“No, no,” she said quickly. She didn't want her husband seeing Oliver. Blake was likely to lose his temper, and he'd hate himself later for it. She knew how important it was to him to apprehend Oliver and his entire ring of spies. If he blew his cover now, he'd never get the chance.

“I'll see him,” she said in a firm voice. She took a deep, cleansing breath and set down her work gloves. Oliver had no power over her now, and she refused to be afraid of him.

Perriwick motioned for her to follow him into the house, and they made their way to the drawing room. As she passed through the doorway, she saw Oliver's back, and her entire body tensed.

She'd almost forgotten how much she hated him.

“What do you want, Oliver?” she said in a flat voice.

He looked up at her, seven different kinds of menace lurking in his eyes. “That isn't a very affectionate greeting for your guardian.”

“My former guardian,” she corrected.

“A minor technicality,” he said with a little wave of his hand.

“Get to the point, Oliver,” she ground out.

“Very well.” He walked slowly toward her until they were nose to nose. “You owe me,” he said in a low voice.

She didn't flinch. “I owe you nothing.”

They stood that way, staring each other down, until he broke away and walked to the window. “Quite a nice piece of property you have here.”

Caroline suppressed the urge to scream in frustration. “Oliver,” she warned, “my patience is wearing thin. If you have something to say to me, say it. Otherwise, get out.”

He whirled around. “I ought to kill you,” he hissed.

“You could,” she said, trying not to show any reaction to his threat, “but you'd go to the gallows, and I don't think you want that.”

“You've ruined everything. Everything!”

“If you mean your little plot to make me the next Prewitt,” she spat out, “then yes, I have. Shame on you, Oliver.”

“I gave you food. I gave you shelter. And you repaid me with the worst sort of betrayal.”

“You ordered your son to rape me!”

He advanced, jabbing his stubby finger in her direction. “That wouldn't have been necessary if you'd cooperated. You always knew you were meant to marry Percy.”

“I knew no such thing. And Percy didn't want the marriage any more than I did.”

“Percy does what I tell him to.”

“I know,” she said in a disgusted voice.

“Do you have any idea the plans I had for your fortune? I owe money, Caroline. Lots of money.”

She blinked in surprise. She had no idea Oliver was in debt. “That's not my problem or my fault. And you certainly lived well enough off my money while I was your ward.”

He let out a bark of angry laughter. “Your money was tied up tighter than a chastity belt. I received a small quarterly allowance to cover your living expenses, but it was nothing more than a pittance.”