Masked Desires (Unmasking Prometheus, #3)
Page 16
His mother was exactly like Roger. She didn’t care who she hurt as long as it lined her pockets. He didn’t think it was necessary to tell Allison that, though. By the look on her face, she was well aware of that fact.
“It’s not up to Mother,” he said instead. “Don’t let her bully you.”
“I want to close them,” she suddenly said fiercely. “I’d burn them all to the ground if I could.”
He stifled a sudden need to laugh. Perhaps Allison had more of him and his brothers in her than he’d ever thought. Because he suddenly saw a bit of Adrian’s passion for social change in her expressive blue eyes.
“We’ll help you,” he promised. “We’ll find a way to shut them down. And you needn’t worry about the money. Lucien will take care of you. Your dowry is immense. Soon, you’ll find a husband and this will all be a bad dream.”
She bit her lip, her passion suddenly fading. “What if I don’t want to marry?”
He blinked. He’d just assumed she wanted what other women of their social status wanted. A titled husband and children.
Before he could say anything, Lucien and Adrian entered the room. They both looked surprised to see Allison, but neither of them commented on it.
“Where’s Fiona?” Adrian asked, his eyes troubled.
“She’s still sleeping,” Morgan replied. “I didn’t want to wake her.”
Adrian nodded. “Good. I was afraid she wouldn’t sleep a wink.”
“She was very upset. I know she’s still worried about what will happen to her.” He steeled himself for their protests. “I think I have a plan, though.”
“Good.” Lucien filled a plate for himself and sat down next to Allison. “I managed to put off Inspector O’Brien last night. I told him that we’d answer all his questions this morning. I expect him to arrive any time now.”
Relief washed over Morgan. He’d feared that O’Brien would press Lucien for details and that Lucien would have had to tell him something that they’d now be locked into.
“I’m going to tell him that I’m the one who killed Roger,” he said without preamble. “I’ll claim that I did it to keep him from killing Fiona.”
The room grew quiet, though Allison let out a soft gasp. He frowned. He’d nearly forgotten she was there. Hopefully, she could be counted on to keep his secret. If not for the conversation they’d just had, he would have been worried, but he now felt a bit differently. As for his brothers, he couldn’t tell what they were thinking.
“Why don’t we just tell him the truth, that Fiona killed him to save her own life? It was self-defense; we can all vouch for that.” Lucien looked troubled, but despite his words, his tone was more that of a devil’s advocate.
“You know why,” Adrian interjected. “Because of who she is. Her history. Nothing will happen to Morgan if he claims responsibility for this. He is a peer, involved in a dispute with another peer. They will paint Fiona as a low-bred whore who killed an earl.”
Morgan gave his brother a grateful glance.
“No!” Fiona’s voice cut through the room, and he whirled to see her standing in the doorway. “I won’t let you do this, Morgan. I can’t.”
He surged to his feet and went to her side, grabbing her hand and staring into her eyes. “There’s a chance that they’ll prosecute you. I’m nearly positive that I’ll face no repercussions at all. Please, Fiona, let me do this for you.”
She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I love you for wanting to, but I can’t let you risk it. Think about your children. They need you here.”
Her words washed over him like ice water. He’d been so concerned with what would happen to Fiona, he hadn’t even considered that he might leave his children orphans.
“I know that Lucien is right. That I’ll be seen as... a whore.” Her voice broke, and he gathered her into his arms, not caring what anyone thought. “But I have to take responsibility for what I’ve done. I took a man’s life. I have to bear some responsibility for that.”
“No,” he said hoarsely. “He was going to kill you. You only did what you had to do.”
“As did you,” she whispered. “I feel the same guilt that you did.”
“But I didn’t take responsibility then,” he reminded her. “I was a coward.”
“You were a child,” she reminded him.
Lucien cleared his throat. “I admire how you’re both willing to sacrifice yourselves, but I think Morgan is right. The authorities won’t dare do anything to him. Not with me and Adrian vouching for him.”
Fiona laughed bitterly and stepped back. “Unlike a whore such as me.”
“Don’t say that,” Morgan snapped. “I don’t ever want you to use that word in regard to yourself again.”
“You might as well get used to it,” she said hollowly. “It’s the word everyone else will use.”
He rubbed his hand through his hair, frustrated. “Fiona, I told you last night. I don’t care what people say. I don’t care what they think. I want you to be my wife, and everyone who has a problem with that can go hang. But if you do this, I could lose you. And I can’t bear that. Your father didn’t protect you when he should have. Let me fix that. Let me do this for you.”
Her tears spilled over, streaking down her face.
“Let him,” Adrian said softly. “Please, Fiona, let him help you.”
Fiona looked around the room, obviously stunned by the show of support.
“Marry him,” Allison said softly, surprising everyone even more. “Let him help you the way that you’ve helped him.”
Fiona put her hands to her face, her cheeks flushing with emotion and... happiness?
Deciding that there was no time like the present, he dropped to one knee in front of her. “I love you, Fiona. Please, make me the happiest man in the world and say you’ll be my wife.”
