Page 106 of The Danger of Desire

Forcing a smile to her lips, Delia said, “Not in the least. But I need to speak to my sister-in-law.”

“She’s still in her room, I believe.” Clarissa eyed her closely. “Is Warren with you?”

“No, he stayed in town. Business matters, you know.”

“Oh, of course.” Clarissa searched her face. “Shall I have a servant fetch Brilliana?”

“No. This is a conversation best held in private.” She started for the stairs, then paused. “Tell me something. Has your brother been here... much since we left?”

“Not at all, actually,” Clarissa said. “After your wedding, he went back to Margrave Manor and stayed there. I had thought that perhaps he and Brilliana were... well... interested in each other, but it appears I was mistaken.”

Not as mistaken as she thought. “I see,” Delia said tightly. “Thank you.”

Delia headed up the stairs, feeling as if her heart was being knocked about in a whirlwind. A part of her felt horrible about how she’d left things with Warren. Another part of her said she’d had every reason to be upset. His brother had cheated hers!

But with good reason, or so Hart claimed. Meanwhile, her own brother had abandoned his family. Reynold had lied about his reasons for going to London. Reynold had...

No, she wouldn’t think about it. Not until she knew everything.

She found Brilliana in her bedchamber, just as Clarissa had said. And her sister-in-law, who was standing before the mirror putting the finishing touches to her hair, looked shocked to see her.

“My dear!” Brilliana exclaimed as Delia entered. “What are you doing here?”

No point in mincing words. “I’m trying to learn the truth.” She sat down on the bed. “I found the man who cheated Reynold.”

Brilliana gaped at her. “You did? Was it anyone we know?”

“Sort of.” Delia steadied her nerves. “It was Warren’s brother Hart. It turns out that Reynold traveled to London because he was in search of Lord Margrave. That’s how he came to be playing cards with Hart. And how he came to lose so much money to him. Because he wagered three thousand pounds in exchange for information about Lord Margrave’s whereabouts.”

Brilliana went utterly white. “Oh, Lord.”

“So now I need to hear the truth from you. What exactly was the nature of your friendship with Lord Margrave? And did Reynold know?”

Her sister-in-law crumpled onto the bed beside her. “I’d hoped that he didn’t. Lord knows I tried hard to keep it from him all these years. But...”

“But?”

“I wondered if Reynold might have found out something before he rushed off to London.”

Feeling as if her blood might erupt from her veins, Delia gazed at her sister-in-law. “Why would you think he’d found out, if you didn’t tell him?”

Brilliana wouldn’t look at her. “I found him one day... looking through a bunch of my old sketches I kept... rather hidden in my chest of drawers.”

“And you had a sketch of Lord Margrave in it.”

“More than one. Quite a few, actually.”

“Enough to tell him that there was something between you.”

Brilliana bobbed her head.

So Hart hadn’t been lying about his reasons for cheating. Not that Delia had really thought he was. It would have been an odd coincidence indeed for him to drum up a story about her relations and his, without part of it being true.

Still, he’d cheated Reynold, destroyed their lives. He ought to be held accountable for that. Though she didn’t see how he would, given her husband’s urgent need to protect everyone.

She couldn’t think about that right now. “What did you tell him was the nature of your friendship with Lord Margrave?”

Brilliana shot her a sharp glance. “That’s none of your concern.”