When he stepped toward her, Celia instinctively retreated.

“No, lass. I’m here for you. Do you remember back then I told you to keep your mouth shut or it would go badly for you? Now, it’s you worrying that I can keep me own trap closed. After all, we don’t want the marquess finding out who’s been with his wife, do we? We don’t want all those toffs knowing milord married a whore what spread her legs for the first man who told her she was pretty.”

Celia trembled when Bryan reached out and ran a finger along the length of her arm. His gaze was contemplative as he stared her down. She smelled the faint odor of sour ale. It emanated from his body and breath.

Is that the cause of his physical decline? An abundance of drink?

“Such finery. I imagine you have lots of pretty things that can keep a man’s mouth shut, don’t you? Fine things that will keep a man in the things he enjoys. Drink. Women. A turn of the cards now and then.” His eyes once again touched on Celia’s wedding ring. She folded her hand over it as though that would protect it from avarice.

“You won’t… you won’t leave, will you?” Celia managed to say, her heart thumping so hard she felt faint again.

“Why would I?” Bryan’s laugh was derisive. “I’ll stay because you won’t say a word about us, and you’ll pay for my silence. Pay any price I name just so your new husband never learns the truth. You’ll pay to save your own pretty hide.”

Bryan was right. Celia would give him anything he demanded. Not to protect herself but to shield Gabriel. The thought of his being ostracized because of her past, of his possible ridicule by the society of which he was now a reluctant member, strengthened her resolve and made her sick at the same time.

Knowing she would give this vile man anything he wanted after he’d stolen so much from her was an abomination.

“Give me what I want. And I keep my mouth shut.” Bryan’s blue eyes blazed with smug satisfaction. He already knew the answer. He knew Celia would do anything he desired. “Deal?”

Celia nodded as she turned away from him. She stroked Arion’s glossy forelock, fighting back tears of resignation and shame.

“I’ll take those earbobs for the first payment. Hand them over.”

Celia slowly removed the delicate jewelry and placed them in Bryan’s grime-encrusted hand. She would not think of the day Tristan gave them to her. Her eighteenth birthday had been the occasion. Her brother said with an affectionate laugh that all women deserved pearls of some sort.

Despite her resolve, a tear rolled down Celia’s cheek. It was quickly swiped away. She did not want the creature tormenting her knowing how deeply affected she was by the loss of her brother’s gift.

But she was too late in hiding her sorrow.

Bryan grinned. “All fancy ladies like yourself get pin money from their husbands. Hand those coins over instead if you want to keep your pretty trinkets. Easier to spend and I won’t have to spend time fencing these bits.”