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RORY FELT LIGHTER THAN air as she moved through the crowded ballroom. She could feel the anger radiating from Darla walking directly behind her, but that didn’t dim her happiness. Her feet felt like they were floating, and her heart beat to the rhythm of the band playing. She felt the music vibrating through her. Her eyes scanned the room, watching for Clayton to arrive. She knew she would have no problem catching his eye, even in this crush of people.
“Are you still planning to see him again?” Darla asked, her voice a whisper through the crowd that only Rory could hear.
“Yes.” There was no reason to lie at this point.
“Your brother will never approve of such a match.”
“I’m above the age of consent, so I don’t need his approval.”
“You two have always been so close. You are willing to lose that?”
Rory knew that she was taking a risk by leaving without informing Henry first. The two of them had never had secrets before, and now she seemed to be keeping so much form him. She only hoped that he would understand why she did it and forgive her for her actions.
“If he loves me, he will want me to be happy.” Henry would understand better than anyone else. “He married for love.”
“He married a lady.”
“Who was once an actress. You don’t think his peers know that? He didn’t care.” Rory had been the one concerned with the family’s reputation. Something she regretted in hindsight.
“Men have it easier than we do. They are not held to the same standards.”
“That’s not very fair.”
“No, but it’s true.” Darla grabbed Rory by the arm and forced her to turn back and face her. “This could be a grave mistake.”
“My aunt was too afraid to take the risk, and she regretted it. I would rather live with a mistake than never know what might have been.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Rory felt a tingle on the back of her neck. She turned to find Lord Bittleby entering the ballroom. He wore a smug smile on his bloated lips and eyed the room like it was his kingdom. Rory knew he wasn’t on the guest list, but the impudent man had decided to show up without an invitation.
Rory didn’t want to make a scene in front of so many influential people, so she sent Darla to fetch him and bring him to the library. She waited nervously for her enemy to appear, but when the door opened, she found Clayton there instead.
“What are you doing here?” Rory asked, letting him wrap her in his strong arms for a moment. “I can’t leave the party this early.”
“I needed to talk to you before...” He moved her away from him, and that was when she saw the fear in his eyes.
A chill ran down her spine and made goosebumps flush on her skin. “Before what?”
He opened his mouth, but the door opened again. This time it was the villain she had been expecting. Lord Bittleby shuffled into the room, letting his gaze bounce back and forth between the two of them. His eyes widened, but he didn’t retreat from the room to leave them alone.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked. “I was told you wanted to meet with me.”
“I did. We need to discuss our business.”
“Are you saying your farewells before our engagement? I hope you know I won’t tolerate any affairs afterward.”
“There won’t be any engagement.” She moved to stand in front of him as tall as she could.
He was a short man, so at full height, she was a few inches taller. He struggled to stretch himself to make up the difference and was unsuccessful.
“You have the money for me, then?”
“Not yet, but I will. I will be able to pay you in full within a few weeks.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have that much time. The end of the month is tomorrow.”
“Surely you can give me a little more time.”
The two of them had been discussing things in a calm civilized tone, so she was unprepared for him grabbing her harshly by the arm and jerking her forward. She almost lost her footing and fell into him but managed to avoid that last second.
“I’m not waiting for anything. We had an agreement, and you will honor it one way or another.”
The muscles in his face twitched, and his expression changed. He had a darkness within those beady eyes that sent her heart thumping in her chest. She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly. “I will take what is mine.”
Panic seized her, making her struggle against him. Clayton, who had been ignored during their exchange, immediately moved forward and broke Bittleby’s grasp on her. He took a looming step toward the lord, threatening him without words effectively enough that the little man moved closer to the door.
“Who are you? This is none of your concern.” Lord Bittleby spoke with such viciousness, he was beginning to foam at the mouth. “This is between me and that little schemer. She made her mess, and now she has to pay for it.”
Clayton moved so that he was between Bittleby and Rory, protecting her from the man’s reach. She worried about what might happen if he assaulted a man of the peerage. Laws were very harsh about something like that.
“What exactly does she owe you?” Clayton asked.
Rory cringed as she heard the sum said out loud. Her careless behavior was her own doing, and now Clayton would know how bad a mistake she had made. Perhaps he would reconsider his decision to be with her.
“You would chase her out of the city for such a small amount?” Clayton’s face appearing impassive about the sum.
“I chased her nowhere; she made the choice to leave London. Perhaps she had other secrets she was trying to hide.” The sick smile Bittleby gave her from around Clayton made her skin crawl. “I didn’t know she had a taste for the common, or I wouldn’t have bothered being a gentleman.”
Rory felt Clayton tense and placed a hand on his shoulder. She would try to avoid violence as long as possible for his sake.
“You never have been much of a gentleman,” Rory replied. “Titles don’t change that.”
Those black eyes narrowed on her, and he sneered. “I guess I don’t have to bother being polite. You either giving me what I’m owed, or I will drag you out of here in front of everyone. I will tell your bother about your debts and make sure it’s heard clearly by every person in that ballroom.”
“He can pay the debt for me,” she said.
“Yes, but at what cost to your family’s reputation?”
Her family was already on the fringe, especially after Henry’s marriage. One more push, and they would be outcasts. She could live with that now, but poor Henry could suffer for it.
“It won’t come to that.”
