Page 37 of The Marquess of Secrets

“I give you my word that I will assist you any way I am able.”

“Why?” she whispered. “You don’t know me. I am a stranger. I could be lying—”

“It’s easy enough to verify. In fact, Robins is doing so as we speak.” Harrison removed his hand and continued eating, so she did the same. “Besides—we made a pact. Reveal secrets and tell the truth. And you have so far?”

“Yes.”

“So have I.”

“You truly are a hero.”

Harrison laughed, and the masculine sound reverberated through her, her toes curling with pleasure in her slippers.

“I am not a masked crusader leaping about the rooftops of London, sword in hand, fighting injustice and brutality.”

“But you are masked. As I said before, you’re a medical Robin Hood. Instead of a bow and arrow, you battle injustice with a stethoscope and your vast medical knowledge. You rescue those who cannot rescue themselves. You rescued me. I will be eternally grateful.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you. It was my pleasure.”

Lydia picked up her fork. “About the theft of pharmaceuticals. As I said, I had nothing to do with it. When John Huntsford spoke about his twisted plan, I didn’t take him seriously. I wish I had. When I found out about the robbery, I confronted him. He warned me to keep quiet, or he would blame it on me. Reveal our clandestine relationship.”

She blinked, then looked down at her hands. They were trembling. John had then struck her for the first time. The blow was so forceful it knocked her off her feet. That became the deciding factor in her sudden flight from him.

“And he stated that he would also reveal the salacious details of our arrangement, claiming I was the one who introduced him to drugs through the enticement of sex. I stupidly believed he loved me when all along he used me. And he’d been taking my money. John can be very convincing. I was ashamed. Frightened.”

Lydia paused as old horrors clawed their way back to the surface of her mind. She took a breath, buried them again, and continued on.

“After…an unpleasant incident between us, I made my escape when he left for work. I had no idea if he’d reported the crime and accused me. I did not stay about to find out. Until the policeman showed up at the terminus.”

“Let us wait to see what Mr. Robins reports. As he said, Huntsford may have hired this Willis to investigate.”

Lydia shakily dabbed at her mouth with the napkin. “Huntsford said I was his property, to do with what he will. He had too much control over my life. What I thought was love—it is patently obvious I know nothing of it. I cannot abide being a victim. But I am, aren’t I? I laid my trust in a man who did not deserve it. I gave myself—” she choked back a sob.

“Lydia—”

“I’m utterly and completely ruined, professionally and personally, and I’ve no one to blame but myself.”

“You are not the first to mistakenly place your love and trust in the wrong person,” Harrison offered gently.

Lydia met his empathetic gaze. “Have you?”

“I’ve never been in love. Not even close. I probably never will. Perhaps it is best. I’m embarking on selecting a suitable bride in the marriage mart. It’s past time I married.”

That bit of information caused her to feel more nauseous than she was already. Why did it matter to her if the marquess married? Why wouldn’t an heir to a duke want to find someone suitable?

Of which she was not—in any way.

After her disaster with Huntsford, why was she even experiencing any feelings toward the marquess?

Oh, she was shameless.

And so desperate to fill the empty void in her heart, she latched on to any man who showed her any attention.

A fatal flaw, to be certain.

“The opium? Would you elaborate on the usage?” Harrison asked.

No more.