Page 78 of A Devious Secret

Henry glanced down at the paper in his hand. “You are right, but he was granted permission to keep the woman in his cabin with him.”

Gemma placed a hand to her forehead. “That can’t possibly be true. He wouldn’t do something so dishonorable.”

“I’m afraid it is,” Henry said with pity in his eyes. “Mr. Wycomb is nothing more than a serial philanderer and he set his cap on you.”

Rising, Gemma walked a short distance away and wrapped her arms around her waist. Could it be true? Had Stephen tricked her into believing he was something that he was not? Was that why he never spoke about his time in the Royal Navy?

Henry came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You can’t blame yourself, Gemma,” he said, hiswarm breath on her neck. “Mr. Wycomb only let you see what he wanted you to see.”

Gemma felt conflicted. She knew the disdain that Henry had for Stephen, and he only seemed too eager in sharing this damning news. After all, she wanted to believe the best in Mr. Wycomb but what if she was wrong to do so? He had only treated her honorably but was it all an act? If so, she had fallen for it, time and time again. One thing was certain, though, she would ask Stephen if these allegations were true. She owed him that.

“Given the circumstances, I have taken the liberty of clearing my schedule so I may escort you back to Hawkinge,” Henry said.

She turned around to face him. “I am not ready to leave London. I need to speak to Mr. Wycomb about this.”

“I think you leaving straightaway would be for the best,” Henry remarked. “Mr. Wycomb has made you a laughingstock of high Society.”

“Who else knows about Mr. Wycomb’s past?”

“Soon, everyone will,” Henry replied. “I alerted the morning newspapers, and they were more than eager to write a story on it.”

Gemma felt herself growing angry. “How could you do such a thing?” she demanded. “I am ruined now.”

Henry shook his head. “I paid off the newssheets not to mention your name.”

“But that won’t be enough to save my reputation,” Gemma said.

“That is why we need to have you leave Town,” Henry encouraged. “With any luck, thetonwill forget about your liaison with Mr. Wycomb in a few years.”

With a slight huff, Gemma said, “Thetonis not known to be of a forgiving nature.”

“True, but you are a lady and Mr. Wycomb is a commoner. I daresay that thetonwill be much more favorable to you.”

Gemma pursed her lips. “Why do you think I would go anywhere with you right now?” she asked. “It is because of you that I am in this situation.”

“No, it is because of Mr. Wycomb. Need I remind you that he tricked you by hiding his true nature.”

“But you alerted the newssheets without a care for my regard.”

Henry reached for her hand but she stepped out of his reach. As his hand dropped to his side, he said, “I promised Baldwin that I would watch over you and the only way I could properly do that was by ruining Mr. Wycomb.”

“Well, you thought wrong, Henry,” Gemma responded. “You could have come to me rather than go to the newspapers. We could have sorted this out privately.”

“If I didn’t do something drastic, I was afraid you wouldn’t see reason,” Henry argued. “Don’t you see that I am trying to help you?”

Gemma needed to be far away from Henry right now. Frankly, she needed to be away from everyone right now. Her thoughts were discombobulated, and she needed time to sort them out.

In a voice that was far more steady than she felt, Gemma said, “I need to be alone right now.”

Henry took a step closer. “You don’t need to be alone; you have me.”

Gemma placed a hand on his chest, stilling him. “Quite frankly, I want nothing to do with you at the moment. You have placed me in an impossible position, and I am unsure of what to do.”

Disappointment flooded his features and dripped from his voice. “I shall call upon you in two days’ time to see if you’ve changed your mind about leaving Town.”

“I would not hold your breath, Henry.”

Henry held his hands up. “What will you do now?” he mocked. “You are ruined and all the invitations that you have received will be rescinded. The only logical course of action for you is to return home to Hawkinge and hope thetonwill be more forgiving next Season. Unless you do not give a whit for your family’s reputation and you want to drag their names through the mud, along with yours.”

Gemma knew that he was right, but she didn’t dare admit that to him. Her Season was over. Nothing would stop what Henry had set in motion.

With a smug look, Henry turned and headed towards the townhouse, causing Gemma to let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. She wanted to be alone, no, sheneededto be alone. How had she allowed this to happen? Henry had made sure to ruin her, all in an attempt to keep her away from Stephen.

Was he protecting her by forcing her hand? It didn’t feel that way. It felt vengeful, spiteful. Tears streamed down her face, but she made no effort to wipe them away. Regardless, she needed to learn the truth about Stephen before she even thought about running away.