Page 111 of To Pleasure a Prince

His heart thundered in his ears. “The only way I’ll allow a meeting between you, Foxmoor, my wife, and His Confounded Highness is if I’m there, too.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He eyed her closely. “Is this some sly way of trying to effect a reconciliation between me and Regina?”

“No.” Her tone softened. “But if I could do it, I would. Her brother might be despicable, but she is not. You’re not letting her association with Simon keep you apart, are you?”

“No.”

“You can trust her, you know.Itrust her, even after what you told me. She’s never made a promise to me that she didn’t keep, and she’s never lied to me. And I wager if you search your heart, you’ll realize it’s true for you, too.”

He thought back on everything that had happened between him and Regina. Even when she was keeping the truth from him about Foxmoor, she’d never lied. And he couldn’t blame her for her evasions about her inability to read. God knew he’d been evasive as hell about his own past.

He might never be able to trust La Belle Dame Sans Merci, but Regina wasnotLa Belle Dame Sans Merci. She showed mercy every time she overlooked his bad temper. She showed mercy every time she argued with him on Louisa’s behalf.

She showed mercy when she said she loved a surly, overprotective idiot unfit to share her air, much less her bed. The question was, did she have any mercy left in her heart for him? After what he’d done to her? After what he’d said? Did he even have the right toaskfor her mercy?

“In fact,” Louisa added softly, “I’ll wager that you love her. And that’s the most important thing.”

He stared past her to the place at the other end of the dining table where Regina would sit as his wife. If she were here. If he hadn’t driven her away. “I’m not sure I know how to love, Louisa.”

She took his hand. “Don’t be silly. Loving is easy. It’s finding someone to love you back that’s hard.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

She pressed his hand to her heart. “And since you’ve got the hard part done, the least you can do is love her. Because she does love you.” She cast him an impish smile. “Although I’m not entirely surewhy.”

He tried to laugh, but nothing came out. “Damned ifIknow why.”

DidRegina still love him? She’d said she would be waiting when he came to his senses, but that had been days ago. Before she’d had time to harden her heart against him, to recognize what a beast she’d married.

It would be just like him to discover what was wrong with his life too late to do anything about it. Like a fool, he’d thrown away the best woman he’d ever known, because he’d been too busy trying not to follow in Father’s footsteps.

Trying to keep her from leaving him. But when he’d let his temper get the better of him, he’d given her no choice except to do just that.

Now that she’d seen the worst of him, would she even want to return? To live with him, here or in town or anywhere else? Not if she had an ounce of sense. Too late, he understood what she’d meant when she’d called Castlemaine a prison. Because any place could be a prison if you were there alone, and not by choice.

“Marcus?” Louisa said gently. “Do you think you could set up a meeting between Uncle George, Simon, Regina, and you and me?”

He sighed. “I could. It might take a day or two, though.”

She let out a heavy breath.“Willyou, then? Will you give me the chance to have my revenge on Simon?”

How he wanted to say no, to keep Louisa locked up here safe. But now he knew what a mistake that was. For Louisaandhis wife. He wasn’t sure he could do anything about Regina. But it wasn’t too late to do right by his sister.

“Yes, angel. You shall have your meeting.”

Perhaps then even his wife might find some mercy in her heart for him.

Chapter Twenty-four

Feeling a certain fondness for your charge is perfectly acceptable as long as it doesn’t cloud your judgment.

—Miss Cicely Tremaine,The Ideal Chaperone

It was late in the afternoon when Regina, Cicely, and Katherine sat around the table in the immaculate Iversley schoolroom. Regina pored over a poem by one of Katherine’s favorite poets. A set of carved wooden alphabet blocks were arrayed in front of her.

Regina worked at sounding out the first line. “I…wa-…wa—”