Whisper Always by Rebecca Hagan Lee

Author:Rebecca Hagan Lee
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-08-02T05:00:00+00:00

"Use your brain, Blake. Vienna is a long way from London. Why would she run so far? What reason would she have for going when she really wanted to remain at Lawrence House? Think about what was happening here in London--the major events that might have influenced Cristina's behavior."

"Hell, Nigel, I wasn't in London enough to know what was going on." He paused a moment. "There were treaty talks regarding the Russo-Turkish war."

"What else?"

Blake thought back. "Nothing much else in the way of politics. The papers were full of reports of Rudolf's visit and..."

"And?" Nigel pushed himself to the edge of his chair in anticipation.

"Some gossip about my escorting Cristina to the theater. The announcement of our betrothal. There was that nasty bit of business with Ainsford and the governess."

Nigel sat back and grinned. "At last."

"Ainsford and the governess? What did that have to do with Cristina and me?" Blake demanded. "Other than the speculation and gossip? If Aunt Delia hadn't meddled in our business no one would ever have suspected Cristina and I anticipated our vows. Our situation was completely different."

Nigel sighed in exasperation. He'd never known Blake to be so damned dense.

"Was it? Consider the similarities between Ainsford and his governess and you and Cristina."

"The governess was living under Ainsford's roof, they had a relationship and the governess wound up--" Blake stopped abruptly. "Bloody hell!" He looked at Nigel. "Cristina's pregnant?"

The doctor nodded. "Congratulations."

Blake shook his head. "Christ, Nigel, I have the ring and the bloody special license has been in my pocket for months. I had them before Aunt Delia published the announcement. We could have gotten married immediately."

"Why didn't you?"

"I was waiting to speak to her father." Blake raked his fingers through his hair. "I offered to marry her. Why didn't she just come out and tell me about the baby?"

"Maybe she felt she couldn't face you with news of your impending fatherhood after learning how you felt about marriage. I seem to recall hearing that you told her you were fond of her but not enough to want to marry her. And you said she accused you of marrying her in order to do penance for your sins." Nigel sighed. "Christ! Blake, haven't you learned anything about women? She didn't think you'd let her go. She thought you would ask her to stay."

"She'd already made up her mind to leave."

"Then Rudolf must have offered her an honorable arrangement."

"You call that kind of life in Vienna honorable?" Blake's temper skyrocketed.

"What did you offer her here that was more honorable?"

"I offered her ..." Blake began, then silently bit back the words that sprang to his defense. What had he offered her except a marriage he obviously didn't want? He wanted to say that he had offered Cristina his heart, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that he had never spoken to her of love and had never offered his heart into her keeping. If he were brutally honest with himself, he had to admit that he hadn't given her anything beyond shelter and food and a few hours in his arms.

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