Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

"I have kept nothing from you that you do not yourself know . . ." Thefire died from her voice. "Perhaps you were not aware that I knew, but. . ."

"Knew what?" Justin pulled her to her feet and Danny's knees began toquake.

"Let me go!" She yanked herself from his grip and fled across the stateroom. "If you did not wish me to know of your . . . your . . . renewed. . . relationship with Lady Mainwairing, you should have told yourmother and sister to keep still tongues in their heads."

Justin's jaw dropped. "My

what?

"

"Well, it is common knowledge that you have taken up with your previousmistress." Danielle sought cover behind the bed, even as she fired herarrows.

Justin found a thread he could grasp. "My mother told you this?"

"Your sister," Danny returned. "At your mama's instigation. She wasafraid that if I heard from someone outside the family, I would reactin an indecorous manner."

Sarcasm dripped as she mimicked Beatrice, and Justin, who knew hismother and sister only too well, finally understood. This had beenbehind the estrangement between Danielle and his family, andDanielle had been harboring this viperous secret all these months,before, through, and after their own reconciliation that had followedthe revelation of her activities with D'Evron.

"Come here," he instructed, his calm voice belying the hurt thatfuelled his fury.

Danielle decided that that was the least safe option she had. Shemoistened her dry lips with the tip of

her tongue and stood her ground.

"It will be the worse for you if you do not," he said quietly,reversing her decision.

Danny stomped across the cabin toward him. Justin did not touch her."Why did you not tell me of this before? You knew the true nature of myrelations with Margaret."

"I thought I did, but since everyone else put a different constructionon them, I realized I was wrong." Somehow, the hoped-for note ofdignified outrage wasn't ringing true.

"You thought I would deceive you? You still think I have deceived you?"

Danielle looked at him, her eyes wide. Could she have been wrong?"If... if it is not true, then I beg your pardon," she stammeredinadequately.

"I do not understand," Justin said deliberately, twisting the knife,"exactly what I could have done to deserve your mistrust."

"You might have trusted

me

enough to tell me that you had been

Maman'

slover," she flashed, unable

to bear alone the guilt of this tangle.

"Sweet heaven!" Justin felt the ground of his righteous wrath slip frombeneath his feet. "Who told you that?"

"No one

told

me." Daniellestiffened her knees and her resolve. "Ihappened to be behind the screen in

the retiring room at Almack's whenthe Dowager Duchess of Avonley and Lady Almera Drelincourt happened tobe discussing, with considerable amusement, the idea that you had takenthe mother tomistress and the daughter to wife. They appeared to find it monstrousfunny, my lord. I did not."

Justin winced, imagining the horror of that revelation on this directcreature. "I should have told you,

my love, but I did not think to doso. It happened long before you were born and I was little more than

achild myself. Had I thought anyone would still remember I would, ofcourse, have spared you that.

To tell the truth, I did not realizeanyone knew of it."

"That is no excuse," Danielle said fiercely. "It was a fundamental factthat you should have told me long ago. I do not find the concept hardto accept, but... but you might have told me a little of her when shewas happy. It was an unpardonable deceit to have kept that from me. Ido not care how many mistresses you may have had, but I should haveliked to have heard from you that one of them was my mother. Aftereverything that has happened between us... my circumstances .. . theway we met, that you should keep that from me! How could I help butlose trust?"

"I do not know how to ask your forgiveness," the earl said, feelingdesperately for the right words in

what was probably the most majorcrisis he had yet faced. "The only occasion on which I thought of

thatinterlude was in the Inn of the Rooster when you were telling me ofyour escape from Languedoc.

It seemed inappropriate at that time tomention it, and afterwards ..." He paused. "You have kept me so busy,my love, that I have not thought of it. It was an unpardonablethoughtlessness, and I know not

how to make amends."

Danielle felt as if Atlas's burden had been lifted from her shoulders.He should have thought to tell her, but he had not deliberatelydeceived her. If she had confronted him, instead of losing all faith ina man whom she should have known would never knowingly have given hercause to do so, the issue would have been dealt with long ago. It wasall the fault of this damnable society where living a lie was quitenatural. Until she had become a part of that society it would not haveoccurred to her not to face her husband with the rumors.

"It is over," she said quietly. "I have been foolish and you have beenthoughtless. We are even,

n'est-cepas?"

Justin felt a surge of relief as he reached for her and she camewillingly into his arms, her body soft and trusting. "We will beginanew, my love. Only truth between us from now on—however unpalatable."

"Only truth," she concurred, meeting his gaze.

"Your word, Danny."

"Word of a Varennes."

"Then I am satisfied. Let us take horse, Madam wife, and begin ourenterprise."

Chapter 16

"What think you of the little de St. Varennes, Madame Verigny?" MarieAntoinette passed a desultory needle through the tapestry of herembroidery frame as she posed the question to one of her ladies.

Madame Verigny looked across the queen's crowded salon in the TuileriesPalace to