Rivals of Fortune / The Impetuous Heiress
Page 45
“This is Kawena,” said Ariel.
James realized his mouth was hanging open. He closed it.
“I promised that she would have the chance to tell her story,” his brother’s wife went on. “She believes that James—”
“He killed my father!” the girl interrupted.
“That’s rot,” said James. “I’ve never killed any…or…was he a French sailor?”
“No! My father was an English gentleman!” She glared at him.
“Then I didn’t kill him. Unless he’d signed onto one of Boney’s fighting ships. And if he did, then he deserved…”
“You stole everything he had and broke his spirit so that he died,” Kawena accused.
“I did no such thing.” James had never been more certain. “You have the wrong man.”
“Liar!”
It seemed as if she would fly at him again. Who would think that dark eyes could burn like that?
“We’re getting nowhere,” said Alan, with a crisp authority that made Ariel smile. “We must begin at the beginning if we are to untangle this riddle. You…Miss…Kawena, sit there.” He pointed to the sofa. “James, over there.” He indicated an armchair well out of reach, then drew Ariel to a pair of seats between them. “Now, give us your tale.”
“It’s not a ‘tale,’” the girl responded. “It’s the truth!”
“He only meant your story,” Ariel put in. “What happened to bring you here?”
Order Jane Ashford’s next book
in The Duke's Sons series
What the Duke Doesn’t Know
On sale September 2016
About the Author
Jane Ashford discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was captivated by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. That delight was part of what led her to study English literature and travel widely in Britain and Europe. She has written historical and contemporary romances, and her books have been published in Sweden, Italy, England, Denmark, France, Russia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Spain, as well as the U.S. Jane has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews.
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