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married another man and you’d fled to the continent.”
    He wasn’t making a bit of sense. Not one bit. “Why would ye chase after me? Had ye no’ done enough? Should ye no’ have fled in the other direction?”
    “Why would I chase after you?” he echoed with exasperation. “Well, I suppose I chased after you because I would have done anything to have you. I chased after you, Hannah, because I was madly in love with you.” He laughed sadly. “And gigantic fool that I am, I never stopped. If you set out to destroy me, my dear, you’ve done a fantastic job.”
    If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was sincere. No wonder she’d fallen for him all those years ago. Chester Peyton was an expert at appearing genuine, apparently. But this time she did know better. “Please doona lie ta me, Chet. I saw the letter myself. So let’s just dispense with this pretense, shall we? What is it ye want from me? Everyone else is waitin’ in the dinin’ hall.”
    “Letter?” He frowned at her as though she was an oddity in a shop.
    Hannah folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes on her first true love. “Dinna think I kent about the letter ye wrote yer brother? Well, I saw it with my own eyes after Lord Astwick called on James.”
    All the color drained from his face and, for a moment, Hannah thought Chet might buckle under his own weight. Apparently he hadn’t known she’d reasoned out his duplicity. Did he think he could toy with her again? To what purpose now? Weren’t they both too old to play these sorts of games?
    “I have no idea what letter you’re talking about.”
    So the game was to continue, was it? Hannah heaved a sigh. At one point, she’d known the words of that horrible note by heart. Though time had faded the specific words from her memory, she’d never forget the knife that had plunged into her soul when she’d read that awful letter for the first time. “The letter ye scribbled ta yer brother about havin’ compromised me. That ye needed ta leave Town before James called ye out over it. That letter. Do ye remember it now?”
    Chet’s mouth fell open. “I never wrote any such thing.”
    “It was yer hand, my lord. I kent it as well as my own in those days.”
    “I never wrote any such drivel, Hannah. I hurried off to acquire the special license Carteret demanded, only to never lay eyes on you again. Until tonight.”
    But she had seen the letter. Why would he lie about it now? What was to be gained? “If ye canna be honest with me, Chet, there is no reason ta continue this conversation.” She started for the threshold and collided with the wicked Duke of Kelfield, who wasn’t really as wicked as he let others believe. “Alexander!” Hannah gushed in surprise at seeing her brother’s old friend.
    “Well, Hannah MacFadyen!” He grinned at her. “You have filled out so nicely, and in all the right places.”
    She rolled her eyes at the duke. “Ye’re late. Caroline has been askin’ about ye.”
    “Has she?” Kelfield drawled then his eyes landed on Chet behind her. “Astwick, what are you doing here?”
    “Laying old wounds to rest. Or at least attempting to. Escort the lady in to dinner, will you? And give my regards to Lord and Lady Staveley. I-um-have a previous engagement I must have forgotten.”
    ***
    “I shouldn’t speak to you at all.” Hannah sent Caroline a sidelong glance as the Campbell, Carteret, and Staveley children bolted towards the Serpentine.
    “Stay out of the water!” Caroline called after the departing brood. Then she turned her attention back to Hannah with a look of chagrin. “I hope you’re not truly angry with me. I did warn you I could be meddlesome.”
    To say the very least. Still, there was no real harm done and Caroline had been a friend to her ever since they’d met. “It’s no matter. I was bound ta bump inta him at some point. I just would have preferred a little warnin’, however.”
    “I am sorry about that. I was