her.”

“I don’t know why I’m a bit surprised.” Grayson leaned into the squabs in defeat. “She does have a history of showing up at this sort of thing.”

“True. But Manchester, Gray, Manchester. If she’s not in Manchester, she’ll ruin the plan.” He threw his arms in the air. “She’s already ruined it.”

“Would you two stop speaking as if I’m not here! And what plan have I ruined?”

“Did Grandmama tell you?” Tobias queried.

“Not precisely. I guessed, and her and Grandpapa’s reactions confirmed my guess to be a good one.”

“I knew Grandmama was a weak link, but dear, dependable Grandpapa?” He sighed. “Well, you’ve dramatic timing, sis. You’ll be able to actually see the duel this time, but at a distance, mind, or you’ll ruin the plan. Come along, Gray, time for you to put a bullet through Stubly’s chest. We demand satisfaction and all that rot.”

The men rose to leave, but Henrietta’s voice stopped them. “Wait!” She clutched at Grayson’s wrist, her gloved fingers burning his skin. “So, it’s Grayson, then, who is fighting this duel?”

Tobias nodded, opened the door, and jumped into the grass below, leaving Grayson and Henrietta alone.

“Don’t do this,” she pleaded.

“What Stubly did is unforgiveable.”

“Yes, yes, of course. I know. I couldn’t sleep last night because …” She dropped her gaze to the floor.

Grayson sat back down across from her, nestling her hands between his. “Henrietta, whatever is happening, we’ll figure it out, but in the meantime, I need you to go to Manchester and be safe.”

“I won’t let you hang for me.”

He lifted each of her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Henrietta, I love you.” He lurched to his feet and jumped to ground before she could respond. He didn’t want to hang, and hopefully he wouldn’t have to if Tobias’s plan worked.

Henrietta exited after him, stumbling on uneven ground. Grayson wrapped his hand around her arm to steady her, and her fiery gaze shot to his. She was deuced angry, not the reaction one expected to a declaration of love.

“Grayson, you have no right to shoot anyone over me,” Henrietta snapped, pulling her arm away. “And you!” She turned to Tobias. “I don’t want you hanged for shooting a member of the peerage, either.”

Tobias waved at Grayson. “I’m not going to shoot a member of the peerage, sis. He is. Grab the dueling pistols from under the seat, would you, Gray?”

Grayson turned back to the coach to do as asked. It was time to do what they’d come to do. But when he turned back around, Henrietta’s hands pulled at him, tugging him close and clutching his shoulders.

“Grayson, don’t do this. There’s no need. I don’t need you to defend my honor. Don’t you see? I have no honor to defend anymore.”

Her words sent rage howling through his chest and one idea beating through his limbs: find Stubly and shoot him. But he couldn’t walk away from her without a word. Not again. He struggled to control the rage, to push it down. Only through calm control would he be able to say what he needed to say, what she needed to hear him say.