Lifting his head, he met her stare. His dark lashes made the blue of his eyes deeper, and emotions made them more intense. “Tell me why you brought me here, and then I shall decide if I wish to play your game of questions and answers.”
She supposed someone would have to give a little, and it should be her since she had tricked and manipulated him. “I can be quite stubborn.”
“Is that your response?” He rolled his eyes.
“No. I’m only saying that my stubborn tendencies get in the way of good behavior at times. When my mother told me I was to marry a duke, I should have been elated, but I knew nothing about you. She had been communicating for months and not mentioned anything about it. Then suddenly you were in London and we were to marry.” Faith wasn’t sure how to continue.
“Do you not wish to marry?”
“I would like to have a family.”
He hesitated. “Was there something about me you disliked?”
“Not in the way you think. This is a long story, Nick. Perhaps we should return to the salon.” Her stomach knotted at the memories and confidences she was about to relate.
Rising, he gave an encouraging smile before helping her out of her chair. They walked together into the salon and Faith sat near the fire. The storm still raged and left the castle cold and damp. Jamie had built a fine blaze and she was glad to rub the chill out of her arms.
Nick sat in the chair opposite and waited.
Rumple bounded into the salon, barking and tail-wagging.
Jane, the lady’s maid Faith had brought from West Lane, rushed in after. “I’m sorry, my lady. He got out of the kitchen and wouldn’t stop hunting for you.”
The ball of fluffy puppy jumped into Faith’s lap and she laughed, avoiding his enthusiastic kisses. “It’s all right, Jane. Leave him here. I’ll take him up to bed with me.”
Jane hesitated. “I had hoped to put the boy to bed. He’s quite exhausted.”
Nick said, “I will see the pup has his time outside before we retire.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. If you need anything, I will be helping Cook in the kitchen and to settle the house for the night.”
“We’re fine, Jane. Thank you.” Faith waited until her maid fled before she settled into scratching Rumple’s ears and returned her attention to the past.
“To give you the honest answer you deserve, I have to tell you things that are not really my place to divulge. I will ask that you keep these confidences to yourself.” Faith worried over the wisdom of trusting a man who kept his own life under such a tight veil, but there was no way to be honest and not tell him everything. If she only told her part of the story, he would never understand.
“Secrets are something I am quite good at keeping, Faith.” He had the good grace to give her a brief smile.
“You already know that my friends—Mercy, Poppy, and Aurora—and I all went to the Wormbattle School for Young Ladies in Switzerland. It’s an unusual way to educate a daughter and it was meant as a punishment for my willful behavior as a girl. It turned out to be the best three years of my life. When I met those three, everything fell into place. I was happy.
“Aurora had a letter in our final weeks at school. Her father had arranged for her to marry the Earl of Radcliff. We were all very excited about the first of our group to get married and it was a lively ride home.”
Nick observed her intently as she told her story. She couldn’t tell if he was picking apart her story or just curious.
She drew in a long breath and steadied her heart. Her movement gave the tired pup in her lap cause to wiggle about, so she placed him on the floor near her feet. He settled on his paws with a yawn. Faith brushed the fur from her skirt. “Within a fortnight, Aurora was married. A month later, we all knew what a terrible mistake it had been. That was the first time Bertram Sherbourn struck Aurora. It was a battered wrist and a bruise under her left eye. She was embarrassed and blamed herself for his bad behavior.
“The rest of us, blamed him. We couldn’t protect her, and the beatings grew worse. Bertram drank most of the time and gambled incessantly. Those hobbies took him out of the house, for which we were grateful. Then he would come home and rape his wife and beat her bloody. There was no way to stop it and all we could do was put her back together and call the doctor when needed.”
“That animal should have been horsewhipped,” Nick mumbled, his fists clenched on his thighs.
“Yes, well, men can get away with a great deal when a wife is considered property and the character of the man leads him to believe that is all she is.” Faith had to take several breaths to gain control of her temper. She’d cried out all her tears for Aurora over the three years of her marriage; Faith had no more on that subject.
Nick remained silent and attentive, seeming to understand she needed a moment to gather her wits before she could continue.
“When that monster died last year, we all relaxed for the first time since their wedding. Aurora had survived, at least in body. We also made a pact that no other Wallflower would suffer her same fate.”
He sighed. “I can see how your mother arranging a marriage to a man you’d never met might have caused you some trepidation. I would never hit a woman.” His face registered something ugly. Some memory he’d rather not have conjured. “At least as long as she was not trying to do me harm.”
“There is more than one way to destroy a person, Nick. We wanted to know what kind of a man you are, and you foiled our plans at every turn. All I know about you is that your parents are both dead and you spent most of your childhood fishing and hunting at your estate in Hertfordshire and you attended Eton.”
He nodded. “That is a sad story and explains why you, Poppy, and Rhys investigated me, but it doesn’t quite answer my question of why you brought me here.”
“That is where my stubborn streak comes in. If I called off, Mother would be furious and possibly never forgive me. Father already thinks me worthless, so his anger is not relevant. When you discovered our plan to ferret you out, I was just starting to like you. I was angry you left Mother’s house party for some bit of business that you were unwilling to even hint at. When you became so enraged over our investigation and wanted me to call off, it showed a gentlemanly quality. You could have ended things and ruined me, but even after all these months, you didn’t, and I’m too stubborn to end the engagement without finding out who you are.”
His voice was low and thoughtful. “And if you find out I’m more monster than man?”
“Are you?” Heart lodged in her throat, the words croaked out.
Blowing out a long breath, Nick deflated. “I have things in my past that might make you think so.”
“Like a woman you might have struck who was trying to do you harm?” She repeated back what he’d said and wondered if he’d meant to tell her that much.
A sad smile didn’t touch his eyes. “My sins are far worse than that, Faith. You might be better off with some nice viscount or earl who will cover you in silks and speak of fashion and the goings-on at court.”
“If that is so, why did you arrange a marriage to me, with Mother?” Fear coursed through Faith. She didn’t know if she was afraid of him or afraid losing him would be a mistake. Something about Nicholas Ellsworth drew her in and terrified her at the same time.
“I needed a wife. You had gone to the Wormbattle School, and I thought you might be unconventional. I hate the idea of a wife who is like every other dimwitted debutante in London. Your mother’s letters were very persistent. I thought you had written some of them and she had only posted them. I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that now.”
“Mother must