Clayton’s voice was calm, even though she could feel the tension in his body. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a modest amount of bills inside a money clip. It didn’t look like enough to cover the sum that she owed, but he pulled the money out and offered Bittleby the clip. As the man examined it in the lamplight, she could see the jewels that glittered across the surface. Those alone would be worth more than what she owed.
“Take this and consider her debt paid in full,” Clayton growled. “Leave the house quietly, without a word to anyone. If you don’t, I will see to it that you lose what little respect you have left.”
Bittleby’s lips snarled, but when Clayton took another step toward him, he trembled.
“Fine. It’s not worth the trouble to get used goods.”
The hand on his shoulder was the only thing that stopped Clayton from attacking the sniveling weasel as he disappeared out of the room.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Rory said. “Was that piece important to you?”
“It was, but it was part of my old life. I won’t need it anymore.”
“Does that mean you have agreed to run away with me?” She smiled until he turned around, and she saw that serious expression had returned. She reached up to cup his cheek in her palm, and he leaned into her soft skin. He closed those deep blue eyes for a moment, but then they opened, guilt showing in them.
“I want that more than anything,” he said. “Only I have something to tell you that might change your opinion of me.”
“Nothing could be so terrible that I would change my mind.”
“I hope so.” He looked so worried that she wanted to reassure him in some way. Before he could speak again, Rory lifted herself up on her toes and touched her lips to his. He lost the reserve he had been holding onto, pulling her tightly against him and kissing her deeply, savoring her lips. A knock at the door, loud and insistent, forced them apart.
“Rory, the duke and his family have arrived. They are asking to see you.” Darla spoke from the other side of the door without opening it.
“I must go.” Rory hastily moved away from Clayton, smiling until her cheeks hurt. “We can talk as soon as I’ve finished speaking with them.”
“Wait, I have to tell you something first.”
She placed a finger across his lips. “It can wait. We will have our whole lives together after tonight.” She didn’t want anything to dampen her relief right at that moment.
Rory found Catherine first, standing alone at the edge of the ballroom. The woman was glowing with joy, taking in the scene with wide eyes and a brilliant smile.
“This turned out better than I had dreamed,” Catherine said, taking both of Rory’s hands in her own. “Your aunt would have been tickled by the number of people who showed up. Everyone is having such a good time.”
“I have you to thank for that,” Rory said, thinking that Clayton also had a great deal to be thanked for. “I’m glad it’s returned to its former glory.”
“Better, even. You must introduce me to the contractor you used.”
“He’s here somewhere.” Rory couldn’t see if Clayton had followed her out of the library.
“So are my sons, although I seem to have lost them in the crowd.”
Rory spotted Thomas and his wife approaching. Her brother was with them, and the two men had their heads bent in conversation.
“I believe Henry has found them first. Probably boring your eldest son with his political opinions.”
Kitty wasn’t with them, but Rory knew she wouldn’t be missing for long. The newly married couple were rarely apart. She smiled a little, wondering if she and Clayton would be the same way once they were married.
Rory watched as the people moved to allow someone to get closer to them. She felt her breath catch as Clayton stepped into Catherine’s arms and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Catherine introduced him with pride in her voice as her son, Lord Clayton Powell.
“It can’t be.” Rory heard her own voice, but it sounded distant, like an echo. “You can’t be him.”
Catherine’s eyebrows drew together as she watched them. The rest of the family had joined by now. Rory was aware of her audience but couldn’t stop her reaction.
“Have the two of you already met?” Catherine asked, her expression turning to concern as she noticed Rory’s expression.
“He’s the man who helped my sister rebuild the house,” Henry said. “I didn’t know Mr. Murdoch was going to be attending.”
“Murdoch?” Catherine shook her head. “This is my son, Lord Clayton.”
Henry was able to put it together quickly, and his face flushed with fury.
“He’s been lying to us? To her? This entire time?” Henry growled.
“I don’t understand...” Catherine looked as confused as Rory felt, only without the hurt she had.
All this time, Clayton had stood there quietly, listening to the way the people around him reacted. His gaze never left hers, and his chest heaved with his heavy breathing. Through glassy tear-filled eyes, Rory studied the man she didn’t know. It felt like it was just the two of them, regardless of the chaos they were in.
“Well?” This was his one chance to explain.
“This is what I was trying to tell you before.”
The voices around them quieted down. They were the only ones talking, ignoring the audience.
“Why didn’t you tell me in the beginning?” she asked. “Why did you lie to me about who you were?”
“I didn’t lie.” He looked at all the people gathered around them. “Can we discuss this privately?”
“No. I can’t trust you anymore. I can’t trust myself around you.”
“Fine. I didn’t lie to you about who I was. Murdoch is the name I used while I lived in Cape Town.”
“It’s not your real name.”
“It’s more real to me than being Lord Clayton Powell. I gave that up when I left London.”
Her emotions were threatening to spill over, and she didn’t want the entire ballroom to see that. She needed to leave as quickly—and with as much dignity—as possible.
“I believe our partnership has ended.” She rose from her seat and wiped the tears from her face. She smoothed her gown and gained her composure once again. This was her house, and she wasn’t going to be seen looking so disheveled in it. “I know where to send your half of the payment now, Lord Clayton.”
“Rory,” he said, pleading with her not to leave.
“Don’t call me that again.” She turned, feeling the hot streaks of tears beginning to fall. He was still calling her name, but she could hear Henry forbidding him from following her and ordering him to leave the house. In one night, she had been both rescued and betrayed by the same man.