.
Justin said nothing as they walked into a room that she discovered to be a small empty office once he lit a few lamps. He started toward her, but instead of touching her, he walked past her and closed the door. When he turned around, the guarded looked he gave her made her pause.
“Justin, what’s going on?” she asked. He was obviously troubled by something, but when she reached out to rest a hand on him, he avoided it and moved toward the center of the room.
He’d not flinched from her since the day they’d met, and his doing so now hurt.
She placed her hands before her and met his eyes straight on.
His green eyes glanced around the room and settled on a decanter of dark liquor in the corner of the room, almost becoming fixated on it before he turned away.
She grew more uncomfortable under the silence as the seconds ticked by.
“Justin—”
A knock sounded on the door and before she could think, she opened it and was surprised to see who was on the other side.
“Am I interrupting?” Avon peeked his head into the room and then the rest of his body hobbled in. In the quiet, his labored breathing was more eerie than anything Alex had ever heard in her life.
“Get out!” Justin’s shout, and the wild look in his eyes, surprised Alex.
Avon only chuckled. He covered his mouth as a short cough proceeded, this one only slightly less violent than the spell he’d had in the foyer. He turned to her and grinned. “You were right. The tea worked wonders. I just might live longer because of you.” Why the words sounded like a threat she didn’t know. Then he looked at Justin. “I only came to congratulate you. As you may have guessed, I was able to get Lady Crandrey to tell me what had been discussed before I arrived at your little discussion with the duke. She was closed-lipped, but I’m quite persuasive.”
“Tell me you didn’t threaten the lady in her own home,” Justin sneered, becoming a person she didn’t know.
Avon’s smile widened. “I’ll have you know, Chantenny, that I’ve other means of getting what I want. To those in my favor, I make promises that are worth their while. A lady like Crandrey always wants to know a secret, and I told her one in exchange for yours.”
“What do you want?” Justin asked.
Avon's gripped tightened on his cane as he adjusted his footing.
“Would you like to sit down?” Alex asked him.
Avon looked at her and his smile slipped away. “You should not be so kind to me. I might be forced to persuade you to leave the earl in exchange for a dukedom.”
A dukedom?
“Gerard would never marry a woman I’m in love with,” Justin told Avon.
Alex’s eyes swung to Justin and her heart jumped. He’d never confessed to loving her before, though her happiness was dampened by the fact that Justin still glared at Avon. This was not the way she’d wanted to find out.
“I wasn’t speaking of Gerard. I was speaking about me,” Avon said.
“You’re disgusting,” Justin told him.
Alex agreed. She had to fight to keep her champagne from climbing up out of her stomach at those words.
Avon shrugged and turned to her. “What do you say, my dear? Want to be a duchess?”
Justin moved toward the other man. “Avon, I will—”
Alex came between them just in time, but for what she wasn’t sure. Would Justin really hit an aged, dying man? She turned to Avon. “I thank you for your offer, Your Grace, but indeed my hand… and my heart… are already pledged to Lord Chantenny.”
Justin’s hand settled on her hip, his fingers almost biting into her skin as he drew her to his side. “You see, Your Grace?” he hissed. “You’re not as persuasive as you thought.”
Alex didn’t understand Justin’s level of anger at all. Avon, though she couldn’t think of any good qualities, hadn’t done anything to warrant such great hate thus far. Up to this point, he'd struck her as the best example of what she’d always thought every member of the peerage to be like until she’d met Justin, cold and selfish.
Avon kept his eyes on Justin and shrugged the shoulder that was not being propped up on the cane. “I had to try, didn’t I? After all, she seems capable of looking past your sins, and you’re a murderer.”
Alex’s lungs deflated. She heard the pounding of her heart in her head as she stilled and slowly turned to look at Justin.
His eyes were on her, and she saw the very emotions he’d claimed Avon unable to show.
Shame and guilt.
Murderer.
