Page 44 of Hayes

"I couldn't give it up." He cocked a brow at her. "I am assuming it was the same for you. You had a penchant for languages."

"Which is why I am fluent in four of them, including English," she told him loftily. "I worked for the UN at one point but did not enjoy it much. I did an internship after I finished college and wanted to continue that career path, but my heart was not in it."

Lifting a hand, he brushed back tendrils of hairs from her forehead, his expression sober.

"What is it?"

"I need to ask you about the time you spent in Europe. I came looking for you. When I discovered you were gone, I came looking for you. There was no trace, it was as if you had vanished into thin air."

"Where did you look?"

"Paris. We always talked about our love for the city. Venice, Pompeii, Spain, and Crete."

Her eyebrows lifted. "All the places we said we would revisit."

"Yes. I spent six months searching for you without a trace."

"We were in London, at first, because my aunt has some distant relatives there, and I had started spotting right after the funeral." Her expression became bleak. "I probably should have gone to a doctor, but we were in such a hurry to leave that we didn't think about that. The scandal and your mother–"

"Yes." His mouth tightened. "What I cannot understand, and I hate to bring this up again, but I have to. What I cannot understand was why you never called. Why put me through that loss?"

She shook her head, a look of regret on her face. "I thought about what my dad did, and I started looking back over my life and there were signs I should have noticed, probably did notice, but I ignored them. I was spoiled, and rich, and entitled.

I always got whatever I wanted, the best clothes, the best everything. I was popular, and when I met you, I thought my world was complete. When my world came crashing down, I was in a state of shock, and I did not want to put my burdens on you.

Look, I am sorry, Hayes, but I really was thinking of you. You had your entire life ahead of you. The name Marsden carries a lot of clout, and I did not want to spoil it. In hindsight, I realize that I wasn't doing any of us any favors by doing so. I would like you to understand why I did what I did."

"When you look at me like that, you think I will forgive you for anything, right?"

"Something like that."

"You would be right. I am inclined to be magnanimous seeing as how you shattered my despondency by making the first move in coming over." He smiled fleetingly. "Any regrets?"

"I don't know." she told him truthfully. "I did it on an impulse and I know that Celeste is going to be on me like white on rice to try and get the scoop. She has been blowing up my phone since I left."

"What will you tell her?"

"The truth. And then she is going to want to get the inside scoop. Being with someone of importance in society is going to blow wide open. We will be stalked by reporters with the morbid fascination of celebrities, especially celebrities with a scandal attached to them.

I am the daughter of a salacious tragedy, and people never get tired of hearing different versions of the story. I kept thinking when it first happened that if we had not gone out that night, I would have been a target as well. Would Daddy have turned the gun on me? I would like to think otherwise, but that scenario haunted me for years."

His heart twisted painfully inside his chest as he stared at her. She had been through so damn much and was still standing. He had no idea how. "I don't think so," he responded quietly, wanting desperately to assure her.

"He loved you very much. In fact, I remembered how much he was urging us to go and have a good time. You recalled how he told us not to hurry home?"

She nodded slowly, the recollection coming back to her. "He was almost hurrying us out. He gave me money to buy anything I wanted. He told me to stop and have dinner at a nice restaurant and don't worry about curfew. He had it planned all along."

"I am sorry, darling," he told her hoarsely.

"No." She shook her head. "It's easier to deal with now. I find that I can talk to you about it and not fall to pieces."

"I am here," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. "I promise I will be here for everything."

"I know," placing her head on his chest, she closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her.

Chapter 11

Camelia surfaced from the slumber and felt confusion assailing her. At first, she had no idea where she was and what had jolted her from sleep until she heard the doors being pushed open and the sound of voices entering the room.