“It was not me they wanted,” Beatrice whispered, her hands tightly wound around the front of his shirt. “It was you. They wanted to me to help convince you to marry Verity.”
Despite himself, despite what had just happened, Algernon barked out a bitter laugh as he held her closer.
“That will never happen, I promise you. I could not associate myself with such horrid creatures, let alone marry one.”
Algernon continued to hold Beatrice, letting her cry as he made soothing sounds and tenderly stroked along her back and hair. Eventually, her tears slowed, and she pulled back from him. At once, he pulled his kerchief from his pocket and began to clean her face for her.
“I do not understand this,” he confessed, careful as he dabbed her tears away. “I wore a mask at the auction. How did they discover who I was?”
Beatrice sniffled, a little more composed than before.
“Fath—” She paused, and for a moment, she looked as if she was about to start weeping once again. Then a look of determination came over her beautiful face, and she cleared her throat.
“Simeon,” she said with more force this time, “said he heard a rumor that a distant cousin of ours with my name had come to London and was staying with you, boasting of being wealthier than he.”
Guilt tore through Algernon’s chest. It was his fault she had been found.
“Oh, Beatrice,” he whispered, “this is my fault. I am so sorry. I just wanted a cover story for your sudden appearance in society. I never thought it would get back to him.”
Beatrice shook her head as she gently pressed away from him.
“It is all right,” she said, sniffling. “It actually sounds quite nice. To be so independent and wealthy as the woman you spoke of.”
Algernon dared a small smile.
“If my brother still refuses our plan, thatisprecisely what will you be,” he promised. “Though, let us hope he does not refuse our plan. We have done so much already.”
Beatrice let out a weak laugh and with his help, rose to her feet.
“Did he hurt you?” Algernon asked, gently pulling up the short sleeves of her gown. His mood immediately grew foul once again when he saw the deep red fingerprints bruised into each of her upper arms.
“I am all right,” Beatrice assured softly, cupping his tightened jaw. “He has done far worse in the past. This is nothing. Really.”
Algernon’s stomach tightened painfully at her words. If he had not hated the man previously, he certainly did now.
“I shall alert the guards that they are not allowed to step foot on the property,” Algernon promised. “This will not happen again, Beatrice. He willnevertouch you again.”
Beatrice nodded, looking down at her feet as she sniffled.
“Thank you,” she whispered, tangling her fingers together before her. “Thank you for rescuing me. Both from the auction and again today.”
“You should not thank me for such an effort,” he answered, a bitter taste in his mouth. “Both were the right thing to do.”
“Yet you were the only one that came to my aid,” she replied, her tone soft as she finally looked up at met his gaze. Algernon’s heart skipped a beat as he saw the gratitude in her eyes.
“You have kept me safe, Algernon,” she softly added. “I see that now.”
Algernon said nothing as she took another step up the staircase.
“I will no longer fight you on this plan of yours,” she told him. “It is obvious to me now that you truly have the best interest for both Henry and me at heart.”
Algernon winced at her words. The sentence he’d been wanting to hear from the beginning was now cutting through him like a knife. He had wanted their obedience… but not at this cost.
“You have been through much today, Beatrice,” he stated, his tone gentle but commanding. “Go upstairs. Rest. I shall send Mira up to draw you a bath and have Mrs. Sheer deliver some tea to soothe your nerves.”
“That sounds lovely,” Beatrice replied, the exhaustion clear in her voice as she walked away from him.
Algernon’s attention was steadfast as she left him; worried that she might break down in tears again at any second. It was, after all, the first time he’d witnessed her shed any through the entire ordeal.