He bit back a curse and quickened his pace. If word got back to Gia about this meeting, she’d be hurt. And Landen did not want to hurt her. How different from when they’d first married and he’d wanted to do nothing but hurt her.
Deciding he’d tell Gia about the meeting upon his return, he tethered the horse, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.
“Good morning, Charlotte.” He took a seat next to her, assaulted by the strong smell of perfume.
Charlotte’s demure smile faded at the formality of his greeting. She filled the awkward moment by fluffing her burgundy skirts as he sat stiffly beside her.
“I know this must seem strange, my asking to see you, Denny, but I have something to tell you.”
“What is it, Charlotte? What’s wrong?”
She sighed, her forehead creasing with worry beneath the wide brim of her hat. “It’s my mother.”
“Is she ill?”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, nothing like that.” She fiddled with her gloved hands, acting as nervous as Alice did in a crowd. “She is very angry about your marriage to Gianna. I know it’s ridiculous that she harbors such a grudge, but she harbors one, nonetheless.”
Landen knew all about Maude and her grudges. Her smear campaign against Charlie Harding, the poor handyman she’d hired to paint her house in the city, had served as a lesson. When the color Maude had selected didn’t do her house ample justice, Charlie refused to repaint it for free. Maude had destroyed the man’s reputation and business, and all to avoid honoring a debt she could well afford to pay.
“What has she done?” Landen asked.
“She went to visit Mrs. Amery at the Female Seminary,” Charlotte said. “They are old friends, you see, from when I attended there as a girl.”
Landen stared at her, baffled. Mrs. Amery was the same woman who’d recommended Gia for the position of Alice’s companion. The same woman who’d assured Landen of Gia’s fine work at the school. “And?”
“And Mrs. Amery disclosed some information to my mother about Gianna. Information my mother was planning to divulge to anyone and everyone who might listen.”
Landen sighed.
“I’m sorry, Denny. Truly I am.”
Landen studied her face, sensing a small part of her was not sorry at all. Considering how abruptly he’d ended their relationship, he supposed he couldn’t blame her. “What information?”
“Before I tell you, I want you to rest assured that my mother will keep silent about what she’s learned.”
“Like hell she will.”
“She will.” Charlotte nodded furiously against the force of his doubt. “I can promise you that. I swore to her that if she told a soul, I would never speak to her again.” She glanced down at her hands on her lap. “And I meant it.”
His anger cooled as he gazed at her, not knowing what to say. “I appreciate that, Charlotte.”
She smiled a sad smile. “I would do anything for you, Denny. Surely you know that.”
He hadn’t, but he did now. Until this moment, he hadn’t realized the extent of her feelings for him. Or how badly he’d hurt her. His stabbing guilt thrust deeper. After the intimate relationship they’d shared, he could not even recall the taste of her kiss, let alone the heat of her body.
“I’m only telling you because I feel you should know.”
“So, tell me.”
“Gianna has not been truthful with you.”
He narrowed his eyes, growing angry again. “What do you mean?”
“Her parents are not dead as she claims.”
He inhaled sharply, shaking his head.
“They are alive and well and living in Boston.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. Mrs. Amery has no reason to lie about such a thing. Gianna told her that she ran away. That she fled her home in Boston to escape her parents.”
He blinked. “Why? Why would she want to escape her parents?” He was angry as hell and taking it out on Charlotte, but he didn’t care.
Charlotte sighed, taking his hand between hers. His stomach sank like a rock at the solemn look in her eyes and his fear of her reluctant reply.
“Because they were about to have her committed to the asylum.”
Chapter 19
Gia made the arduous ascent up the tall staircase, her feet aching. She entered the bedroom, hung her wrap, and then plopped into a chair. Wincing, she pried off her muddy slippers, massaging her cramped toes. She’d walked for miles and all she had to show for her effort were ruined slippers and blistered feet.
Try as she had to summon a vision at the creek, she’d experienced nothing. Not so much as a flash or a flicker of anything. As blood flow returned to her throbbing feet, she decided the trek still had been worth it. At least now she knew the place she must ensure Landen avoided at all costs.
Landen took morning rides on his tall black horse, but he usually rode through the fields. When he fished, he did so at the lake. She’d never known him to go walking through the woods and couldn’t imagine any plausible scenario in which he’d journey behind the estate to that secluded place high above the creek.
She wrapped herself inside the logic, but found little comfort in the flimsy reassurance. However improbable it might seem at this moment, Landen would somehow end up at the creek. And somehow, Gia had to stop him.
Her shoulders slumped beneath the weight of the impossible situation. Pushing her doubts from her mind, she dropped her foot to the floor, glancing at the clock on the mantel. Landen was still in town conducting his “business” with Charlotte.
Thoughts of the pair together consumed her. With each passing moment, Gia’s jealousy grew stronger. Fiercer. A monster she fed with every insecurity she’d ever had about herself.
Charlotte Filkins was a respected, proper lady, while Gia was a liar with a scandalous past. A freak of nature with a weakness for opiates and parents who were glad to be rid of her.
