“Of course,” Joshua went on, “I could have done a much better job of keeping your sister safe in London if you had told me the truth about Malet in the first place, instead of hiring me under false pretenses.”
Thornstock’s expression showed nothing. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You should have informed me that Lionel Malet pursued your sister ten years ago. That he didn’t just begin going after her a few months ago because he wanted to kidnap and marry an heiress as revenge upon your half brother.”
The duke dropped heavily into the chair behind his desk. “How did you find out?”
“Your sister told me.”
“Recently?”
Joshua crossed his arms over his chest. “Today, as a matter of fact. So I’m fully aware that you and she both lied to keep me from realizing what was going on. And yes, I’m also aware that when the two of you spoke of Hazlehurst, you really meant Lionel Malet.”
“Damn.” Thornstock slumped in his chair. “You might as well sit down, Wolfe.” When Joshua did so, the duke asked warily, “What exactly did my sister tell you?”
Joshua drew in a steadying breath. “That you paid Malet to leave her alone ten years ago. And that you told him you would cut her and him off if he tried to elope with her.”
“Oh. So, pretty much everything.”
“‘Pretty much?’ Is there something she left out?”
The worry knitting Thornstock’s brow demonstrated that the man did care about his sister. “Only things she doesn’t know.”
That surprised Joshua. “Like what?”
“For one thing, how much I paid him. I didn’t want her to realize . . .” He dragged one hand through his hair. “How insultingly little it required to buy him off. I told her years ago it was a vast sum. I hope you will not . . . well . . . tell her the truth.”
“I would never tell her anything that might wound her.” And what was wrong with Malet anyway? Gwyn was worth her weight in gold. How could the idiot not see that?
Joshua groaned. How couldhenot see it? He had run her off when all she’d wanted washim, apparently. While that proved that the woman was mad, she wasn’t nearly as mad as Joshua was for not recognizing that she was the best thing ever to happen to him.
“I know that she and I both lied to you,” Thornstock said, “but—”
“She had her reasons, embarrassment being primary among them. But what were yours? Why deceive me about your true purpose for hiring me as her bodyguard? Why lie straight to my face—only yesterday, mind you—about the fact that you both knew Malet from before? I could have better handled my task if I’d had that bit of crucial information.”
“It seems to me you’ve handled it perfectly well so far. And if I’d told you the truth, would you have taken the post?”
That was a good question, one that Joshua wasn’t sure how to answer. “I might have.”
“Or not. And I knew that if Malet had the chance to spirit her off, he’d make sure that he ruined her this time. I couldn’t take the chance.”
If anything proved to Joshua that Thornstock was unaware of Gwyn’s true relationship to Malet, it was that.
“Besides,” Thornstock went on, “she told me she didn’t wantmesquiring her everywhere. But I thought she might tolerate you.”
God, he hoped she was doing better than merely “tolerating” him.
“Why has this come up now anyway?” Thornstock asked. “The last time I spoke with her privately, before we left Lincolnshire, she and I were in agreement about how much to say. What changed?”
Malet and his blackmail.
Joshua wanted to tell her twin about that so badly he could taste it. But if he did, he’d be doing exactly what Gwyn had been worried about all these years—ensuring that Thornstock went off to duel with Malet. And though Joshua sincerely believed Thornstock would get the better of Malet in any such fight, Gwyn would never forgive Joshua for risking it. Or for putting her brother in a situation in which he might be charged with murder.
If Joshua cared about her, if he wanted her as his wife, he had to respect her wishes. It was as simple as that. And he did want her as his wife. Of that, he was certain. No one else suited him as well as she.
So what he had to do now was figure out how to gain her hand.
Thornstock asked again, “Major? What changed?”
