his teeth. He damn sure should have found a way to keep them close. That’s what he should have done.
“If you don’t tell me what is bothering you, Julian Alexander Westland, I’m going to box your ears.”
Julian smiled momentarily before turning from the window. He cocked a brow. “What makes you think something is bothering me, dear sister?”
Megan pulled a face and marched into the room. She placed her knuckles on her non-existent waist and frowned up at him. “I know you, Julian. I know you very well. You might as well tell me.”
“You might as well tell her,” agreed the voice from the doorway.
Julian glanced up. “Nick.” He greeted his brother-in-law and they shook hands. Then he watched in amusement as Nick assisted a very pregnant Megan onto the sofa. Trying to keep the smile from his lips, Julian sat in one of the chairs across from them.
After the tea arrived, his sister poured them each a cup, her movements hasty instead of graceful. Obviously, she wanted to continue her interrogation. “All right, Julian, what is it?” she asked as soon as he had cup in hand, confirming his suspicions. “Did something happen on the ship?”
He raised his eyes to the colorful, coffered ceiling, wondering what he should say. How much he should reveal. But when he glanced back at his sister and opened his mouth, the entire story just tumbled out of its own accord.
Megan shook her head when he finished, her amethyst eyes dazed. “So Amelia wasn’t lying when she came to you ten years ago?”
Julian set his now tepid tea aside. “Apparently not.” Remorse made his voice raspy.
“If I recall correctly, you had good reason for dismissing the girl,” Nicholas said.
He cleared his throat and nodded. “Her cousin, Diana, told me that Amelia would soon arrive on my doorstep and tell me she carried my child. She was adamant the claim was a lie, insisting Amelia’s objective was to become the next Duchess of Kenbrook.”
“Why would Amelia’s cousin do such a despicable thing?” Megan asked.
He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Obviously, Diana was jealous of Amelia,” Nicholas answered, then continued as Julian started to frown. “I could see how hard Diana was trying to gain your attention, but you were rather absorbed in Amelia at the time,” he finished softly.
Julian knew Nick was referring to the bet with Jeremy. God, could he feel any worse?
After a moment of silence, Megan placed a hand over her rounded middle and asked, “Well, where are they now? Amelia and Alexander?”
As Julian started to answer, a knock sounded.
When Nick gave permission, the butler entered the room carrying a silver salver with a folded scrap of paper lying on the center. “A message for his lordship.”
Julian rose from his chair and took the note, anxious to have his question answered. He read the words, then read them again just to make certain his eyes were not playing tricks. “Good God,” he whispered, panic surging within him. Of all the places in and around London, this had been the last place he thought Amelia and Alex would go.
“What?” Nicholas and Megan asked in unison as they approached.
“I overheard Amelia give directions to a hackney driver just after we parted company. But all along the way here, I kept thinking there was something oddly familiar about where she was going, and every instinct told me something was wrong. So I sent out a few inquiries.” He glanced down at the note crumpled in his white-knuckled fist. “And I have my answer.”
“What is it?” Nicholas asked.
Julian lifted his head, finally able to identify the tiny tremors racing up and down his body. Terror. “I was right to be worried.” He passed the note to his friend.
Nick’s eyes widened as he read the three words scrawled clearly across the page.
“I have to go,” he gritted out, then spun on his heel.
“Wait, Julian, where are
“If you don’t tell me what is bothering you, Julian Alexander Westland, I’m going to box your ears.”
Julian smiled momentarily before turning from the window. He cocked a brow. “What makes you think something is bothering me, dear sister?”
Megan pulled a face and marched into the room. She placed her knuckles on her non-existent waist and frowned up at him. “I know you, Julian. I know you very well. You might as well tell me.”
“You might as well tell her,” agreed the voice from the doorway.
Julian glanced up. “Nick.” He greeted his brother-in-law and they shook hands. Then he watched in amusement as Nick assisted a very pregnant Megan onto the sofa. Trying to keep the smile from his lips, Julian sat in one of the chairs across from them.
After the tea arrived, his sister poured them each a cup, her movements hasty instead of graceful. Obviously, she wanted to continue her interrogation. “All right, Julian, what is it?” she asked as soon as he had cup in hand, confirming his suspicions. “Did something happen on the ship?”
He raised his eyes to the colorful, coffered ceiling, wondering what he should say. How much he should reveal. But when he glanced back at his sister and opened his mouth, the entire story just tumbled out of its own accord.
Megan shook her head when he finished, her amethyst eyes dazed. “So Amelia wasn’t lying when she came to you ten years ago?”
Julian set his now tepid tea aside. “Apparently not.” Remorse made his voice raspy.
“If I recall correctly, you had good reason for dismissing the girl,” Nicholas said.
He cleared his throat and nodded. “Her cousin, Diana, told me that Amelia would soon arrive on my doorstep and tell me she carried my child. She was adamant the claim was a lie, insisting Amelia’s objective was to become the next Duchess of Kenbrook.”
“Why would Amelia’s cousin do such a despicable thing?” Megan asked.
He sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Obviously, Diana was jealous of Amelia,” Nicholas answered, then continued as Julian started to frown. “I could see how hard Diana was trying to gain your attention, but you were rather absorbed in Amelia at the time,” he finished softly.
Julian knew Nick was referring to the bet with Jeremy. God, could he feel any worse?
After a moment of silence, Megan placed a hand over her rounded middle and asked, “Well, where are they now? Amelia and Alexander?”
As Julian started to answer, a knock sounded.
When Nick gave permission, the butler entered the room carrying a silver salver with a folded scrap of paper lying on the center. “A message for his lordship.”
Julian rose from his chair and took the note, anxious to have his question answered. He read the words, then read them again just to make certain his eyes were not playing tricks. “Good God,” he whispered, panic surging within him. Of all the places in and around London, this had been the last place he thought Amelia and Alex would go.
“What?” Nicholas and Megan asked in unison as they approached.
“I overheard Amelia give directions to a hackney driver just after we parted company. But all along the way here, I kept thinking there was something oddly familiar about where she was going, and every instinct told me something was wrong. So I sent out a few inquiries.” He glanced down at the note crumpled in his white-knuckled fist. “And I have my answer.”
“What is it?” Nicholas asked.
Julian lifted his head, finally able to identify the tiny tremors racing up and down his body. Terror. “I was right to be worried.” He passed the note to his friend.
Nick’s eyes widened as he read the three words scrawled clearly across the page.
“I have to go,” he gritted out, then spun on his heel.
“Wait, Julian, where are
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