“What really happened that morning after my ball?”

“I knew,” he began, still not meeting her eyes. “I knew as soon as he showed his face. I thought I had more time. That you would forget all about him during the season. How could you not? He had no money. No family. No real prospects.”

“That’s not true,” Lottie cut in.

That old familiar fire blazed in his eyes. “Was I supposed to stand aside and let you become a professor’s wife?”

“Yes,” she whispered, but he had already turned away again.

“He came to see you the next morning, and he was so determined. So certain. Just like his father had been, the fool. But this was different. Even if I hadn’t needed his service, you weren’t the contessa. You still had everything to lose. How could I live with myself if I let you marry him, when I alone knew the truth of what he was? So I used what I had. He asked for my consent, and I refused. When he asked why, I told him.”

“Was that all?” Her voice wobbled.

He gave her a look. Of course it wasn’t. “I may also have intimated that if my wishes were not observed, word would get out about his parents, about him. The scandal would ruin you both and you would come to resent him for it.”

Lottie’s throat tightened. “Oh, Uncle Alfred…”

“He could have fought me on it, Lottie. If he had truly wanted you, he would have found a way.”

Lottie blinked in disbelief. “How? You threatened to expose him. To ruin his father’s legacy. Don’t you see? You had all the power and Alec had none.”

Uncle Alfred stubbornly shook his head. “Love means stopping at nothing. But his mother gave up. So did his father. And so did Alec.”

Lottie stood. “You don’t know anything about love. All you’ve ever known is war. But love…love is sacrifice. Love is putting someone else above your own wants. Alec’s mother understood that.”

Uncle Alfred made no response, lost in his memories once again.

“I must tell him. He must know the truth.” A panicked feeling suddenly came over her. “Then he might—he might—”

Come here. For me.

Uncle Alfred swung his head toward her. He seemed to read her thoughts. “No.” He reached over and rang a small bell. “The vicar is coming this afternoon.”

“What?”

“I need to know you are taken care of. And after Italy, I can’t trust your judgment.” Uncle Alfred’s tone was flat and cold. “I had hoped for someone with a better pedigree, but I’ve run out of time. And Mr. Wetherby has assured me he will do right by you. I’ll make sure you have a small allowance for the duration of your life, but I intend to leave everything else to him.”

At that moment, the would-be groom entered the room accompanied by a large, imposing man Lottie had never seen before. There were laws designed to protect the rights of married women, but Lottie was more interested in avoiding the institution entirely. If it came at the expense of her fortune, so be it.