Her brother shook his head, as if pitying her.
“But I had never met Lord Wiltsham before, not until I realized he was interested in courting you. I find your accusations and your words very strange indeed.”
She shook her head.
“Your pretense does not convince me, and what you have said as regards your first meeting with Lord Wiltsham I do not believe to be true. As I have said, you need not deny it.”
Lord Wiltsham cleared his throat.
“You have been very eager to push your sister away from me.”
“That is because I had plans for her to wed Lord Bullfield.”
Julia’s lips tightened for a moment, aware that all her brother would do was deny all that she threw at him. Without the contract, she had no proof.
“Your words make very little sense. You told me that I had a month to find a suitor, only to then insist that I wed Lord Bullfield when Lord Wiltsham appeared interested in courting me. There must have been a reason for that.”
Her brother cleared his throat.
“My reasons are my own.” He shifted on his feet, that confidence seeping out of his expression. “I did not consider Lord Wiltsham suitable.”
“But you just stated that you had never met me until that day when you walked into the drawing room and saw me in conversation with your sister,” Lord Wiltsham put in, immediately. “What was it that you found so unsuitable within those few minutes between meeting me and calling your sister to your study to inform her of your intention to wed her to Lord Bullfield?”
Lord Kingston’s jaw tightened.
“These questions are irrelevant. You are to wed my sister, are you not?”
The slight wobble in his voice made Julia smile softly. He was no longer as confident nor as polished as he had been before. The more questions they threw at him, the more he seemed to struggle.
“I find the question pertinent. I believe youhadmet me before, and whatever it was that you put in my brandy that evening made certain that I did not remember you.”
“I did not. There is no contract to speak of. I have signed nothing. I have never met you before, and certainly would never evenconsidertaking your fortune from you.”
There came a short silence.
“You are an entirely selfish creature, brother. You may protest, but I believe that you would do exactly what I have stated. I have seen you change these last few years. I have seen you become more grasping, even though you have been given great wealth.”
Her brother pressed one hand to his heart.
“You injure me, Julia.”
“No more than you have injured me. Thetonspeak of you as though you are a cruel sort, and one to be cautious around, and now I realize that everything they have said about you is quite true.”
“No, it is not.”
His voice was a little higher now.
“You have stolen Lord Wiltsham’s fortune.”
Speaking a little more forcefully, she pointed one finger at him.
“I certainly did nothing of the sort.”
“You made your way to the East End of London.”
“I did not.”
“You put something in his drink that evening.”
