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who had been beset by Radnor s footmen. Despite Daniel s size, he was no match for two of them.
 My lady, Daniel cried, and reeled backward as a heavy fist smashed into his face.
Radnor sank his hand into Lottie s hair and tangled his fingers tightly in the pinned-up locks. Locking his
other arm around her neck, he forced her to go with him to his carriage.
 See here, Radnor  came her father s anxious voice.  We ve said you can have Ellie. Release Lottie,
and we ll 
 Thisis what I want, Lord Radnor raged, dragging Lottie with his forearm clamped around her throat,
making her choke and gag as she was deprived of air.  No more bargains. No substitutes. I will have
Charlotte and be damned to all of you!
Lottie clawed frantically at the crushing vise of his arm, her lungs feeling as if they would burst. She
couldn t breathe& she needed air& black and red streaks blurred her vision, and she felt herself go limp
in Radnor s punishing embrace.
Chapter Fifteen
Lottie did not fully regain her senses until she felt herself being half-dragged, half-carried into Lord
Radnor s London home. Her head pounded viciously, and her throat ached as she struggled against his
unrelenting grasp. Somewhere beneath her fear and fury, she was aware of a deep relief that Ellie had
been spared. Her sister was safe, and now everything had boiled down to the confrontation that Lottie
had always known would happen, between her and the man who had dominated most of her life.
Although Lottie was aware of a few exclamations from nearby servants, none of them dared to interfere.
They were all fearful of Radnor, and they would not lift a finger to prevent him from doing as he wished.
She wondered what his purpose was in bringing her here. His London residence was the first place that
would be investigated when it was discovered that she was missing. She would have expected him to
take her to a remote place where they could not easily be found.
Radnor hauled her to the library, locked the door shut, and shoved Lottie into a chair. Holding one hand
to her bruised throat, she crumpled into the seat. A few moments later, she felt something hard and cold
prod against her temple, while one of his hands pulled her head to the back of the chair.
Lottie s heart stopped beating as she understood the reason that Lord Radnor had brought her here.
Since he could not have her, he intended to destroy her.
 I loved you, Radnor said quietly, sounding perfectly sane, even as the end of the pistol barrel trembled
against her head.  I would have given you everything.
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Strangely, Lottie found that she was able to answer in just as rational a tone, as though they were having
an ordinary conversation and her life was not about to end with the pull of his finger on the trigger.  You
never loved me. It hurt her throat to speak, but she forced herself to continue.  You don t know the
meaning of the word.
The pistol shook harder.  How can you say that after all that I have sacrificed for you? Are you really so
ignorant?
 In all the years that we ve known each other, you ve demonstrated domination, obsession, and
desire& but those things aren t love.
 Then tell me what love is. His voice was thick with scorn.
 Respect. Acceptance. Selflessness. All the things my husband has shown me in just a few short weeks.
My flaws don t matter to him. He loves me without conditions. And I love him the same way.
 You owe your love tome , he said harshly.
 Perhaps I could have felt something for you had you ever tried to be kind. Lottie paused, closing her
eyes as she felt the pistol nudge harder into her temple.  Strange, but I ve never thought it mattered to
you, whether I cared for you or not.
 It does, Radnor said furiously.  I deserve that much from you, at least!
 How ironic. A humorless smile tugged at her dry lips.  You demanded perfection from me something [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]