Page 82 of So Wild A Heart

“Of course you were.” Miranda went to her stepmother and knelt down beside her, taking her hands in hers. “Anyone would have been.”

“I didn’t know what to do, and she said that the only course left to me was to leave. She suggested that I go to America or India or some other colony, where no one would know who I was. She gave me money because she was my friend and felt sorry for me. And she said that in a new country no one would know who I was. I could change my name, I could pretend to be a newly bereaved widow, and no one would ever know the difference. She was so kind. She helped me to pack and to leave. She even hired the post chaise for me, and sent her maid with me to help me.”

“More likely to make sure you didn’t change your mind and decide to come back,” Miranda corrected. “And to steal a shawl to leave beside the sea.”

“I—I suppose so. My God…” Tears formed in her eyes and spilled over. “Even after all this time, it hurts. I thought she was my dearest friend, and she betrayed me.”

“She betrayed everyone.” Miranda’s voice was hard with anger. “Your grandfather has been nearly driven mad with grief. He has mourned you all these years. Everyone thought you had died. People blamed Devin for your death. It was a terrible scandal, and Dev’s father disowned him. Leona recklessly destroyed three lives.” Miranda stood up, her gray eyes like steel. “And I know why. She wanted Devin for herself. He had been pursuing her, and she had been teasing and putting him off, but she always meant to have him, I’m sure. However, when you told her you were pregnant, she knew that he would do the honorable thing and marry you. She would lose him, and she did not want that. It would ruin her plans. So she lied to you. And she lied to him. She lied to everyone.”

Miranda stood up and turned in Devin’s direction.

He was pale with emotion, and there was a stunned hurt in his eyes that tore at her heart. Miranda thought that if Leona were there right at that moment, she would have gone straight for the heartless woman’s throat.

“Veronica is my daughter?” Devin asked, his eyes going from Miranda to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded, brushing at the tears that still trickled down her cheeks. “Yes. She—she has no idea. I have always told her that her father was Roddy Blakington. A wonderful man I made up. She—I—” Panic filled her eyes. “You won’t tell her, will you?” She looked from Devin to Miranda and back, her hands clenching nervously in her skirt. “I don’t know what it would do to her. I—she would be bound to hate me.”

“I am sure she wouldn’t hate you,” Miranda began soothingly.

“I won’t tell her,” Devin added, his voice rough with emotion. “Keeping silent is the least I can do after all the pain I caused you. Caused everyone. But I will also look after her as a father would, I promise you that.” He hesitated, then went on. “Constance…Elizabeth, I am sorry. I know no amount of words can make up for the suffering you went through. Please, believe me, I did not know. I would not have—I know I have never been the model of a gentleman, but I would not have behaved so dishonorably.”

Elizabeth nodded, pressing a hand against her lips, tears running down her face.

Miranda looked at her with concern. “Let me take you to your room, Elizabeth. A nice, soothing lie-down would be good, don’t you think? I’ll ring for your maid, and she can put a lavender compress on your forehead.”

“Yes,” Elizabeth choked out. “Please. I—I need to be alone.”

Miranda did as she had suggested, taking Elizabeth’s arm and helping her up and out of the room. She led her up the stairs to her bedroom and over to the bed, then rang for Elizabeth’s maid.

“I was a fool,” Elizabeth whispered. “I was a fool back then, and I am still one now.”

“You are not a fool. You simply trusted the wrong person. That is all. I am sure many women would have acted just as you did.”

“Not you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Most people are not very wise when it comes to love.”

“You didn’t marry for love. You were very practical about it.”

Miranda smiled. “You think not?”

“Are you saying that you love him? That you loved him before you married him?”

Miranda nodded and took her stepmother’s hand. “He really is a good man, Elizabeth. Those things you thought about him all these years were false.”

“I know. But I—I hated him so long that it will take a bit of adjusting to feel differently. Oh, Miranda! Will you ever forgive me? I have been half-mad with fear the last few weeks. I was so afraid he would hurt you, but I could not bear to tell you the truth. And I sent Hastings to hurt him! I have been such a fool, such a coward and—Can you ever forgive me?”

“Of course I can. I know you have been—well, you haven’t been yourself.”

At that point Elizabeth’s maid came in, and Miranda left Elizabeth to the girl’s ministrations. She was sure that Elizabeth was not the only one in a state of shock and needing to talk right now. Devin had looked as if his world had been turned inside out.

She started toward the stairs to go back down to the library, but she found Devin sitting on the top step, waiting for her. “Miranda.” He stood up and turned to face her. There was a bleak look on his face that tore at her heart. She went to him and wrapped her arms about his waist, leaning against this chest. His arms went around her, and he hugged her to him tightly.

“God, Miranda! What a fool I’ve been!” he burst out, echoing Elizabeth’s words. “All these years…Leona’s been lying to me. Toying with me.”

Miranda’s arms tightened involuntarily around him. Devin’s pain hurt her, and it hurt even more that his pain sprang in large part from the fact that he had loved Leona. But she put her own emotions aside for the moment.

“Let’s go to my room.” She took his hand and led him down the hall to her bedroom. Devin sat down on a chair with a sigh, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees, his chin on his hands.