Page 22 of Two Secrets to Surrender (Blackwood Legacy #2)
Chapter Twenty-One
A t her mama’s insistence, Gigi left Conrad’s side to have a lie down. She refused at first, but when Mama had promised to look after him, she gave in. Climbing into bed, she wondered how she could ever fall asleep, rattled as she was. One concern overshadowed the rest.
Did someone try to murder Conrad?
She flashed back to the white glove and black sleeve—had she imagined it? Given the poor lighting of the second-floor gallery, it was possible. Yet there was also the other incident, when Conrad had been run off the road. Too many coincidences, her intuition told her, and she was taking no risks where Conrad was concerned. He meant too much to her: the moment when she’d almost lost him had made her feelings crystal clear.
Thus, she’d shared her suspicions with her family. Ethan had organized his footmen to keep watch and sent word to the local constable, Rawlins, who would be coming by this afternoon for an interview. Due to Conrad’s condition, Gigi hadn’t informed him of the developments. Knowing him, he would jump out of bed and start hunting down potential suspects when what he needed to do was rest and let others take care of him.
Conrad, she reflected, wasn’t a man who relinquished control easily. She knew enough about his past to understand why. He was too used to handling everything on his own, and he wasn’t going to like that she’d kept her suspicions about the falling statue from him.
I shall deal with that later. After I close my eyes for a bit…
When Gigi awoke, afternoon sunlight was slanting through a gap in the curtains. She got out of bed and rang for her maid.
“What time is it, Colette?” she asked.
“It is nearing two o’clock, my lady. Lady Blackwood said not to disturb you.”
“But the constable will be arriving soon,” Gigi fretted. “And I wanted to speak with Mr. Godwin before the interview. Is he awake?”
“I’m not certain. Would you like me to check?”
“No, I will go see him myself.” Gigi hurried to the dressing screen. “Please help me get dressed.”
With her usual efficiency, Colette helped Gigi into a lavender walking dress and was putting the finishing touches on a simple coiffure when Mama and Papa came in.
Gigi twisted around at the dressing table. “Constable Rawlins hasn’t arrived yet, has he? I haven’t told Mr. Godwin about what I saw, and I ought to speak to him before?—”
“The constable isn’t here, but Papa and I wished to speak with you,” Mama said.
Mama’s tone brooked no refusal. While Gigi had been expecting a parental interrogation—honestly, she was surprised they’d waited this long—she nonetheless dreaded it.
She strove for nonchalance. “What about?”
“Conrad Godwin,” Papa stated.
Lieutenant-Colonel Marcus Harrington, commander of battalions and defeater of Boney, had emerged full force. It had been said that Papa’s implacability had intimidated soldiers into confessing the truth, and even Gigi felt a bit of trepidation. As much as she wanted her parents to support her relationship with Conrad, gaining their approval was not going to be easy. He hadn’t exactly made a sterling first impression.
Gigi turned to face her parents, who, as usual, stood shoulder to shoulder. A united front.
“What about Mr. Godwin?” she asked brightly.
“Who is he to you, Georgiana?” Papa said.
Uh oh . Being addressed by her full name was never a good sign.
“He’s a friend,” she said. “As Miss Letty mentioned, he has been a generous benefactor to the bath?—”
“I do not give a damn what Godwin has done for the bath.” A muscle ticked along Papa’s firm jaw. “I want to know what is going on between him and you.”
“We spoke to Ethan and Xenia,” Mama added. “We know about your earlier incident with Mr. Godwin.”
“Nothing happened.” When making excuses, Gigi had learned that consistency was important. “I slipped, and he caught me before I fell into the pool?—”
“Then why do you care what happens to this fellow?” Papa demanded.
“I would care about anyone who was almost quashed like an insect by a falling statue.”
“Gigi, that is enough.”
Hearing the steel in Mama’s voice, resignation filled her.
I’m doomed .
“Stop prevaricating and give us the truth.”
“The truth is…” Gigi fiddled with her skirts. “I like Mr. Godwin.”
Papa’s jaw tautened. “How well do you know this fellow?”
“Well enough.” Drawing a breath, she said, “We, um, ran into each other on several occasions. At first, I disliked him because I thought he was a heartless financier intent upon buying Miss Letty’s spa?—”
“That is Godwin’s reputation,” Papa said coldly. “He is an opportunist. He made his fortune buying failing railway stocks at a fraction of their original value, then selling them for exorbitant sums when the market recovered. You did not misjudge him.”
“But I did,” she said earnestly. “You see, I thought he only cared about money and profit. Yet when I made him understand what the spa meant to Miss Letty and the village, he changed his plans. He has given up pursuing the spa—and, as you heard from Miss Letty herself, he is now a generous benefactor.”
“Perhaps he saw a better opportunity. Perhaps he realized there was more to be gained by pursuing you than the spa.” Papa’s shoulders were rigid, his hands curled at his sides. “Have you made any promises to him, Georgiana?”
She bit her lip. “Nothing, um, irrevocable.”
Papa’s eyes blazed. “By Jove, if the scoundrel has extracted any promise from you, then he has taken advantage of your kind heart and innocence. I shall call him out?—”
“ No , Papa.”
Gigi shot to her feet while Mama put a staying hand on his shoulder.
“Marcus, darling,” Mama murmured. “Let us not overreact.”
“Overreact?” Papa thundered. “This bounder has had the audacity, the sheer insolence, to prey upon our daughter.”
“That isn’t true,” Gigi said beseechingly. “Mr. Godwin did not prey upon me. He wants to court me. Our mutual attachment surprised us both.”
“You have formed an attachment, then?” Mama did not sound surprised.
“Yes,” Gigi said in a small voice.
“Bloody hell,” Papa bit out. “You are too young to know your mind when it comes to men like Godwin. You’ve seen too little of the world?—”
“And whose fault is that?” Her hurt bubbled up and spilled over. “I wanted to go with you to Afghanistan. I wanted to help you find Owen. I want to help this family, but I am always told I am too young, too na?ve, too useless to do anything!”
Papa frowned. “What relevance does Afghanistan have in this conversation? And no one in this family has ever called you useless.”
He was right, of course. Yet, rationally or not, she had felt that way each time her family had left her behind. She wanted them to see that she was capable and to be taken seriously—the way Conrad saw her.
“Hyperbole aside,” her father admonished. “My point is that you are a sheltered young lady, and men like Godwin know how to take advantage.”
“ My point is that I do know my own mind, and I know exactly the sort of man Conrad Godwin is.” She squared her shoulders. “While he might seem ruthless, he has a caring side once one gets to know him. Moreover, he respects my independence and treats me like his equal.”
“You may think you know him, Gigi, but you do not,” Papa insisted. “A man like Godwin has no sense of honor or integrity. He does as he pleases, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he brought about this murder attempt through his own actions. He does not belong in our world?—”
“I belong wherever I damn well please.”
Gigi whirled, her breath hitching at the sight of Conrad standing in the doorway. She had no idea how long he’d been there or how much he’d overheard. He was fully dressed, last evening’s elegance an incongruous contrast to the bandage wrapped around his head. Otherwise, he looked much recovered…and furious.
Hastily, she tried to head off another confrontation between him and her parents. “Mr. Godwin, I am glad to see you improved. However, the physician advised that you stay in bed.”
“Thank you for the hospitality,” he said with icy civility. “However, I will not stay where I am not welcome. Before I go, however...”
He stared at her father, who stared stonily back.
“What is this about a murder attempt?”