‘What about her parentage?’

‘It does not matter.’

‘And she said nothing more?’

‘No . . . nothing more.’

Amelia hugged her shawl about her. She felt terrible. Even now Grace was still protecting her. She was sacrificing her own relationship with Talek to keep her secret. And it was all for nothing. She had to tell him the truth.

‘Talek—’

‘I think I should go to bed. The mood I’m in, I’ll drain every bottle we have and that will do no good.’ He returned his empty glass to the side table. ‘Goodnight, Amelia.’

Amelia watched him walk to the door.

‘You still love her, even though you feel she has betrayed you.’

Her brother halted. ‘What makes you think that?’

‘Because you are hurting. You can deny it all you want, but I know you. You must love her very much.’

Talek had still not moved. ‘I will get over her. I have loved and lost before.’

Amelia could not take any more.

‘It is my fault,’ she blurted.

Talek did not reply.

‘Did you hear what I just said? It is all my fault.’

He half turned his head. ‘Yes, I heard you.’

Amelia moved her wheelchair closer to him. ‘She has left because of me.’

Talek shook his head. ‘No. I told her to leave. I trusted her and she broke that trust when she chose not to inform me of what she had found out.’

‘She wanted to.’

‘So she said, but the fact is she did not.’

‘She loves you, Talek.’

Talek’s temper snapped. He swung round, startling her.

‘No! You are mistaken! She does not love me.’ He took a deep breath to calm himself as he raked a hand through his wet hair. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I am going to bed. I suggest you do the same.’

‘She didn’t tell you everything—’

‘Yes she did.’ Talek reached for the door.

‘No she didn’t because . . .’

Talek stilled, his hand barely touching the polished wooden door handle.

Amelia pressed on, ‘. . . she is protecting someone else.’

‘Who?’

Her brother was finally listening. Amelia sighed.

‘Me.’

Talek let his hand fall and looked at her. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘When she discovered that Henry was selling clay to the potteries for higher than it was worth she came to me.’

Talek frowned. ‘Then why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Because I didn’t want you to know.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I loved Henry and I didn’t want you to fall out with him.’

Talek gave a hollow laugh. ‘Well, we have fallen out now. Did you think I wouldn’t find out eventually?’

‘I hoped you would not. I begged Grace not to tell you.’

‘She should have still told me. We were engaged.’

‘Not at the time. I put her in a terrible position, Talek.’

‘Yes, you did, but I owned the business, she had a duty to tell me.’

‘And Henry and I owned the rest.’ Amelia moved towards him. ‘I told Grace I was complicit in Henry’s scheme. I promised her I would put a stop to it. I convinced her that you need never know.’

Talek didn’t reply, but just stared at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. His frown deepened in confusion, his hazel eyes creased with pain.

‘I loved Henry,’ she added lamely. ‘I was afraid the contract would damage your partnership and that he would break off his engagement to me.’

‘You still wanted to marry Henry even though you knew he had tried to cheat me?’ She saw realisation dawn on Talek’s face. ‘Dear Lord, you were cheating me.’

‘I told Grace I was complicit in his scheme. It was the only way to ensure she would not tell you, but—’

‘But what?’

‘I lied. I knew nothing about it until she told me.’ The confession brought tears to her eyes. ‘I was desperate. We were going to be married. I thought if I told her I already knew it placed her in a dilemma whether to protect me or to inform you. She chose to protect me as long as it stopped.’