“She sent me to implore you to return the manuscript she wrote.” When irritation swept across his face and he opened his mouth to argue, she hurried to finish. “You know she has changed her mind. It is not your manuscript to see published.”
“I gave her the money to stay in her home, and she gave me the manuscript as payment.”
“Yes,” Lilias said angrily, “and you ought to be ashamed. She’s your sister. You should have helped her without requiring payment.”
“And just who are you to stand as savior tomy sister? I’ve never even seen you before.”
“It’s none of your damn business who she is,” Nash bit out.
She put a staying hand on his arm, appreciating his wish to protect her, but antagonizing Mr. Levine would not help matters. And Mr. Levine and Nash obviously had a past, which she had many questions about, none of which she thought Nash would answer. He was a man of many layers, and she’d never even truly peeled back the first. She had not even known he was a twin.
“Tell me, Greybourne, why are you here accompanying your courtesan on a mission for my sister?”
“That’s also none of your business,” Nash growled.
“I wonder,” Mr. Levine said, drumming his fingers on the table once more, “do you regret dismissing Helen from your life as if she never meant anything to you?”
Lilias’s breath caught at Mr. Levine’s words, which reminded her uncomfortably of what Nash had done to her.
“I regret that I allowed what happened to happen, given I did not care for your sister. If she felt mistreated, for that, I am sorry.”
“I doubt it,” Mr. Levine said, rising suddenly. “You’re like all men of your ilk. You leave disaster in your path without a thought to who you have ruined.”
“Wait, Mr. Levine!” Lilias scrambled to her feet as the man began to leave. “Many people will be gravely hurt if you see that manuscript published!”
He turned toward her, a mocking look upon his face. “You refer to people of theton, I presume?”
She nodded. There was no point in lying. He’d most assuredly read the manuscript, and each chapter was about a man of thetonwho had wronged his sister. “Those men deserve the chapters your sister gave them. I’m not denying that,” Lilias said. “But some of those men are connected to women in these chapters, women who have committed no larger crime than falling in love and making a mistake. Do they deserve to have their lives ruined as your sister’s was?”
He made a derisive sound. “I assure you, there are no innocents in this book.”
“I’ll pay you for it!” she blurted, though she had no notion where she would get the money.
His brows arched with obvious surprise. “I doubt a woman in your position has the money to buy back this manuscript from me.”
“Then I’ll buy it from you,” Nash said, surprising her and rising to stand beside her. Conflicting emotions washed over her. Why would he do that for her? He didn’t care about her. He’d dismissed her just as he’d apparently dismissed Helen.
“It’s not about the money,Greybourne,” Mr. Levine said condescendingly. “If that’s what Helen told you, she’s wrong. It’s about revenge. It’s about striking Kilgore in his heart.”
Kilgore!Lilias just barely contained her gasp. Of course, the manuscript would have a chapter on the most notorious rogue she had ever known, the Marquess of Kilgore! He’d been in the middle of quite a few problems the last five years.
Before she could consider the newly revealed information any more, Mr. Levine flung open the door, and just as he did, Lilias felt her cloak fall onto her shoulders. She glanced at Nash. His face was tense. “Pull up your hood,” he said.
When she apparently didn’t move fast enough to suit him, he started to yank the hood up for her, and his fingers grazed her cheek. Her body reacted instantly to his touch, the pull to him more than she could bear.
“Stop it,” she hissed, brushing his hand away from her. “Do not touch me!” And before she said anything she would later regret, she took the lead from Mr. Levine and dashed out of the door and straight into Beckford, who’d been passing by.
“Done already?”
She nodded. “Did Mr. Levine leave?”
“I believe so. Did you not get what you wanted?”
She could feel Nash standing behind her, so close his heat warmed her back. “No,” she said, swallowing. “I did not. But I’ll find a way. I’d like to go home now. Would you call up my gig?”
“Of course,” Beckford replied. “Do you know the way out?”
“I know it,” Nash replied before she could.