“No,” she whispered more to herself than anyone else. Then she was pleading. “No.” She shook her head and waited for Justin to refute Avon’s words. It was impossible. Justin would never—
“I was going to tell you before Avon came through the door.” His arms went around her and pulled her in, worry etched in his brow. “I…” And then he said nothing.
Nothing.
Not even an excuse as to why he’d murdered whomever he had.
Alex couldn’t think who Justin could have killed, who he’d have hated enough to wish them dead.
But then a thought came to her mind and cold slipped in her blood.
“No.” She placed her hands on his arms and clung to him. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t kill your own mother.”
Justin shook his head. “You don’t understand.”
She covered her mouth and began to fight to get out of his hands. “Get away from me!”
“Alexandra, please.” His hold on her tightened. “I love you. You have to listen.”
“No!” She hit his chest. “Let me go!”
“He was fifteen and more than capable of knowing what he was doing,” Avon said from a short distance.
“How did you find out?” Justin glared at him while still gripping onto Alex. She tried to disentangle herself from him, but it was of no use.
“You told me yourself that first night after your father’s death,” Avon said. “You were quite drunk, and the story poured out of you.” Avon shook his head. “I saw great potential in you after that meeting. It’s why I wanted you in the House. You could have been so much. Could still be so much, but not if you marry this bastard.”
Alex stilled and turned to Avon. She was more surprised than hurt by the cutting remark, though it still hurt. Everything hurt.
But hadn’t the man just proposed to her?
As if knowing her mind, he smiled at her. “I’m an established man. No one would dare question my moves. Justin, on the other hand, is new to Parliament.”
“I don’t want to be in Parliament,” Justin said. “I quit the party.”
“I will ruin you,” Avon threatened.
“I don’t care!” Justin shouted. “You’ve already…” Then he turned to look at Alex and his expression softened. “Alexandra… my mother was right. I’m not worthy of you, but I love you.”
“Alex?”
Alex turned, and all the anxiety left her limbs as she looked at Christmas standing by the door. He was dressed in a tailored suit with tails that she’d never seen in her life. Tears blurred her vision, but she knew what she was seeing was true. Her tears fell at the sight of him. How her brother had gotten into the party she didn’t know, but she was glad to see him.
Chris looked around and his eyes met everyone’s before falling on Justin. “Let her go.”
“Chris,” Justin began.
Chris took a step forward. “Let her go or you’ll regret it.” The heat in Chris’ eyes was a look Alex had seen before, and one she knew to not question.
Avon chuckled again, and Alex realized Justin was right. The man did enjoy pain.
Justin didn’t seem to care. His hold on her tightened, and Chris moved forward.
Alex turned to Justin and said, “Let me go, please.” Fear for his safety overtook the fear she had for her own. Despair made her lips tremble, and she wasn’t sure if it was her words or her expression that worked, but Justin released her and took a step back.
Chris’ arms went around her. “Are you all right?”
Alex turned into his hold but couldn’t bring herself to say another word.
“Well,” Avon began with a sigh. “This entire event could have been avoided had—”
“Haven’t you done enough?” Chris asked the duke.
Alex turned wide eyes up to her brother then swung her eyes to look at Avon.
Avon’s gaze turned to slits, but he pressed his lips together, and before Alex’s very eyes slithered out of the room. Hopefully, back to the hole he’d crawled out of.
“I’m taking you home,” Chris said. She would love nothing better, yet still...
“No.” Alex stepped back and stared at Chris. “I have to speak to Justin.”
Chris frowned and said after a breath, “I’ll remain if you wish.”.
She shook her head. “No, I must speak to him alone.” She felt as though she owed him that much. He’d been her fiancée. The least she could do was listen to his reasoning and finally learn what had been denied her for what seemed like forever.
Chris studied her then looked over her head to Justin. “If you lay one uninvited hand on her, I don’t care what the duke has threatened you with. I will make you pay.” Then he left and closed the door behind him.