An Unexpected Earl (Lords of the Armory #2) - Anna Harrington Page 0,88

mere piece of paper. It was her freedom. The document she could use to press for an annulment. Legally, the unsigned agreement couldn’t stand on its own, but when added to Aaron’s abandonment of her, her minority when they’d married, and Frederick’s testimony that he’d never granted permission, it would surely be enough for an annulment. Please, God, let it be enough!

She clutched the paper to her bosom, needing to prove to herself that it was real. Her petition would be messy and drawn out, expensive, absolutely scandalous…the verdict hanging by a thin thread, surely. But in the end, she would be free and legally entitled to remarry. She would finally be free to love Pearce, completely and openly, and his good character as a war hero and peer would prop up her charity and keep it from ruin until the scandal blew over.

If Freddie cooperated. If he were willing to have her sham of a marriage exposed and suffer all the damage by association that pursuing an annulment would surely bring.

A tortured sound rose from her. Even now, with freedom resting in her hands, she was trapped beneath the will of a man. Would she ever be free?

As she began to return the unwanted papers to the drawers, another sheet caught her attention, and she stilled. Another document with Aaron’s signature.

She frowned. She didn’t remember any other papers except the settlement. Fresh dread surged through her. If that sheet documented any kind of consent between Aaron and Frederick—

No. She didn’t dare let herself believe that. Yet her hand trembled as she reached for it. It looked like…a receipt? No, a contract of sorts, in which Frederick promised to pay Aaron five hundred pounds for services rendered in Birmingham, England, March 1811.

She frowned. March. The same month they’d met.

“This makes no sense,” she muttered, reading it again, this time much more slowly in search of any details she’d missed. Why would Freddie had been making contracts with Aaron so soon after meeting him?

“Amelia! What on God’s earth are you doing?”

Her gaze darted to the doorway, where Freddie glared at the mess on the floor. And at her.

Her mind whirled to find an excuse. She couldn’t tell him the truth—not yet. Not until she’d discussed it with Pearce. And not until she’d come up with a good argument to convince Freddie to go along with her plan. Or a good way to coerce him, if logic failed. After all, she still held the key to keeping the blackmailer at bay and keeping Freddie out of prison. He would owe her for that…and she was certain that he would gladly be rid of her by handing her over to an earl.

Judging from the furious look on his face, not a moment too soon either.

He stepped into the study. “You’re going through my private papers. You broke into my cabinet!” His eyes narrowed on her. “What’s that in your hand?”

Freedom. “My marriage settlement.” She held it up. No point in attempting to hide it.

He frowned, bewildered. “What do you want with that?”

“Pearce.” That was the God’s honest truth.

He froze, except for his face which paled. “Sandhurst knows about your marriage?”

She swallowed. Hard. And lied. “No. The turnpike. He wanted to make certain that I had ownership rights to Bradenhill, that I could consent fully to the trust without worry that someone else might have a claim to it.”

“But you refused the trust.” His eyes gleamed darkly as he slowly approached her. “Quite publicly, too.”

“He changed my mind.” Surprisingly, no guilt accompanied lying to her brother. Only regret that they were so suspicious of each other that she couldn’t even trust him with something as potentially wonderful as this. “He made me realize that I’d be able to help even more women with the revenue a turnpike would bring.”

A knowing smile broke across his face. “Finally you’ve listened to reason.”

No. Finally she’d listened to her heart. “He wanted to make certain that the decision would be completely and freely mine,” she echoed his words from last night’s ball. “That was when I remembered the marriage agreement. I wanted to make certain that Aaron couldn’t make any claims against the property. I wanted—” She looked down at the paper in her hand and took courage in it. “I wanted to make certain that the property was listed in the agreement as part of my dower. That way, if he ever does return and attempts to take it, I can use the intent of the agreement