“You’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” Charles retreated from Aurora. “You don’t know what happened.”
“I can guess, Worth.” Aurora pierced him with a scathing look. “And I don’t want to end up like Cecily. Ruined and discarded so that you can continue your existence debauching every female that comes within arm’s length. You will toy with me until I am no longer amusing.”
“That isn’t—” His eyes fluttered shut for a moment.
Aurora believed the worst of him. Wasn’t that what Charles had wanted? To push Aurora so far away that she would never come back?
“Get out of my way.”
“But by all means.” Charles opened his eyes, careful to regard her with nothing but bored politeness, a far cry from their passion of moments ago. “Don’t let me keep you further, Lady Aurora.” His tone was chilly, like a pond covered in ice.
She stepped around him.
“Do you know the location of the parlor where your chaperone is tupping Kenebruke?” he snarled at her back. “Two doors down on the left.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Aurora swallowed, butnothing forced down the absolute sound of desolation threatening to crawl up her throat. Even more reason to get as far away from Worth as possible. Even now she wanted to run back to him.
Marching back toward the terrace doors, Aurora straightened her shoulders. Worth would never allow himself to love and Aurora—well, she must absolutely have love. She had no choice. And Healey? Well, there had been a tiny, miniscule kernel of arousal. Little more than a spark which had immediately sputtered out at Worth’s interruption.
Her body, her heart, recognized Charles Worthington in an instant, flaming to life in seconds.
Damn him.
Aurora halted, heels sliding across the stone of the terrace, trying to still the rapid beating of her heart.
The doors, which would take her back inside, loomed large before her. It would be best if Aurora didn’t seek out Aunt Lottie. Mr. Healy had likely already barged into the parlor and created a scene. She would go directly to the dowager duchess and request that she be allowed to return home. Immediately.
Worth couldrotfor all Aurora cared.
Damn him.
A sob threatened to escape, and she savagely beat it back. Now was not the time to go about weeping, especially over a man such as Worth.
“Oh dear, a lover’s quarrel?” A satisfied voice drawled.
Aurora stopped once more just short of reaching the safety of the house.
Can this evening become any more intolerable?
“I am sorry Worthington felt the need to trifle with you.” Lady Bryant came forward with a pout, her sympathy as false as the rest of her. The overly strong scent of her perfume assailed the nostrils, like a pile of rotting lilies.
“Excuse me, my lady.” Aurora tried to move around her.
Lady Bryant stepped closer, blocking Aurora’s way inside. “Worthington is drawn to innocence. Or at least the ruining of it. I had thought he’d be far more discreet; however, it isn’thisreputation at stake, is it, Lady Aurora?”
She should have heeded Worth’s earlier warning but the Sinclair temper had gotten the best of her. It hurt so bloody much to love the wrong person. A man who couldneverlove her back because he wasn’t capable. Or worse, just didn’t want to.
“Worth is drawn to innocence?” She gave Lady Bryant a confused look and stood her ground when she should have been running away from this vile woman. “Surely yours has been gone for decades, my lady.” Aurora blinked. “So what was his interest in you?”
Lady Bryant’s grew ugly. A stain of red dotted her cheeks. “He’llneverwed you. Ruination or not. Everyone knows what Worthington is like, except you, it seems.”
Aurora wanted to slap the smirk right off Lady Bryant’s crimson lips. But her foolishness wouldn’t only harm her, but the entire family. Jordan had worked so hard to reclaim his place in society. Malcolm had a thriving business with ties to Lord Curchon. And Drew. He’d worked so hard to create something with Worth. Aurora had put it all at risk because of her foolishness over a man she couldn’t possibly have.
“Charles Worthington isn’t the type to marry, though I’m sure you’d done everything in your power to get him to ruin you. You’ll be much better off with Mr. Healey. He’s much more likely to fall for your pathetic attempts at seduction. Isn’t that what your sister did to gain herself the Duke of Ware? Seems to be what all the Sinclair women do to wed men who are far, far, above their station. Behave like trollops.”
A furious puff of air came from her lips. If Aurora’s reputation was to be ruined by this horrid woman and Lady Longwood, so be it. She was tired of restraining her behavior with corsets and modesty. Exhausted by trying to be someone she was not. Tamsin would be terribly disappointed, but Aurora no longer cared.