The disheartening comparison sunk her lower. She stiffened her shoulders, shaking off the painful summation of her character. There was no changing the past, and she didn’t have time to dwell in self-pity. Alex and his guests would be arriving in a few hours, and she still needed to bathe and dress for Landen’s birthday supper.
She froze at the sound of Landen’s distinctive footsteps outside the door. Shooting to her stocking-clad feet, she straightened her appearance, ready for battle. Although she couldn’t very well admit she’d read Charlotte’s message, Gia would pry from him the truth about his relationship with Charlotte, one way or another. She was his wife, and if nothing else, she deserved that much.
The door opened, and Landen strode into the room.
The sight of him sent a flutter through her belly. With an angry breath, she braced herself against the effect of his presence. “You’re back,” she said coolly.
He said nothing as he shrugged from his coat.
Miffed by his silence, she pressed onward. “Did you finish your business in town?”
He stiffened at the implication in her tone, avoiding her eyes. He flung his coat to a chair, then yanked at his tie. “I was with Charlotte.”
She blinked at the unsolicited admission. The pinch in her chest spread outward, a massive wave that ached through to her bones. Deep down she’d hoped she’d jumped to some sordid conclusion about an affair. But here he stood, not confessing, but declaring his morning tryst to the woman he’d made love to last night. The man had no shame.
Without so much as a glance in her direction, he strode to the bureau. Clanking glasses and bottles, he poured himself a drink. She glared at his back, seething at his lack of remorse.
He tossed back his head and guzzled his brandy. The slam of the glass against the wood surface gave her a start. She knew in that moment, there would be no remorse. Gritting her teeth against her welling tears, she stood there, trembling with anger. His broad shoulders rose and fell on the deep
breath he took before he finally turned to face her.
“Are your parents alive?”
Air caught in her lungs; blood rushed from her face.
“It’s a simple question, Gia.” He stalked toward her.
She took a step back. Her mind raced as he neared, and then it all became clear.
Maude Devenshire. It had to be Maude who’d unearthed Gia’s past. The woman was angry about Landen’s marriage, and Clara’s goading her at the ball hadn’t helped.
“Answer me,” Landen said.
Gia hadn’t prepared for this. She had no acceptable answer, mapped no route of escape through the maze of her lies. “Yes.”
He winced in stunned silence.
“I can explain,” she croaked out.
“With more lies?”
Anger blazed in his eyes, but there was hurt in them too. Her betrayal stared back at her through his pain and confusion.
“Don’t bother. I cannot believe a word that comes from your mouth.”
The disgust in his tone hurt more than his anger. She deserved nothing less. She lowered her head, mired in a swamp of regrets. She had come so close to gaining his trust. She had come so close to him.
“Please, Landen.” She reached toward him, but he shrugged from her grasp.
“Your parents were about to have you committed?”
She heard the horror in his voice, felt the pain of his childhood ripping through him.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I am not mad.”
“They were going to commit you.”
“Because I refused to stay medicated. They were afraid of my visions and—”
“Visions?” He stared aghast.
His mother had heard voices…
She shook her head furiously. “I am not insane. I see visions. Prophetic visions. But I am not insane.”
“I cannot listen to this.” He held up his hands. “I won’t.”
“You must.” Tears streamed down her face, down her throat, drowning her. “My visions are real. You must believe me.”
He shook his head, starting toward the door.
She started after him, desperate. “When I told Mrs. Amery that I fled Boston, she couldn’t keep me on at the school. She arranged for my position here. That’s when I had the vision of you.”
He stopped in his tracks, turning slowly to face her.
“I was holding the card Mrs. Amery gave me,” she said. “Your card. And I had a vision of you floating in a creek. I came here to save you.” She pelted him with the truth, having no more to lose. “That’s why I had to marry you, don’t you see? Clara was going to send me away. I had to stay here to save you.”
His mouth fell open as he took in her words. His eyes narrowed to slits as this registered. “Are you telling me that you tricked me into marriage because of this madness?” Disbelief gnarled his face; a vein emerged at his throat. “That you ruined my life based on some nonsense you imagined in your mind?”
She stared at him, struck by the hatred in his eyes. In the face of his anger, in the face of losing him forever, she realized how much she loved him. “Yes.”
“You are insane.”
The words stabbed through her heart, piercing her in two. She swallowed her pain and her pride. Her welling hopelessness. “Your life is in danger. I saw it, Landen. You were in the water, beaten and unconscious. You wore a red scarf.”
He scoffed, repeating her words. “In the water. A red scarf.” He shook his head, his voice growing louder. Angrier. “No one wants to kill me! I don’t own a red scarf!” He raked a hand through his hair. “And I will not continue this conversation for one moment more.” He pointed his finger. “You will keep quiet about your past. About these visions and everything else to do with this nonsense.”
