The Solemn Bell(56)

“I’ll kill him.”

Angelica cried out, blocking the door. “No! I’m not worth that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t stand for anyone hurting you. Now, step aside.”

“I liked it! There’s no use in hanging for something I probably would have done anyway.”

Brody grabbed her. “Not two hours ago, you said what we had was special. That it was worth fighting for. No woman—especially you—would take another man after what we pledged to one another.”

“I’m sorry!” she cried. “But I won’t deny that I felt…aroused…when Mr. Lawton had his hands on me. Don’t do anything rash on my account. I love you, Brody, but I’m always going to be a whore.”

He knew her better than that. Whatever her body felt for Peter Lawton, her heart was fully his. He too had done things he regretted, all in the name of pleasure. The mind did not have to be a willing participant for the body to reach for what it craved. Angelica loved him. Peter had hurt her, and no matter how strongly she tried to convince him otherwise, Brody knew she had not consented to another man’s touch.

She was confused. She was also trying to protect him.

“If I swear not to kill Peter, will you tell me the truth?”

Her blank eyes fell to his chin. “I told you…”

“Peter can be very persuasive. He knows how to play right into one’s weaknesses.”

“I didn’t want to be unfaithful, but I didn’t fight him. My head was spinning, and before I knew it, my legs were open for him. Oh, Brody, I’m so ashamed! Another stranger!” she sobbed. “It was a miracle he stopped. I would have gladly let him have me, rather than call for help.”

Peter Lawton had twisted Angelica in so many directions that she didn’t realize she hadn’t been willing. That man was a predator. No woman—or gentleman, if he set his sights on one—was safe.

“Did you think I wouldn’t have believed you?” He wrapped his arms around her. “Angelica, I love you. I know your heart, as surely as I know my own. What Peter did to you wasn’t your fault.”

She sniffled into his shirtfront. “He said you couldn’t love me…”

“Well, he’s wrong.” Brody kissed her dark head. “We’ll show them all how wrong they are about us.”





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE





After seeing Angelica settled into her bath, safe under her maid’s watchful eye, he went in search of Peter Lawton. Brody pounded on his door until it flew open in his face. His old friend was half-dressed. His waistcoat and dinner jacket were draped across the bed behind him, alongside the gold case Brody knew so well.

“I was wondering when you’d come,” Peter said, inviting him in. “What’s your pleasure?”

Brody crossed the threshold, closing the door at his back. “Stay away from Angelica.”

“You mean Miss Grey, your chaste little sweetheart?”

He resisted the urge to murder him where he stood. “She is off limits!”

Peter only laughed. “Did she tell you that? I hate to break it to you, old bean, but if you’re not putting it to her, someone is.”

“I am.”

“Are you, by God? Well, I suppose when you can get hard, opium does do wonders for staving off orgasm. Remember that one time when we brought those two whores back to The Langham and—”

Brody put his hands up. “I’m not here to reminisce. I only came to ask you, as my friend, to leave Angelica alone.”

“Why, are you in love with her? Going to marry her and whatnot?”

“I never said that…”

Peter shrugged into his crisp white shirt, and began doing up the studs. “Then you aren’t being very sporting, refusing to share her. We’ve always shared in the past.”

“This girl is different.”

“She’ll never be faithful to you. Believe me when I tell you that it hardly took any effort to have her moaning in my arms. She was ripe for it. I only stopped myself because I’m a gentleman. The next chap who gets his hands up her skirts won’t be.”

“Let me worry about that.”

Peter tied his tie in the mirror. “If you insist. But don’t come crying to me when you get your heart broken.” He studied his reflection, and then shifted his eyes up to meet Brody’s in the glass. “I’ve missed you terribly since you’ve been gone. When things with the girl run their course, you ought to come back to town. You act as if it were all bad, but we had our fun… It could be like that again. Keep the little slattern, if you like, but give up this pretense of being a changed man. We both know what you are. Now, be a good chap and cut us a few lines. You know where I keep the stuff.”

“I told you, I’m done with all that.”

Laughing, Peter turned and opened up the gold case that held his bottle of cocaine, his spoon, a razor blade, and a snorting straw. It was all specially made from one of the finest jewelers in London.

His old friend put his golden spoon to his nostril, and sniffed. “It’s going to be a long week-end, old bean. Do let me know if you need anything to keep you going.”

Without a word, Brody turned and fled the room. He had to get away from temptation. He wasn’t in his right mind to fight off Peter and the drugs. He understood now that Angelica wasn’t the real target. She was merely caught in the middle of another one of Peter’s sick, twisted games.