Willoughby 03 - A Rogue's Deadly Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page B

believe it was because of their news, no matter what she said. Their family had been through enough emotional upheaval.
    There would be a better time.
    She had two weeks before her ship left. Plenty of time to tell him the truth.
    “Lily.”
    She looked up at him. “We haven’t talked much about…You once told me that you’d found peace with what had happened, with your…”
    “Miscarriage? Yes, I have.” Though her heart ached whenever she thought of it. “I had no other choice, Adam. And that has no bearing on how happy I am for you both.” She would say it a million times if needed, to ensure they felt only joy, to hide the tiny grain of envy she wanted to squash.
    Adam nodded. He stood. “I’ll let you get settled.”
    After he left, Lily sank back to the bed and let her hand drop to her stomach. The ache had settled there, a startling flash of pain that reminded her of what she’d gone through that night. Yes, she’d accepted the loss of their baby. She’d had two years to grieve. Time had allowed her to move on, but it had yet to help her forget.
    Not the baby she’d almost had or the fact that Robert blamed her for losing it.
    Two years. She sucked in a sharp breath and sat up. What was the date?
    January 5 th .
    Oh my God, how had she forgotten? She’d been so consumed with preparing to leave Robert, she hadn’t thought…How had she selected this day of all days?
    Robert would think she did it on purpose.
    Lily stood and started toward the door. He had to know she would never do that. She would never choose the anniversary of that day to hurt him, the day her world had fallen apart. The day their marriage had fallen apart.
    What he must think of her .
    Lily slowed to a stop. She knew what he thought of her. Very little. And he hadn’t seemed to care or notice what day it was when she’d left.
    Did he even remember? Did he care?
    Lily scrubbed her face. Exhaustion had taken over, leaving her with sacks of flour for limbs. She’d go through her books tomorrow. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and wait for this day to be over.

Chapter Four
    The next morning, Robert sat in his small dining room and finished his breakfast. He glanced at the paragraph detailing his alleged activities the night before and set the paper down.
    The silence echoed through the house, louder in its own way than a handful of children running through the halls would have seemed.
    The image sliced through him with deliberate glee. Had Lily remembered the anniversary?
    Of course she had. Stupid of him to consider otherwise, as stupid as thinking she’d chosen that day to inflict more pain upon him.
    No, he was the bastard of the first order. He was the one who did nothing but cause her pain. He’d fled that night after she’d told him she had lost the baby. He’d gone to his family’s home, looking for—what had he been hoping for?
    He’d gotten far less.
    Maybe Lily deserved to know all of it. Not to sway her into staying. Robert knew she had no reason to stay. But maybe he could see her one more time, explain, and help her understand why she didn’t deserve him.
    Tell her, two years too late, that he cared. That he’d felt the loss to his very bones.
    Then maybe she wouldn’t hate him.
    Maybe someday, she might even forgive him.
    It was too much to ask that she might love him again.
    “Mr. Melrose.”
    Robert looked up, pulled from his thoughts. “Yes?”
    His housekeeper approached him, a note in hand. “A note from the Marquess, sir.”
    Robert waved it away. “Place it on the stack with the others. I have no desire to see his writing so early.” Or any time, really.
    Mrs. Tandy pressed her lips together, an expression so familiar he could draw her constant disapproval in his sleep. “I cannot do that, sir. His man is here, waiting.”
    Robert dropped his napkin on his plate. “So send him away.”
    “I tried that, sir, but he was quite insistent.”
    Robert scraped his chair back. “Fine.