My heart squeezed and expanded. “When you told me you loved two people, I didn’t understand it. I didn’t think it was possible. But I was wrong. Clearly.” I picked at the ticking on the bed and lifted my eyes to Ashley. “I should ask you about your visit in London, but the only thing I want to know is if you saw your betrothed.”

“Yes. I called on her. That is what’s expected. Had I not, I would’ve been interrogated and harassed by every meddling lady in society.”

Anger and jealousy coiled up my spine as I rose to a sitting position. “What’s her name?”

“You intend to kill the lovely girl?”

I struggled in my rioting emotions when it came to these two men, but I did not struggle in this.

“Yes.” I met him stare for stare. “If you marry her, I will gut her. A knife in the belly. Thrust. And twist. No hesitation. So I should hope that while you were in London for three damned weeks, you had the wherewithal to break off the betrothal.”

“I did no such thing.” He grabbed my throat and in the next breath, had me on my back with his weight atop of me. “I was in London to explain why I didn’t arrest the despicable pirates Bennett Sharp and Priest Farrell whilst they were in my grasp. With a ship full of witnesses, I had to spin lies and exaggerate truths to avoid a court-martial and demotion. I was not in London to deal with personal matters.”

“Break off the engagement.” I pushed against his chest, a useless effort. “Tell him, Priest.”

“I’ve been telling him for years.” Frustration simmered beneath Priest’s voice as he stood from the bed. “Let it go, Bennett.”

“I will not—”

“For now.” He tipped his chin at Ashley, his eyes fixed on me. “We have a gift for you.”

Ashley grabbed my hand and drew me up. All at once, the mood shifted. The men exchanged a look, and something akin to excitement passed between them.

“What?” I asked, impatient. “What is it?”

“A surprise. We need you dressed for it.” Ashley ushered me toward the bathing chamber as he said to Priest, “It was important to me to be here for this. Thank you for waiting for me.”

“I told you I would.”

Their cryptic conversation prompted a fleet of questions from my mouth, of which they ignored. We bathed, dressed, groomed, and broke our fast in the dining hall. All the while, I pressed them for answers and was only met with irritating smiles.

I’d learned early on that the meals at Ashley’s manor were unhurried, leisurely affairs. Servants drifted around the table, setting out silver platters of cured bacon and kipper, boiled eggs, kidney offal, blackberry flummery with whipped syllabub, and scores of produce from the manor’s gardens.