Read Online White Lace and Promises by Natasha Blackthorne - Free Book Online
Authors: Natasha Blackthorne
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hope of fitting in.”
Her stomach sank, for she knew he spoke the truth. But knowing the truth and liking to hear it were two different things. “He says I can.” She barely whispered the words. It was as though, if she spoke too loudly, she’d hear the lie for what it was.
“Oh, come, you can’t even look me in the eye as you say it.” His lip curled up and he grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. She twisted out of his grasp.
“Thank you for your confidence in me,” she replied stiffly.
He closed his eyes. “I meant no insult; I simply do not want to see you hurt.”
“How very odd for you, of all people, to worry over that,” she said with deliberate softness.
He flinched. Then, eyes still closed, he nodded. “Yes, yes, I deserved that. But don’t let your righteous anger towards me make you deaf to the things I must tell you. Things you should know.”
“Just shut up, you manipulative jackass.”
“Beth, you know you’re making a terrible mistake. Sexton is not the man for you. He’s a cold, calculating man of business.”
“He isn’t afraid to marry me.” She couldn’t keep the scorn out of her voice.
Joshua flinched and paled a shade more. “Yes, he is a decisive man, but that can cut both ways, Beth.”
That sounded ominous. Ice entered her blood. “Go on.” “He was married before, Beth. When he was a very young man.”
“Yes, I know. He told me.” She took the end of her gown’s satin sash and plucked at several silken threads. Juliana de Lange. Her name sounded so elegant, so refined. It brought to mind a tall, willowy lady with patrician features and always cool and polite, even in bed. Beth paused and studied the sash and frowned. The end was hopelessly frayed.
Joshua chuckled. The sound echoed soft and too deliberate for her to believe. “I doubt he told you all, any more than you have told him all.”
She dropped the sash and jerked her gaze to his. “Just come out with it.”
“Grey Sexton put his first wife out of his house. Sent her back to her father, and there she lived until she died, unable to have her husband and forbidden to take another.”
“No, he didn’t. He would never do something like that.”
“I am afraid he did. It caused a terrible scandal. All the sympathy went with her. She was the sweetest person imaginable.” He paused, watching intently for her reaction.
She swallowed tightly and shook her head. “No, it can’t be true.”
“Aye, that’s how cold he is. He had his freedom, took several mistresses. But she wasn’t free. Three years after he put her out, he maimed that man in the duel because they were fucking. You see, men like him—they must own everything and everyone in their lives. Even when they are done with them. And they grow bored so quickly. Tossing one wife to the street would make sending the second one that much easier, should he decide he’s tired of you or you don’t fit with his life. So don’t be too torn up when this beautiful dream of yours falls apart.”
His sneering tone made her remember exactly who was bearing this unbelievable tale.
“You dog-in-the-manger jackass,” she hissed. “You’re repeating nothing but gossip and lies.”
He stood and collected his hat. “Time shall tell, my seductress, which one of us is correct.”
He bowed, then turned and left.
She watched him stride away through the garden. Heard the gate that separated Mrs Hazelwood’s yard from his clink closed. He was leaving her to go home to his wife. His wife .
She remembered his wedding day. She’d spent the day all smiles on the outside, while the pain crushed her inside, breaking her young heart to pieces. Her chest burnt now just thinking about it and she took a deep, ragged breath. She loved Grey utterly and completely, with a depth she hadn’t known with Joshua. It was too late to protect her heart now. Yet she knew she couldn’t break like that again. Not without dying.
Joshua was wrong. She could—and
Her stomach sank, for she knew he spoke the truth. But knowing the truth and liking to hear it were two different things. “He says I can.” She barely whispered the words. It was as though, if she spoke too loudly, she’d hear the lie for what it was.
“Oh, come, you can’t even look me in the eye as you say it.” His lip curled up and he grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. She twisted out of his grasp.
“Thank you for your confidence in me,” she replied stiffly.
He closed his eyes. “I meant no insult; I simply do not want to see you hurt.”
“How very odd for you, of all people, to worry over that,” she said with deliberate softness.
He flinched. Then, eyes still closed, he nodded. “Yes, yes, I deserved that. But don’t let your righteous anger towards me make you deaf to the things I must tell you. Things you should know.”
“Just shut up, you manipulative jackass.”
“Beth, you know you’re making a terrible mistake. Sexton is not the man for you. He’s a cold, calculating man of business.”
“He isn’t afraid to marry me.” She couldn’t keep the scorn out of her voice.
Joshua flinched and paled a shade more. “Yes, he is a decisive man, but that can cut both ways, Beth.”
That sounded ominous. Ice entered her blood. “Go on.” “He was married before, Beth. When he was a very young man.”
“Yes, I know. He told me.” She took the end of her gown’s satin sash and plucked at several silken threads. Juliana de Lange. Her name sounded so elegant, so refined. It brought to mind a tall, willowy lady with patrician features and always cool and polite, even in bed. Beth paused and studied the sash and frowned. The end was hopelessly frayed.
Joshua chuckled. The sound echoed soft and too deliberate for her to believe. “I doubt he told you all, any more than you have told him all.”
She dropped the sash and jerked her gaze to his. “Just come out with it.”
“Grey Sexton put his first wife out of his house. Sent her back to her father, and there she lived until she died, unable to have her husband and forbidden to take another.”
“No, he didn’t. He would never do something like that.”
“I am afraid he did. It caused a terrible scandal. All the sympathy went with her. She was the sweetest person imaginable.” He paused, watching intently for her reaction.
She swallowed tightly and shook her head. “No, it can’t be true.”
“Aye, that’s how cold he is. He had his freedom, took several mistresses. But she wasn’t free. Three years after he put her out, he maimed that man in the duel because they were fucking. You see, men like him—they must own everything and everyone in their lives. Even when they are done with them. And they grow bored so quickly. Tossing one wife to the street would make sending the second one that much easier, should he decide he’s tired of you or you don’t fit with his life. So don’t be too torn up when this beautiful dream of yours falls apart.”
His sneering tone made her remember exactly who was bearing this unbelievable tale.
“You dog-in-the-manger jackass,” she hissed. “You’re repeating nothing but gossip and lies.”
He stood and collected his hat. “Time shall tell, my seductress, which one of us is correct.”
He bowed, then turned and left.
She watched him stride away through the garden. Heard the gate that separated Mrs Hazelwood’s yard from his clink closed. He was leaving her to go home to his wife. His wife .
She remembered his wedding day. She’d spent the day all smiles on the outside, while the pain crushed her inside, breaking her young heart to pieces. Her chest burnt now just thinking about it and she took a deep, ragged breath. She loved Grey utterly and completely, with a depth she hadn’t known with Joshua. It was too late to protect her heart now. Yet she knew she couldn’t break like that again. Not without dying.
Joshua was wrong. She could—and
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