Truce (Neighbor from Hell #4)(49)

“Of course it’s gone,” he said with a shrug. “You didn’t meet any of the conditions of the will after all.”

“Conditions?” she asked, looking adorably confused.

“There were several conditions. The first one of course was that you were expected to marry well,” he said with a shrug simply to annoy her. “Then of course was the condition placed on your birthday.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, frowning.

“You were expected to remain chaste in order to receive your inheritance.” When she simply stared at him in confusion, he added, “Untouched.”

She paled at that as she noticeably swallowed.

He reached up and lazily scratched the back of his head as he gave her a careless shrug. “So, you see that whatever plans you had when you decided to keep my child from me wouldn’t have worked. Then again, if you had simply accepted my brother, you would have gained a title and a fortune.”

“But, I don’t love James,” she mumbled absently as she hugged her legs more tightly to her chest as if that would protect her from her new reality.

He ignored the bait that she was trying to hand him. Did she expect him to ask if she loved him? Did she truly believe he was that gullible? She’d learn in time, he supposed as he got to his feet, but he couldn’t leave until he struck the last blow.

“You should probably write your sister and congratulate her,” he said as he returned the chair to its place in front of the dimming fire.

“Why?” she mumbled, sounding sad and giving him what he wanted.

“Because you’ve just made her a very rich woman.”

Chapter 22

“Mary?” she asked, swallowing nervously as she reached out and gripped the sides of the tub, praying that the inheritance that had been meant for her would go to the one sister that would use it wisely.

Mary would use it as Elizabeth had planned. She’d turn the estates that she’d inherited into schools for the poor and unfortunate as well as safe homes where women would be given training and more options in life. The money that she’d inherited would have gone a long way to make sure that all the schools could have run tuition free for many generations to come.

The only estate that Elizabeth had planned on keeping for herself was her north estate. It would have been more than enough for her to live out the rest of her days quietly, but Mary wouldn’t need that and would most likely turn it into another opportunity to help the less fortunate. Heather on the other hand…..

She wouldn’t part with a single quid if it meant that it helped someone that she deemed beneath her. Heather would spend the money on lavish gowns, jewels, parties and every expensive bauble that she could get her greedy hands on. She would never even consider helping anyone but herself.

When Robert had happily announced the loss of her inheritance she’d felt sick. She’d failed, because she’d given into her own greed and made love to a man who hated her. The fact that she couldn’t regret her baby even if it meant the loss for so many made her feel horrible. If Mary were the one to inherit in her place then everything would be okay. Mary would fix this. Mary would make sure that the schools were started immediately. Mary would-

“Heather stands to inherit, of course,” Robert announced, shattering her last hope.

“Oh…..God…..no,” she whispered hollowly.

Robert chuckled as he slowly walked to the door. “Yes, I’m sure that you’re quite upset about that. No doubt that Mary would have given you whatever you wanted, but Heather…….,” he said meaningfully as he paused before continuing, “I doubt that Heather would share so much as a shilling with you.”

Her stomach cramped down violently with that last announcement. All of her and Mary’s plans for the future, gone. There would be no schools, no donations to the poor….nothing. She’d lost it all in one night. So many lives that were never going to have a chance, because of her.

She’d ruined everything because she’d fallen in love with the wrong man, she thought numbly as she struggled to stand up on trembling legs as her head spun, making her increasingly dizzy.

Fresh air, she needed fresh air, she decided as she somehow managed to stand up.

“Elizabeth?” Robert said, sounding uncertain as she struggled to step out of the tub.

“J-just leave me alone, Robert. You’ve delivered your blow so just go,” she said just before her legs gave out and she fell forward.

* * *
“Elizabeth?” Robert said anxiously as he cradled his unwanted wife in his arms.

She’d gone deathly pale on him. Her cold body trembled in his arms even as she tried to push him away.

“Leave me alone,” she mumbled, pushing weakly against him to gain her freedom, but he simply ignored her attempts as he carried her to the bed and laid her down.

She was just playing a game, he tried to tell himself as he pulled his arms away so that he could stand up. She was simply upset that she’d lost a fortune, he told himself, doing his damndest to build up his anger at her once again. She was just trying to manipulate him so that he would….so that he would….

“ Oh, God ,” he choked out as he slowly stood up, his eyes locked on the blood that stained her pale thighs.

“I-I don’t feel very good,” Elizabeth mumbled, whimpering as she turned onto her side and curled into herself.