The demand sounded familiar. She’d heard it before. The memory of her parents’ threats echoed through her head, and she shook them away. Her frantic attempts to warn them about her vision of Prudence had resulted in disaster. Gia had been promptly medicated, Prudence died, and the person Gia once was had died with her.
Gia lifted her chin. “And what about Charlotte?”
He tilted his head, his jaw twitching.
“She could not wait to tell you about my sordid past. She’ll tell—”
“Do not speak to me about Charlotte,” he ground out. “If it weren’t for her, Maude would have destroyed you by now.”
His defense of Charlotte hurt even more. Gia was the villain. The usurper. She hadn’t asked for the visions that had led her to this—that had led her to falling in love with him—and she bit back a curse at the unfairness of it all. “I don’t care about that,” she shot back. “All I care about is you. Saving you.”
The hard look on his face softened. He blinked, and the trace of tenderness in his eyes disappeared. “Say nothing of this to anyone, Gia. Or I swear to Christ, I will divorce you, to hell with the scandal.”
She summoned her strength against his threats. Against his hatred, and whatever else might stand in her way. She would not back down. She would not surrender as she had in Boston. She would fight to save Landen, as she should have fought to save Pru.
“Believe I’m insane, if you must. But believe this as well. Someone wants you dead. I saw it as plainly as you’re standing here now.” Her body trembled, but to her surprise, her voice sounded firm. Almost calm. “So, you can divorce me, Landen. You can toss me to the street. But I will stay in Misty Lake until I know you are safe.”
Chapter 20
Landen stormed down the stairs and straight out the door. He walked toward the lake, his chest heaving. What the hell had he gotten himself into with this woman?
She actually believed she had visions. Prophetic visions. And she’d forced this marriage upon him as a result of these delusions. He squeezed shut his eyes, but he could not block out the picture of her, tears streaming from her desperate eyes, begging him to believe the unbelievable.
She’d come to Misty Lake to save him. If he weren’t feeling so damn sorry for himself, he might feel sorry for her.
He ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to yank a fistful from his head. He’d finally managed to accept their marriage and what he’d believed was her reason for tricking him into it. A young woman alone in the world and desperate for security had to do what she must to survive. That was understandable.
Gia’s reason was insanity.
The hell of his childhood felt like yesterday as he stood there, staring at the lake. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow on the rippling water. The serene picture calmed his pounding heart. His racing mind slowed as jumbled thoughts fell into place. His wife was afflicted as his mother had been….
And yet, Gia was nothing like his erratic mother. Gia was dependable, rational, and sharp as a whip. Sensitive and confident, and so damn passionate he couldn’t get enough of her. He snatched up a stone and flung it over the water so hard he nearly lost his footing. A splash sounded in the distance as he stumbled to catch his balance. Gia had seduced him into delusions of his own, into the fallacious belief there was something solid building between them—something more substantial than what they shared in their bed.
An avalanche of foolish hopes he hadn’t known he possessed crashed down on him, burying him alive. Gia had survived a terrible trauma, which was, undoubtedly, the cause of her delusions. Her words in the wake of her nightmare screamed through his head. I will never be right.
His wife was broken, and he spat a loud curse, trying his damnedest to figure out what to do.
Her parents had medicated her to combat the problem. He’d ignore it. So long as she hurt no one else, he’d bury his head in denial for as long as he could. He sighed, deflated by the depressing irony of the situation.
Like father, like son.
* * * *
Gia made her way downstairs, dreading having to face Landen so soon. She’d thought about feigning a headache o
r some other illness to avoid the family dinner, but decided against hiding away. Instead, she’d get through the evening by appearing as though everything was fine. Landen believed she was addled, and she refused to foster that belief by looking distressed or isolating herself in her room. She’d taken great care arranging her hair and dressing in her favorite blue gown.
Confident she looked her best, she took a deep breath, then entered the parlor, where the reunion with Alex was well underway.
“Ah, here’s Gianna,” Clara announced to the room. She introduced Gia to Alex and Cecilia.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Gia said to Cecilia.
“Please call me Sissy,” she said with a smile that lit her stunning blue eyes. “Everyone does.”
Gia turned to the handsome young man, who looked so much like Landen.
“And everyone calls me Alex.” With a polite bow, Alex added, “Or Landen’s kid brother.”
Gia smiled, despite the tinge of sarcasm she’d heard in his words.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Gianna,” Sissy said. “And if you don’t mind me saying so, your gown is divine.” She turned to Alex. “Isn’t it divine?”
Gia’s cheeks heated at Alex’s lengthy appraisal.
“Divine, indeed.” He turned to Landen. “My heartfelt congratulations to you, Brother,” he said with a wink.
Landen’s lips tightened as his gaze met Gia’s. Seeking shelter from the thoughts behind his cold eyes, she took a seat on the sofa. With a fluff of her skirts, she settled into the space next to Alice.
“This is such a lovely summer house,” Sissy said, clearly impressed.
From the manner in which she soaked up her surroundings, gushing over the draperies and décor, Gia guessed Sissy was unused to such finery.
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