Page 30 of A Second Chance for Love

“Why are you angry with me?”

The words were so low he almost didn’t hear them.

He opened his mouth to deny it, but then closed it, too disheartened to lie. All day long he’d wrestled with this problem as he’d wandered around in a blizzard. He’d created this trouble for himself and could only come up with one solution—and it was not one that would be comfortable.

The truth was that Juss liked this woman and he was about to drag her into a situation that would be unpleasant. What did it matter if she’d told on him a decade ago? Her actions might have gotten him discharged, but Clara had been pregnant and would have been fired regardless of what Oona said. So, really, it didn’t matter.

“I know it was you who told Venable.”

She squinted. “I beg your pardon?”

Justin made a noise of irritation and stood. “I’m sorry I even brought it up. It hardly matters after all these years.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Juss scowled; he’d not expected such deception from her—he’d believed she was more honest than that. “I know you saw me fucking Clara.”

She flinched at the vulgar word and then shot to her feet. “I can’t—I don’t—”

“I know it was you. Are you trying to tell me that you didn’t understand the consequences of your actions?”

“What actions?”

“Dammit, Oona! You told Venable that you’d seen us that day.”

There was a long silence. “You think I told the viscount about that?” Her voice sounded strange—almost trancelike.

“Didn’t you?”

“How could you think that?” Before he could answer she made a sound like a feral cat and then threw her wadded up garments at his head.

Juss caught them easily. “What? Why are you playing the victim?”

She marched toward him—which only took a few steps in the tiny room—not stopping until he could smell the distracting scent of strawberries. And then she hauled her arm back and slapped his face. Hard.

Her action seemed to surprise her more than it did him and she took a step back, both hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry,” she whispered through her fingers. “I don’t know what—”

Justin moved his jaw from side to side and rubbed his cheek. “You pack a good wallop.”

“I’m so—”

He held up his hand. “Yes, you’re sorry—I understand that. But I take it from your reaction that you weren’t the one who told Venable.”

She dropped her hands and shook her head.

If it wasn’t her, then who the hell—

“I’m guessing it was Lucy who told the viscount about you and Clara.”

“Who the devil is Lucy?”

“She was one of the parlor maids. A tall, thin—”

Juss snapped his fingers. “A dark-haired girl with a face like a rat.”

She winced. “That is unkind.”

“But true.”