A Love Unbroken - Rose Pearson Page 0,34
to protect such a secret as this.”
Selina watched as Lord Barrington let out a long breath, rose and then rang the bell.
“I did not read your letter yesterday, Lady Selina,” he admitted, going to the corner of the room so that he might pour himself a drink. “I found myself quite caught up with things – ironically, things to do with my sister - and, come the evening, I thought to simply speak to you in person, so that I might apologize for being unable to read it, and to ask you what was contained within the missive.”
“But you could not have known that I would be absent entirely,” Selina replied softly. “That is not your fault, Lord Barrington. I quite understand.”
He grimaced and made to say more, only to be interrupted when the butler tapped on the door.
“Enter.”
“Should I send for tea, my Lord?”
“Yes. But also instruct the staff to stop packing away Lady Amelia’s things and return everything to its place,” Lord Barrington said, slowly, as the butler nodded. “And, tell me, have I received any correspondence today?”
The butler nodded.
“Indeed, my Lord.”
“Bring it to me at once.”
Again, the butler nodded, then stepped away, leaving Selina, Lady Hayward and Lord Barrington together once more.
“We will see if you are right, Lady Selina,” Lord Barrington said, heavily. “I feel such a burden of guilt at present, for my poor sister has…”
“Now is not the time to berate yourself, Lord Barrington,” Lady Hayward interrupted, gently. “Will you pay the money?”
Lord Barrington sighed and nodded.
“What else can I do?” he asked, as Selina watched the flickering emotions dart across his face. “If I do not, then I fear for what might happen to Amelia. She is my sister, as you have said, and I am entirely responsible for her. I must protect her, especially if she is not at all at fault for last evening events.”
“I am sure that she is not,” Selina replied, softly. “I am aware that you have found her, in the past, lacking in some respects, Lord Barrington, but last night, she was not eager to step out of doors with this gentleman. Lord Telford told you of it in the hope that you would believe her to be entirely guilty, and would not question what you had witnessed.”
This did not seem to comfort Lord Barrington.
“Then they know of my irritation and upset about my sister’s conduct,” he said, darkly. “And they have used it against me.”
He was unable to say more, for the butler returned with a small stack of letters on a tray. Handing them to Lord Barrington, he was dismissed and closed the door tightly behind him, leaving Lord Barrington, Selina and Lady Hayward to stare down at the letters before him.
“I recognize this seal,” Lord Barrington muttered, setting one note aside. “And this is an invitation, given the ribbon.”
This continued on for some minutes, until he was finally left with two letters which he did not recognize.
Selina sat up straight.
“The one in your left hand is my own,” she said, a flush of color hitting her cheeks. “I am sure of it.”
Lord Barrington nodded, an apology in his gaze as he looked back at her.
“Then it is this one,” he said, heavily, breaking open the seal of the other and unfolding it. Dropping his eyes to it, he read it swiftly before letting out a heavy sigh, telling Selina that it was, indeed the letter they had expected, the blackmail demand. “It is as you have said, Lady Selina,” his words were tainted with frustration and sorrow, “Lord Havers, it seems, has demanded quite a large sum in order to keep what he has done entirely to himself.”
“And if you do not pay it?” Lady Hayward asked, as Lord Barrington threw her a wretched look. “Then he will tell the ton everything?”
Lord Barrington raked one hand through his hair, his eyes dropping back to the letter.
“Then I believe that my sister’s reputation will be quite ruined with a mixture of both truth and lies,” he said, throwing the letter onto the table. “Lord Havers states that he will do whatever is required, and say whatever he needs to, in order to make certain that Amelia will never be able to lift her head in society again. She will never marry, unless it is to a gentleman in desperate need of her dowry.” His eyes lifted to Selina’s and she was shocked by the sheer desperation that shone there. “I have been entirely taken in,”