And then she remembered thathehad been caught, too. Dare’s advice.
She flung the pillow aside and crossed her arms. “What about you, Heart? Who didyoumeet after running into me?”
He blinked, the fierceness of his countenance softening. “Me? Oh, an old friend.”
Leonora narrowed her eyes for good measure. “A female friend?”
“You already know.”
“Yes, but I’m just wondering how you could meet an old female friend in such a questionable environment?”
He stiffened, his lips pulling up in a sneer. “It wasn’t a meeting as you very well know. We simply... met.”
She tapped her chin in thought. “She sounded awfully familiar. Like I’ve heard her voice before.”
“You won’t know who she is even if I tell you.”
A blatant lie. Who was the one denying the truth now, heh, Heart?
“You cannot know that,” Leonora murmured, watching him closely.
Blue eyes, the same color as hers, held her gaze in unflinchingly—indeed, he didn’t move a muscle. There was no doubt the two of them were family. The Hearts inherited their distinctive blue eyes from a long line of ancestors. And yet, that was where the resemblance stopped. Period.
“Why are you so interested in whom I meet?”
“Can I not be interested in what female friend my brother met in such a place?” Or why that female friend had called on Dare? Or why she’d offered to escort Leonora home on the day they fell into the lake? But Leonora couldn’t ask those questions. As with so many others, they wouldn’t form on her tongue.
“You’ve never shown any interest in my acquaintances before.”
“We don’t have to speak about today’s incident if you don’t want to. But speaking of acquaintances, it seems as though you know the Duchess of Crane. She’s on everyone’s lips these days.”
His face went blank before he said, “We were introduced years ago, that’s all.”
“So, she could be considered an old acquaintance, then. She is very beautiful. Did you ever court her?” His face lost most of its color. There could be no doubt. They both knew it—that wasclear—but she wanted him to admit it. She wanted to hear the truth, some blasted measure of the truth, from his lips.
“No, I’ve never courted her.” He suddenly scowled. “How the hell has this been turned onto me? None of this matters. This is about you, not me. Heed my warning this time, Leonora,” he finished firmly, turning on his heel and striding from her chamber. He’d been rattled. She’d never seen him so rattled before. He also hadn’t lied—at least about courting the duchess. If he had, things might have ended so different for all of them. It didn’t matter, he’d said.
Oh, but, Heart, it does matter.
It matters a lot.
Father.
*
Dare didn’t knowwhy the hell he stepped into the ballroom when he knew he should be staying as far away from polite social events as possible. He hadn’t run into Heart yesterday when he’d seen Leonora off, but the man must have been livid to find his sister, hisfamily, in a less-than-savory part of London with a less-than-savory man.
Was she all right?
Had they fought?
Did Heart know she knew?
Curiosity burned in his chest. As did concern. And that concern all but replaced any curiosity as the evening went on and she remained absent. Was Heart keeping her prisoner? Could he do that? Probably.
He hated how his mind spun, like a damn fool, wondering what she was doing, how she was feeling, and what she was wishing would happen. He hated not knowing. Hated not being able to help her. All these questions were driving him mad. IfLeonora had at least been here, he’d have a damn sight less to worry over.
“Are you lost?”
