“And my wife needs her sleep,” Robert shot back sleepily as he sat up, making sure that she remained covered as he did. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you in your study to discuss the matter.”

Her father stubbornly shook his head. “We can discuss the matter here.”

“Elizabeth is still recovering,” Robert argued, gesturing for the men to leave when his father said, “And that’s exactly what’s going to save you both.”

“Save us?” Elizabeth repeated, frowning in confusion as she sat up, careful to keep the covers pulled up to her neck.

“From what exactly?” Robert asked, leaning forward and lazily resting his arms across his upturned knees.

“From each other,” Harold explained as her father made sure that the door was sufficiently shut.

“I don’t understand,” Elizabeth found herself mumbling distractedly as she watched her father turn back around, open the door and peer out into the hallway before shutting the door, locking it and returning to the front of the bed where he shared a look with Robert’s father.

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea,” Robert said coldly as he glared at the men shifting nervously in front of them.

“It’s for the best,” her father said, giving her a reassuring smile that set her nerves racing.

“What’s for the best?” she asked, looking between the two men in front of her, but it was Robert who answered her question.

“They want to annul the marriage,” he said evenly, his tone void of any emotion as he turned his head to look at her.

For a moment she could only sit there as she struggled to wrap her mind around what he’d just said. Annulled? That wasn’t possible. He’d taken her innocence and they’d lost a child. She didn’t know much about annulments, because it was one of those subjects that was only mentioned in hushed whispers, but she knew enough to know that they didn’t qualify for an annulment. The marriage was consummated. It didn’t matter if it had been done before they took their vows; she was no longer a virgin. Thanks to the gossip spreading through every household in London, everyone knew the circumstances of their hasty marriage.

Her father, on the other hand, saw things a bit differently than she did. “You’ve been ill since your wedding night and haven’t been able to leave your bed. The servants have been in and out of this room at all hours of the night and know that you’ve slept alone. Gossip has spread of your illness and many others know that you’ve been deathly ill.”

At that she had to frown. “I haven’t been deathly ill.” Depressed? Weak? Tired? Yes, but she’d never been close to death.

Her father waved that off as though it was of little importance. “The only thing that matters is that you didn’t have a wedding night, my dear. We’ve both called in some favors and we can have this marriage annulled in just a few hours and your engagement to James announced by the end of the day.”

Robert didn’t say anything as he continued to watch her, but she knew him well enough to know that he was furious. All the muscles in his arms and chest were flexing as though he were struggling with the urge to throttle someone, his lips were pressed in a thin line and if that didn’t give away his mood, the way he glared her way certainly did. It was then that she realized that he was waiting for her response, but she didn’t have much of one other than confusion.

“Why exactly would you assume that I wanted to marry James or that he would want to marry me for that matter?” she asked, focusing her attention back on the men standing in front of them.

Her father released a heavy sigh as he focused on her, his smile looking more stressed by the minute. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Elizabeth. I don’t-”

“I would never hurt her,” Robert said firmly beside her.

“Not on purpose, my boy,” he said, shaking his head slightly as he continued. “I don’t want to see either one of you hurt. I understand what happened. I do, but you have to agree that a marriage between the two of you is not a wise decision. Given your history it wouldn’t take long before the two of you were at each other’s throats and making each other’s lives a living hell,” her father said, taking her by surprise as he swore in front of her for the first time in her life.

Before either she or Robert could argue, his father took over. “I’ve already spoken with James. He understands that things between the two of you simply got carried away. He’s willing to marry you as soon as possible and make things right.”

“Really? He’s willing to marry a woman without a quid to her name after she’s left the bed of his brother?” Robert drawled lazily, but she didn’t miss the threatening edge to his tone. “That doesn’t sound like James.”

“Yes, well,” his father said, clearing his throat and looking noticeably uncomfortable. “We had a meeting with the solicitors yesterday afternoon and they believe that by annulling this marriage and marrying James that Elizabeth will meet the conditions of the will and the inheritance will once again be hers.”

She would have her inheritance back, she thought as relief soared through her. All of her plans for the future would be saved. She could help so many people. She would-

Never be with Robert again, she abruptly realized a moment later.

She would never fall asleep in his arms again. Never freely enjoy one of his smiles again and that wasn’t something that she was willing to give up. She loved his smile, loved being the cause of it and she didn’t want to give that up for anything.

Besides, James would most likely refuse to allow her to open even one school with her inheritance, she told herself, desperate for an excuse to turn down this plan without hating herself for being completely selfish. One day she would make her dreams a reality, but she didn’t want to do that as James’ wife.

“It’s going to cause a scandal,” Robert said, drawing her attention back to the men looking almost eager at this point.

“James’ title and reputation will be able to guard against that,” his father explained with a pleased smile.

“And me?” Robert asked, shifting slightly so that his bare leg was touching hers beneath the safety of the covers and giving her the support that she desperately needed.

Robert’s father cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable as his smile became forced. “We thought that perhaps you would leave town and give the gossip a chance to die down.”

“I see,” Robert muttered, sounding thoughtful.

“We realize that this situation is not ideal and that it’s unfair to put you in such a situation, Robert,” her father rushed to explain. “That’s why your father and I believe that you deserve compensation for your trouble.”

“And how much is that?” Robert asked, voicing her curiosity.

“Forty thousand pounds.”

Chapter 28

“I’d like a few minutes to discuss the matter with Elizabeth,” Robert said a stunned moment later as he did his best not to grab Elizabeth in his arms and run from this house and this conversation, so that he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he was about to lose the woman that he loved to his brother.

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Lord Norwood said after a slight pause.

“Just a few minutes, Papa,” Elizabeth said, making every muscle in his body tense.

A few minutes…..

That’s all it was going to take to rip his heart out of his chest.

“Very well,” Lord Norwood said stiffly. “We’ll be waiting in my study.”

Robert nodded, but didn’t speak, too afraid that he’d say something that he’d regret later. He’d love nothing more than to yell at the man, but he wouldn’t, not in a million years. Elizabeth would never forgive him, and although he was doing his damndest to resign himself to the fact that he was about to lose her and probably never see her again, he didn’t want her last memory of him to be him insulting her father.

When the door closed with a soft click , he opened his mouth to speak, but realized that he didn’t know what to say. How was he supposed to compete with James? He was older, had a title and a respectable reputation. He would also be able to give her the life that she deserved, that was hers by right. Staying with him would only drag her down, and he loved her too much to do that to her.