Julie Garwood - The Gift

The earl immediately motioned for his men to quit their positions. When their weapons were back inside their waistbands he tried a different approach to gain victory. "Belinda, tell your sister about your mother. Since Sara refuses to come home, she might as well hear the truth now."

Belinda had moved back to her father's side. He gave her arm a little prod to get her started. "Sara, you really must come home with us," Belinda blurted. She glanced over at her father, received his nod, and then continued. "Mother's taken gravely ill. That's the reason she didn't come with us."

"She's longing to see you again," her father interjected. "Though after the way you've worried her, I can't understand why."

Sara shook her head. "Mother isn't ill," she said. "This is just trickery to get me to leave Nathan, isn't it?"

"I would never use your mother in such a manner," her father muttered with indignation.

He nudged Belinda again. Nathan noticed the action and knew the scene he was witnessing had been rehearsed. He hoped his wife was astute enough to notice, too.

Belinda took a step forward. "Mama took ill right after you left, Sara. Why, for all she knew, you could have been drowned at sea, or killed by… pirates."

"But Belinda, Mother…" Sara stopped. She wasn't certain her father knew she'd left a note explaining to her mother that she was going to help Nora get back home. Her mother might have hidden the letter from her father. "I mean to say, I sent a long letter to Mama when Nathan and I reached our destination. Mama should have received the missive by now."

Nathan was surprised by that news. "When did you write?"

"When you left to get supplies," Sara explained.

"Yes, we received both of your letters," the earl interjected.

Sara was about to argue that she'd only sent one letter, but she wasn't given a chance before her father continued. "And of course, I was pleased with the information you gave me. Still, daughter, the matter is not quite resolved, and for that reason we must continue to use discretion."

She didn't know what he was talking about. "What information?" she asked.

Her father shook his head at her. "Don't play the fool with me, Sara." He straightened his shoulders, then turned to pull the carriage door wide. "Your mother is waiting."

Sara looked up at Nathan. "Will you take me to see Mother? I'll worry until I've spoken to her."

"Later," Nathan replied.

Sara turned back to her father. "Please tell Mother we'll come to visit her as soon as Nathan finishes his business here."

The earl of Winchester had planned to wait until he'd gotten Sara away from the marquess before putting his plan into action. He didn't like direct conflicts. It was much more satisfying to have surprise on his side, and less dangerous as well. Yet when the marquess told him to take his leave, his rage exploded. "The prince regent has all the information before him now," he shouted. "It's only a matter of time till he decides you've violated the contract. Just you wait and see."

"What the hell are you rambling about?" Nathan demanded. "You're demented if you think I've violated any conditions. This marriage will not be invalidated. I've slept with my wife. It's too late."

The earl's face turned a blotchy red. Sara had never seen him in such a fury.

"Father, please calm yourself. You're going to make yourself ill."

"Sara, do you know what your father's talking about?" Nathan asked.

She shook her head. She and her husband both turned back to the earl again.

"This is a private conversation," Sara's father announced. He nodded to his men. "Wait at the corner."

He turned to Nathan again. "Dismiss your men," he ordered, "unless you wish for them to overhear what I'm about to say."

Nathan shrugged. "They stay."

"Father, I'll be happy to explain," Belinda volunteered. She smiled while she waited for their escort to leave. When the men were out of earshot she turned to Nathan. "Sara wrote to us. We never would have known if she hadn't told, you see."

"What wouldn't you have known?" Sara asked.

Belinda let out a mock sigh. "Oh, Sara, don't act so innocent. It isn't necessary now." She looked up at Nathan again and smiled. "She told us about your father. We know all about the earl of Wakersfield now. Yes, we do."

"No," Sara cried out. "Belinda, why-"

Her sister couldn't let her continue. "Of course, Sara only gave us the bare bones, but once we had that information-well, Papa had his important friend do a little investigating, and the rest was ferreted out. When Papa's finished, everyone in London will know that your husband's father was a traitor."

The earl let out a snort of disgust. "Did you think you could keep that filth swept under the carpet?" he asked Nathan. "My God, your father nearly toppled our government. Machiavelli was a saint in comparison to your father. Those sins are now on your shoulders," he added with a brisk nod. "When I'm finished you'll be destroyed."

"Father, quit these threats," Sara cried out. "You can't mean them."

Her father ignored her plea. His gaze was directed on Nathan. "Do you honestly believe the prince regent will force my daughter to spend her life tied to an infidel like you?"

Nathan was so astonished by the earl's comments that a fury he'd never felt before began to burn inside him. How had the bastard found out about his father? And God, when it was made public, how would his sister Jade react?

It was as if the earl had read Nathan's mind. "Think about your sister," he announced. "Lady Jade's married to the earl of Cainewood, isn't she? She and her husband have become the darlings of the set. That will soon change," he added with another snort. "The shame is going to make your sister a leper in society, I promise you."

Sara was terrified on Nathan's behalf. How had her father found out about the earl of Wakersfield? When Nora had confided that secret to her she'd told her no one would ever find out. The father's file was locked away inside the War Department's vault. No one could breach that sanctuary.

And then the full truth of what her father and her sister were trying to do settled in her mind. They wanted Nathan to believe she'd betrayed him.

She immediately shook her head. No, that didn't make sense, she told herself. How could they guess that she'd found out? "I don't understand how you learned about Nathan's father," she whispered. "But I-"

Belinda interrupted her. "You told us. You don't have to lie any longer. As soon as Papa read the shocking news he did as you instructed, Sara. For heaven's sake, you should be happy now. You're going to be free very soon. Then you can marry a gentleman worthy of you. Isn't that what you said, Papa?"

The earl of Winchester quickly nodded. "If the contract is set aside, the duke of Loughtonshire would still be willing to take you for his wife."

"But Belinda's pledged to him," Sara whispered.

"He prefers you," her father muttered.

The pain in Sara's stomach was so acute it almost doubled her over. "Is that why you're lying, Belinda? You don't want to marry the duke, and you've made a pact with Father, haven't you?"

"I'm not lying," Belinda countered. "You gave us the information we needed. Papa says he's going to demand that all the land the marquess inherited from his father be confiscated. When Papa's finished," she added with a sarcastic slur in her voice, "the marquess will be a pauper."

Sara shook her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She was so humiliated that her family would act in such a cruel, sadistic manner. "Oh, Belinda, please don't do this."

Nathan hadn't said a word. When his arm dropped away from Sara's shoulders the earl guessed that his gamble had paid off. He felt like gloating with victory. He'd heard what a cynical, hardheaded man the marquess of St. James was, and now he knew the rumors were true.