Page 48 of The Pleasures of Passion

Fulkham’s face cleared. “That was quick.”

His reaction took Niall aback. “You don’t seem upset.”

The arse had the audacity to chuckle. “I’m sure you can turn her up sweet again. As the bard said, ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’ ”

Fulkham’s mention of true love gave Niall pause. “Exactly how much do you know about my connection to Bree?”

“Bree?”

Damnation. “Just answer the question.”

Fulkham shrugged. “I know that you first met her in Bath, that you courted her secretly for months . . . that after the duel you asked her to run away with you and were refused. Temporarily, anyway.”

Niall blinked. “How the blazes did you—”

“I told you, I talked to her maid, Gilly. Though the poor woman was turned off shortly after you left England—the family couldn’t afford her anymore—she eventually married. But her husband had lost his post, so once she learned I’d be willing to get him another in exchange for her information, she was more than happy to chat away.”

His heart pounding, Niall leaned forward. “Did she happen to tell you how Bree ended up married to Reynold Trevor?”

“I didn’t ask. It wasn’t relevant. I only wanted to know about you and her.”

“God rot you, Fulkham, what good are you?” Niall muttered.

“Don’tyouknow?”

“No. And Bree won’t talk about it.”

“Well, you can’t blame her. Her idiot husband gambled away the family’s money, and then stumbled into a river drunk. Probably purposely.”

His blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

“Rumor has it he committed suicide. Can’t be sure, though. You ought to ask Warren. He might know.”

“He might, but he’s on his honeymoon and inaccessible.” Niall swore under his breath. “What else does rumor say about her marriage?”

“You know, old chap, I was only joking about the course of true love,” Fulkham drawled, “but given your surprising interest in everything about Mrs. Trevor, perhaps I shouldn’t have been.”

“Damn you, I need to know. For the mission.”

“Right. For the mission.” Fulkham tapped his chin. “Well, it’s not widely acknowledged, but I did hear from one of my . . . er . . . lackeys that Trevor courted her for weeks. Yet she only married him after her father lost a huge amount of money to his father, Captain Mace Trevor, in a high-stakes card game. Make of that what you will.”

Niall’s heart plummeted into his stomach. “Are you saying that her fathersoldher to Trevor? To pay his gambling debts?”

“No. I’m only stating what I heard.”

Still, what Fulkham had heard was damning. What was more, it made perfect sense. And cast an entirely different light on her marriage. What had she said to her father, something about fulfilling her duty to the family long ago?

That scurrilous bastard. If his debts had been so massive that paying them would have crippled the family financially, and he’d forced her to . . .

Oh, God. A chill coursed down his spine. What ifthathad been the subject of the letter Father had refused to send for her? A plea for his help? To save her family, to saveherfrom an arranged marriage?

No—surely she would have said something to him today, if that were the case.

Right. After he’d called her an adventuress. While she thought him a rogue who kept a mistress while beggingherto run away with him. She believed he hadn’t truly intended to marry her.

At least sheclaimedto have believed it, based on things his father supposedly had told her. Blast it all to hell. What was he to think?

He rose. “I have to go.”