please,” she begged of him. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“Then please explain.”
“I told you,” she said emphatically, “I cannot. ”
“Is it dangerous?” She stared at him and silence fell between them. “Damn it, Victoria, what the devil is going on? Are you being blackmailed?”
“No!”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No! Fin, please stop trying to guess. The closer you get to finding out, the more dangerous it becomes.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. “Please, Fin. I’ve been at this for more than two years—”
“Two years?”
“I know what I’m doing.”
Fin’s nostrils flared. There had been times in their relationship when he had thought himself infuriated with Victoria. Such as the time when she had teased him about his bold jonquil waistcoat (which, admittedly, was probably not a good look for him). Or the many times she’d treated him as though he were but excrement beneath her feet. But he now realized that he’d only been annoyed with her in those instances. She had treated him like a brother, and in return, he’d forgiven her as if she were a sister.
This was different. Now he was infuriated. How dare she put herself in danger for—had she really said two years? How could she possibly have hidden such a monumental and dangerous secret from him for so long? And what kind of danger was she in?
“Victoria Barclay, you will stop this immediately, whatever it is that you’re doing. I will not stand by and watch you put yourself in danger.”
“Then don’t watch. Pretend you know nothing at all. Pretend you never saw me in Southwark this morning.” Her eyes were pleading, and if he hadn’t known better, he might have thought they were filling with tears. But Victoria Barclay didn’t cry.
“But I did see you. And I cannot forget it.”
They had come to an impasse, it seemed. Deep down, he knew that no matter how much he yelled or threatened, Victoria would never tell him her secret. That didn’t mean he was any less angry with her, though.
He gave her his most disdainful look, and then walked away. He wouldn’t stand here and do this with her. She would only make him angrier, and the fact of the matter was that they still had to get through this night. After that, he would stay out of Victoria’s life as much as was humanly possible. If she met her demise, he didn’t want to be there to see it.
“Fin, wait,” she said to his back. “Please, Fin, you don’t understand.”
He should have kept walking, but he couldn’t help himself. He whirled on her, and much to his dismay, pointed his finger at her as he walked towards her again.
“That’s right, Victoria, I don’t understand.” She flinched at his tone. Fin had never spoken to her like this. He had always exhibited patience with Vickie. But he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “And you are the only person who could rectify that, aren’t you?”
“But I told you—”
“You cannot. Yes, I know.”
“It’s not for me, Fin. This isn’t for my own protection that I keep you in the dark on this matter.”
Ha! Did she think to protect him ? “How very charming,” he said with no small amount of acerbity to his tone. “I’m being looked after by a woman.”
“Stop this, Fin, please.”
Now she truly looked as if she might cry, but Fin was beyond caring. “I will stop when you decide you trust me enough to tell me what the devil you’re up to. Until then, I must ask you to refrain from speaking to me.”
With that and an incredibly heavy heart, Fin walked away.
Nine
Victoria stared after Fin as he walked away from her. It was almost painful to watch him go. She wished with all her heart that she could confide in him, tell him everything, but she couldn’t. Not now, not ever. Not only would it put him in danger, but she was certain he would never understand. No one of their class would. There were many
“Then please explain.”
“I told you,” she said emphatically, “I cannot. ”
“Is it dangerous?” She stared at him and silence fell between them. “Damn it, Victoria, what the devil is going on? Are you being blackmailed?”
“No!”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No! Fin, please stop trying to guess. The closer you get to finding out, the more dangerous it becomes.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. “Please, Fin. I’ve been at this for more than two years—”
“Two years?”
“I know what I’m doing.”
Fin’s nostrils flared. There had been times in their relationship when he had thought himself infuriated with Victoria. Such as the time when she had teased him about his bold jonquil waistcoat (which, admittedly, was probably not a good look for him). Or the many times she’d treated him as though he were but excrement beneath her feet. But he now realized that he’d only been annoyed with her in those instances. She had treated him like a brother, and in return, he’d forgiven her as if she were a sister.
This was different. Now he was infuriated. How dare she put herself in danger for—had she really said two years? How could she possibly have hidden such a monumental and dangerous secret from him for so long? And what kind of danger was she in?
“Victoria Barclay, you will stop this immediately, whatever it is that you’re doing. I will not stand by and watch you put yourself in danger.”
“Then don’t watch. Pretend you know nothing at all. Pretend you never saw me in Southwark this morning.” Her eyes were pleading, and if he hadn’t known better, he might have thought they were filling with tears. But Victoria Barclay didn’t cry.
“But I did see you. And I cannot forget it.”
They had come to an impasse, it seemed. Deep down, he knew that no matter how much he yelled or threatened, Victoria would never tell him her secret. That didn’t mean he was any less angry with her, though.
He gave her his most disdainful look, and then walked away. He wouldn’t stand here and do this with her. She would only make him angrier, and the fact of the matter was that they still had to get through this night. After that, he would stay out of Victoria’s life as much as was humanly possible. If she met her demise, he didn’t want to be there to see it.
“Fin, wait,” she said to his back. “Please, Fin, you don’t understand.”
He should have kept walking, but he couldn’t help himself. He whirled on her, and much to his dismay, pointed his finger at her as he walked towards her again.
“That’s right, Victoria, I don’t understand.” She flinched at his tone. Fin had never spoken to her like this. He had always exhibited patience with Vickie. But he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “And you are the only person who could rectify that, aren’t you?”
“But I told you—”
“You cannot. Yes, I know.”
“It’s not for me, Fin. This isn’t for my own protection that I keep you in the dark on this matter.”
Ha! Did she think to protect him ? “How very charming,” he said with no small amount of acerbity to his tone. “I’m being looked after by a woman.”
“Stop this, Fin, please.”
Now she truly looked as if she might cry, but Fin was beyond caring. “I will stop when you decide you trust me enough to tell me what the devil you’re up to. Until then, I must ask you to refrain from speaking to me.”
With that and an incredibly heavy heart, Fin walked away.
Nine
Victoria stared after Fin as he walked away from her. It was almost painful to watch him go. She wished with all her heart that she could confide in him, tell him everything, but she couldn’t. Not now, not ever. Not only would it put him in danger, but she was certain he would never understand. No one of their class would. There were many
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