Read Online Heaven Scent by SpursFanatic - Free Book Online Page B

willing, she will have no time for this midwifery
nonsense.”
    Rafe’s blood jumped to a roiling boil.
Patrick said Worthington was honorable. Hell. The man was using
blackmail to keep his noble daughter from living her
dream.
    Worthington asked Rafe to go against
his own beliefs. Tarin had a right to live her life as she chose.
He would not want anyone telling him how to live, why would he
expect her to feel any different?
    How could he agree to this when the
arrangement was so unfair to Tarin? How could he go against every
moral fiber in his body and marry her under false
pretenses?
    Then again, how could he
deny his family the money – if he could get her to marry him?
    What Worthington didn’t know about was
the scars. How could Rafe marry Tarin without revealing them to her
beforehand? Once she saw them, she would never agree to marry him.
She would turn away in horror and never look back.
    He was in an impossible situation all
the way around. He was doomed regardless of what avenue he
took.
    “Come now, Mr. Sutherland,” Henry said,
leaning back in his chair and folding his hands over his stomach.
“You’re an intelligent man – Harvard law. This is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You would have financial solvency,
success, noble status, and the most beautiful woman in Boston. What
is there to think about?”
    Imminent failure.
    “I’ll get back with you.”
    Worthington stared at him with wide
eyes. It would do the arrogant son of a bitch some good to stew a
little.
    “Fair enough,” Henry finally said. “But
I trust this conversation will remain between us…”
    Rafe gave him a curt nod.
    “I am not a patient man, Sutherland. I
expect to hear from you soon.”
    “Neither am I, Worthington. I expect to
do that trial run on your next shipment.”
     
    ######
     
    “I told the crew to start
those repairs for S2 .”
    Stepping inside the study, Rafe stopped
short when Patrick’s troubled eyes met his from behind the desk.
Patrick blew out a breath.
    “We have to do them…” Rafe said, hands
on hips.
    “I know, I know.” Patrick ran his hands
down his face.
    Something wasn’t right. They had
already discussed the repairs. Patrick had just wanted Rafe’s
confirmation on what had to be done.
    Since he first returned home, Rafe’s
gut had told him something troubled Patrick. He had given his
brother space, thinking Patrick would come to him when he was
ready. Whatever bothered him caused Patrick to look more haggard
than Rafe had ever seen him.
    “Worthington’s next shipment is ours,
by the way.” Rafe strode across the room and dropped into a guest
chair.
    “Dare I hope it’s more than that trial
run you asked for?”
    No, I‘ve only got to
convince his rich, perfect daughter to marry a grotesque, nearly
penniless shipper first . “No, but we’ve got
him now. It’s just a matter of time.”
    Patrick jumped up and strode to the
sidebar. He poured himself a shot of whiskey and downed it in one
gulp.
    “A little early for that, isn’t
it?”
    Patrick turned around and glared at
Rafe while he poured himself a double.
    Hell. This couldn’t be good. “What’s
bothering you?”
    Hesitating a moment, Patrick made his
way back to the desk and reached under it, to the secret
compartment. Popping open the drawer, he pulled out a sheet of
paper and handed it to Rafe. He held a post dated two weeks prior,
from a woman in Atlanta, Georgia.
    “Who is this Emily and why is she
asking you for money?” Rafe knew better than to think Patrick would
go against his honor and get an unwed woman with child.
    Patrick eyed him a moment before he
took a deep breath. “Father had another family.”
    Stiffening, Rafe pulled his head back.
He had to have heard wrong. “What the hell are you talking
about?”
    Patrick rubbed the creases
in his forehead. “Father had another family down in Atlanta - a
young wife and a three-year-old daughter. That’s what he did with
all of the money, Rafe. He sent it to