pregnant, she’s stopping until the baby is born, then we’ll reevaluate the situation.”
“Listen, Sullivan,” Fletcher said. “You can’t protect people from everything.”
“I fought two battles in Burma, I think I know a little about not being able to protect people. But this isn’t war. It’s the damned streets of London and my wife. I should be able to keep her safe.”
He wasn’t getting anywhere with these two idiots. They were as mad as the rest of them. He’d have to think of yet another solution. He wanted that information from Lady X. He desperately wanted to prove Thomas killed their brother.
But more than any of that, keeping Tilly safe in the meantime was worth any anger she felt toward him. Because if something happened to her while she was on the street confronting common criminals, he’d never forgive himself.
Chapter Eleven
Tilly returned home after spending several hours with her friends walking Bond Street and the nearby shops. Their shopping excursion had been uneventful, except Harriet had received a new letter from their friend Iris. After she had married the Earl of Ashby, they had left England to travel the continent. But they’d decided to return earlier than planned because Iris was with child. It would be nice to see her friend again, but being around the women in her group of friends only reminded Tilly about how very different her marriage was compared to theirs. They all had love matches, husbands who adored them.
Did she even want that? Did she want Sullivan to love her? Her stomach knotted and her heart sped at the mere thought. But it was a moot point. He would never love her, which meant she could never allow herself to feel too much for him. He tempted and tormented her body already. If he had her heart, too, she would lose the last part of herself that was wholly hers.
Tilly’s mind was so clouded with such thoughts that when she entered the library, it took a minute for her mind to register what she was seeing.
Initially, all she saw was a man atop a woman. Then specifics about the scene came into focus. It was Thomas, but that wasn’t Melanie beneath him. No, that was a maid and his hand was up her skirts.
“Please, my lord, stop,” she pleaded, doing her best to press her hands against his chest.
“It is your job to tend to my needs,” he ground out. “Else I’ll turn you out onto the streets, and then you’ll have to beg men to lift your skirts.”
Before Tilly could further consider her actions, she marched over, pulling Thomas back. The element of surprise worked in her favor, and she was able to knock him on his backside. Then she slammed her fist into his nose. Blood shot everywhere and he howled in pain, his hands going up to cover his face.
“Do not touch her again,” Tilly said.
Thomas came to his feet, his eyes glaring at her.
In that moment she knew Sullivan was right. He’d been right about everything. Thomas wasn’t a good man. She’d given him every benefit of the doubt, crafted excuses for him because she’d believed him to be better. All because why? Because he was average looking like herself? Because he wasn’t as handsome as Sullivan or as beautiful as her sister? She’d been a damned fool.
“You broke my nose.” He gave her a snarl of a grin, then spat on the floor. “You little bitch.” He stood and took several steps toward her.
The maid had curled herself up into a ball on the settee and was crying quietly.
“What are you going to do? Try to assault me, too?” Tilly asked.
“Do not lay one hand on my wife,” Sullivan said from behind her. His voice was deep and full of anger. “Thankfully the housekeeper heard the ruckus and alerted me to the situation.” A chill slid up her spine and tingled at the base of her neck. He came to stand behind her, put his hands on her arms, and pulled her to his chest. “You should go see about that nose. You’re bleeding all over the rug.”
Thomas cursed and spat again on the floor. “Go to the devil, Sullivan.”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? How disappointed were you when I didn’t die in battle?” Sullivan asked.
“Of course you didn’t die. Nothing bad ever happens to you,” Thomas said.
“You sound like a petulant child,” Tilly said.
“Get out of my house,” Sullivan said, his tone even. “You are not welcome here any