She dropped to her knees beside him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. “Yes,” she sobbed. “I love you. I love your children. There is nothing in the world that I want more than to be your wife. You’re right. We can figure out the details later.”
“Thank you,” he breathed, crushing her to him tightly. “Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for believing in me.”
She laughed breathlessly as she pulled back and looked sternly at his brothers. “You had all better be right about nothing happening to him.”
Epilogue
December 1897
Morgan lay upon the comfortable bed in one of the guest bedrooms of his family’s country estate, his heart in his throat as he watched his beautiful bride walk toward him. Fiona was absolutely radiant in a cream-colored satin nightgown, her lovely auburn hair still fashioned in the intricate updo she’d worn to their wedding in the family chapel hours earlier. However, small tendrils had escaped in a riot of color around her face, and her green eyes glowed with happiness.
“You take my breath away, Fiona,” he murmured as she climbed up on the bed and stretched out beside him.
“Sometimes it seemed as though tonight would never get here,” she answered softly as she nestled against him, laying her head on his chest.
“It seemed that way to me, too.”
The last six months had been filled with laughter and tears, as both of them had worked through the tangled pasts that had brought them to this point, but they’d been open and honest, sharing and learning about each other until the shadows had abated and all that was left was hope and excitement for their future.
As expected, once he’d taken responsibility for Winters’ death, the investigation had stopped, the authorities happy to take his word and that of his brothers about what had happened. Protecting Fiona had made it a little easier to bear the guilt of the past.
Although he’d wanted nothing more than to get married as soon as possible, he’d been determined to do things right. He’d wanted Fiona and everyone else to know how much he cherished this brave, beautiful woman who’d consented to spend the rest of her life with him. So he
’d insisted on all the traditions and a beautiful wedding at the family chapel. Though it had been torturous not to have her with him every day, the look on her face as Adrian had escorted her down the aisle to give her away assured he’d done the right thing.
He’d wanted her to know she was good enough, that she was worthy of all the pomp and circumstance the occasion deserved. He’d finally convinced her that he was a third son, a mere Mister, and, if anything, she was too good for him.
She trailed her hand tenderly across his bare chest, sending desire flooding through his entire body. “It meant a lot to me that you wanted to wait until tonight before we made love again. I know it would have made no difference, that no one would have known if you’d snuck into my room at Brookhaven again. But the fact that you didn’t, that you treated me as though I was one of those innocent society ladies... it made me feel loved and respected,” she whispered.
“It nearly killed me,” he admitted with a hoarse laugh. “I’ve wanted you so desperately, Fiona. There were nights when it was torturous to let you go with a mere kiss, but I do love you. I do respect you.”
“It was hard for me as well.” She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, and he was shocked to see a sheen of tears in hers. “I never thought I’d know what desire felt like, but whenever you’re near me, all I want to do is touch you. You’re so beautiful, Morgan.”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly, honored by her sweet confession. He vowed to never take the trust that she’d put in him for granted.
She melted against him, as she always did, and for long moments he just held her tightly.
Sometimes, he still felt a chill at the thought of the danger she’d put herself in by posing as Prometheus, and they’d had endless discussions about how to best help London’s children moving forward. They’d both decided that it was time for Prometheus to retire. It was simply too dangerous to continue the work Adrian had started in the way that he’d done.
However, much to their surprise, it had been Allison who had provided a solution. They’d helped her to close down the two brothels Roger had managed to reopen and worked with all the girls to find them better circumstances. Allison had sold the properties and was planning to use the proceeds to start a charity of her own, one that would assist young women to find jobs other than prostitution and provide them safe and comfortable places to live. She’d need a lot of help, and he and Fiona meant to be there in whatever capacity she needed them to be.
“I still can’t quite believe that you’re mine,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to take you home and have you to myself every day. To know that you’ll fall asleep in my arms and we’ll wake up together every morning.”
“I can’t wait either,” she agreed, and he could feel her smile against his chest. “I’m looking forward to comfort, warmth, hot water, and even servants.”
It had taken quite a bit of persuasion, but she’d finally agreed to stop living at Brookhaven. Though she’d still spend most of her days there, she’d come home to him and his children every evening. Two of the older girls, who’d been nearly ready to age out of the orphanage, had convinced her to let them take on larger roles, much as she’d helped Adrian in the beginning. He knew it had been hard for her to relinquish control, but in the end, she’d realized that Brookhaven could continue without her being there every minute of the day.
He couldn’t wait to shower her with all the luxuries she’d never had before.
He’d even managed to convince her to go on a short wedding trip. Tomorrow they would head to Paris, where he would spend a whole week spoiling and pampering her before they returned to London to begin their life together. He couldn’t wait to show her the sights, dine in fancy restaurants, make love until dawn, and watch her bloom under his love.
But first...
First, there was tonight. And he intended to make the very best of it.
Watch for Quinn and Allison’s story, coming Fall, 2021
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