“Not if he had bothered to find out what sort of man you were,” she insisted. “And that you would never do anything so reprehensible—”

Another chuckle. “You needn’t get indignant on my account at this late stage, Rissa. It’s over. Our lot has actually improved because of it. The only casualty involved is you, but even that can be rectified.”

“By marrying him?” she snorted.

“Only you can decide your destiny at this point,” he replied, and headed toward the door. But he paused there long enough to add, “I read that first letter again and again, and then I played a little ‘what if.’ I suggest you do the same. Read the first letter and imagine it’s from Thomas, grown up to manhood, of course. But imagine that he wrote that to you. Then ask yourself what you would do about it.”

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

VINCENT WASN’T QUITE CERTAIN HOW IT HAPPENED, but Jonathan Hale now considered him his best friend. Ironically, Jon wasn’t far wrong. Vincent did in fact welcome his company now. He supposed it could just be that he needed the distraction. But Jon was much more relaxed, in thinking them friends, which in turn made him more amusing, so his company really was enjoyed. However, it didn’t take much for Vincent to realize that without Jon’s visits and amusing chatter, he’d have no break at all from the painful moroseness that otherwise filled his mind from morning till night.

Failure was so alien to him. He succeeded at most all of his endeavors, except the one most important to him, the only one that mattered. And how arrogant, to think he could convince Larissa to give him another chance if he could just talk to her. She did still care for him. He had seen that in her eyes. But it wasn’t enough. Would anything be? Laying everything, every lie and little deceit, on the floor before her for a fresh start hadn’t helped.

He hoped he had merely tried too soon, that more time was needed for the biting edge of his deception to dull. But if she couldn’t find it in her heart to forgive him, or at least to understand why he had done what he had, then no amount of time was going to help.

Jonathan had at least benefited from Vincent’s brief visit to Portsmouth. The Ascots hadn’t taken advantage of him, knowing how much he would have paid for La Nymph. George had charged him only what he felt the value of the painting was, which was much less than what Jon had paid Vincent in commission. Ascot really was as good and honorable as Larissa had made him out to be. Which just made Vincent feel even more rotten.

And how did one get on with one’s life, when one refused to cut the cords to do so?