is your connection to the Earl of Ipswich?”
Chloe watched as Jimmy’s face paled, whether at being called the formal name of James or the mention of a possible connection between Jimmy and the Earl of Ipswich, she couldn’t say.
Benedict turned to her. “While James gathers himself enough to manufacture a suitable reply, perhaps you would like to take the same amount of time to think of what your answer is going to be when I ask for the details as to why your guardian, Lord Gordon, when asked a little over a week ago, felt the need to deny all knowledge of your very existence.”
Chloe’s nerves had been jittery since their conversation at the stables. As a consequence she’d had little appetite before she came downstairs and had barely eaten any of the soup course and only picked at the roasted lamb and vegetables that followed. Now even the mention of that tyrant Lord Gordon was enough to sour what little she had in her stomach.
She carefully placed her dessert spoon down beside her untouched pudding, knowing that if she didn’t, it was likely to slip from her shaking fingers and make a mess of the table.
“You utter bastard!” Jimmy scowled at the older man. “Guardian or not, you saw what Gordon did to her.”
To Chloe’s mortification, that statement revealed that Jimmy obviously knew about the inflicted stripes on her bottom and thighs too.
“He was in the infirmary when I carried you inside,” Benedict explained when she gave him an accusatory glance.
To Chloe’s mind, that still didn’t explain why Jimmy should have intimate knowledge of the extent of her injuries. “And are you in the habit of undressing—cutting the clothes off,” she amended as she recalled that was what he had done, “your female patients in front of an audience?”
“No, of course I am not—”
“All evidence to the contrary!”
Jimmy winced. “He meant nothing by it. I happened to be there, he was in need of assistance, and—”
“You are merely making the situation worse, James,” Benedict tersely silenced the other man. “I am more interested in knowing why Gordon did that to you than what transpired before my discovery of it,” he demanded without apology.
Chloe snorted. “I wonder if you would feel the same way about it if you were the one whose body had been exposed to strangers.”
“He was very careful not to reveal so much as an inch of you to me,” the younger man defended.
“Leave it, James.” Benedict’s gaze remained fixed on Chloe. “Chloe is merely trying to divert attention from my original question as to why Lord Gordon whipped her.”
She tensed. “I do not recall saying he whipped me.”
His Lordship shrugged. “It is obvious from your injuries that is what happened.”
“And you want to know why?” Chloe scorned, eyes glittering challengingly at his persistence. “It was because of you. Because I was caught by my jailer, Lord Gordon’s housekeeper, staring down at you from the gallery when I should have been locked in my room.” She lifted her chin as her voice broke emotionally. “But also because, during your visit, you obviously revealed to Lord Gordon in some way that you had seen me there too.”
Benedict flinched at the accusation. “He beat you that same day because I questioned him about you?” he repeated softly.
Chloe realized from the dangerous glitter in Benedict’s eyes that she had, perhaps, gone too far. Not that her words weren’t the truth, because they were, but she might have been better keeping that knowledge to herself.
“Chloe?”
“Yes.” The tears now gathered in her eyes blurred her vision and prevented her from seeing either man. Which was perhaps as well; she would break down completely if she saw pity in either of their expressions. “And he made it very clear before he started how he intended to make me regret having allowed you to see me.”
Benedict had speculated as to whether this might be the case, but to have that suspicion confirmed now filled him with a barely contained fury.
“By the time he finished, I had indeed told him that I did regret it,” Chloe admitted flatly. She looked at Benedict before adding, “But it was not true.” She pushed her chair noisily back from the table as she stood.
“Why—”
“I have done as you instructed and sat down to dinner with the two of you,” she stated firmly. “Now if you will both excuse me, I will return to the privacy of my bedchamber.”
“I still wish for you to join me for dinner every