Liam held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear your seedy dreams about Patrick. All I’m saying is that he’s been a true friend to me, and I won’t stand aside if you toy with him. They say that blood is thicker than water, but it’s not. If push comes to shove, I’d side with Patrick over you and the rest of the Blackstones any day of the week.”

Her mouth went dry, and it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her feet. There was no time to waste. If she had somehow offended Patrick, she didn’t want another minute to pass before she tried to set it right.

Patrick strode down the street, eyes straight ahead as he plowed through the crowds of people on the sidewalk. It was late in the afternoon, and he needed to get to the tailor’s before they closed. He ought to feel guilty for the way people parted to let him pass, but he was too angry. The story of Gwen’s fortune-hunting husband was seared on his mind. Were they to marry, that would be the assumption everyone made about Patrick too. No matter what he accomplished in life, no matter how true their feelings for each other, people would brand him a fortune hunter until the day he died.

He needed to cancel the order on the suit she’d bought for him. He never should have let her buy it in the first place. The suit he bought last month was fine. Better than fine! It was custom-made to his size, and anyone who looked down their nose at it could take a flying leap into the sea.

“Patrick!”

Gwen’s shout came from a block or two away. He didn’t want to see her and quickened his steps.

“Patrick, wait!”

Her pleading tone scorched him. He hated hurting her, but unless she gave him the breathing room to be his own man, their relationship was doomed. He paused in front of a millinery shop and waited for her to catch up. She was breathless as she grabbed onto his arm.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “What did I do wrong?”

It was humiliating to even explain it to her, but she deserved the truth. Having this out on a busy street corner wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t want to go back to the dorm, where Liam might overhear.

“I shouldn’t have let you buy me that suit,” he said. “I’m heading over to cancel the order.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I’ve already paid for it.”

“Then I need to pay you back. A man has to have some pride, Gwen. I don’t like taking money from you any more than Jasper did.”

She flinched and stepped back a little. “I hardly think you’re an expert on Jasper.”