The Bad Boy Wants Me(164)

I turned to look at Ivan, my heart doing a crazy dance.





Chapter 35


Tawny Greystoke

A

s soon as our eyes locked, everyone else and everything else in the room melted away, my mouth opened and I started howling like some demented animal. I seemed to have no control over my actions. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably. In an instant he was there next to me. He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me like he had never done since Robert gave me to him.

‘You conspired with them,’ I sobbed loudly. ‘You made me hate you.’

He stroked my hair, his face pained. ‘I know. I know, darling. I’m so sorry, but there was no other way to do it.’

I looked at him with accusing eyes. ‘I was so frightened. I thought they were going to kill me, but what hurt even more was that you betrayed me.’

‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really am. Please try to understand. I had no choice,’ he murmured in my ear.

‘You could have told me,’ I whimpered.

‘You are the worst actress I’ve ever met in my life, Tawny Greystoke. You’d have given the game away straight away. It was too important. I couldn’t take the chance, my darling.’

‘They could have hurt me, and then what would you have done,’ I said.

His jaw hardened suddenly and his eyes were like chips of slate. ‘You were never in any danger. Not for one tiny second.’

I sniffed pitifully, and he took an army knife from his leather jacket and started to cut through the Clingfilm.

‘I was always there, sweet Tawny. I had to do it this way. I had to flush them out. I can’t be looking over my shoulder for the rest of our lives. That bunch of airheads would never give up, and they are stupid enough for me to actually fear them.’

As soon as I felt my limbs become free, the dam I had been holding back broke, I hid my face in his chest and sobbed my eyes out. He held me and let me stay there. He knew it was just pent up emotion and it was better out than in.

When the tears subsided and I raised my head, Dr. Spencer was standing in front of us. The whole world was upside down. Dr. Spencer who I’d always thought hated me was working behind the scenes to save me.

‘I’m sorry I frightened you,’ he said softly.

I shook my head to signify that it didn’t matter. ‘What about James?’ I asked.

He shook his head.

‘Right,’ I said sadly. How blind I had been. Everyone had managed to fool me. ‘Does he have a sick wife?’

‘I believe he has a wife, but she is not sick.’

‘Well. Never mind.’

He leaned forward and gently patted my shoulder. ‘You’ll be all right, Lady Greystoke.’

‘Please call me Tawny.’

‘Then you must call me Harry,’ he said with a smile.

‘I will. I always wanted to be close to you because Robert loved you so much, but you were always so cold and horrible to me.’

‘I’m sorry. It was necessary.’ He put his hand into his jacket and held out an envelope.

‘For me?’ I whispered.

He nodded.

‘What is it?’ I asked looking at it.

‘It’s from Robert.’

‘Robert?’ I repeated with a frown.

‘Yes. He knew this day would come. He planned very carefully, Tawny. He loved you so much. You changed him. He said until you came into his life, he was a cold, unfeeling creature. He always thought of you as the golden child that changed Silas Marner’s life.’

I took the envelope in my hand. It had my name across the front in Robert’s scrawly handwriting. I looked up at Harry, confused and disturbed. ‘But he never left you anything in the will?’

‘No, if he had then Rosalind would not have trusted me.’

‘But you lost out,’ I said.

He smiled. ‘Everything I wanted I already received while Robert was alive.’

‘No,’ I decided firmly. ‘I’m going to give you the inheritance you deserve. I’m going to see that you’re all right, Harry. I’m going to make you rich.’

He smiled sadly.

‘Why does that make you sad?’ I asked, surprised by his reaction.

‘I was just thinking of Robert. How well he knew us all.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘He told me that the day I gave you this envelope you would give me more than anything he would have. He used the exact words you used. “She’ll make you rich,” he said.’ He sighed. ‘Anyway, I should be going.’

‘Goodbye Harry and thank you so much for everything you have done. You’ll be hearing from my solicitor very soon.’

He smiled. ‘Thank you.’

As he walked away Ivan turned to me. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘I’ll take you somewhere you can sit and read that letter.’