“What is wrong?” Lily asked, a little disquieted by his vehemence and his appearance as well. Basil looked rather pitiful, with his face swollen and bruised and his left eye turning a vivid collage of black and purple. His scowl made the effect worse.
“Fanny! She is what is wrong. She is damned wrongheaded, not to mention stubborn and foolish.”
“What has she done?” Lily asked in puzzlement.
“She paid me a call at work-to check on my injuries, she said. But in fact it was to explain. She wanted to tell me herself before I heard it from someone else.”
“Heard what, Basil? Will you cease this roundaboutation before I throttle you?”
Lily’s threat seemed to capture his attention, for he slumped over in his seat while clutching his hair as if wanting to pull it out by the roots.
“Fanny agreed to withdraw the charges against O’Rourke if he would return the thirty thousand pounds to Lord Poole and the ten thousand Fanny paid him at the start, plus give Fleur and Chantel another twenty thousand pounds to provide them security in their old age.”
Lily stared at him, wondering if she had heard correctly. “Do you mean O’Rourke is not going to prison for abducting her and holding her prisoner for the better part of an afternoon?”
“That is exactly what I mean!” Basil grumbled. “That bastard will be set free tomorrow. Claybourne arranged for his release this afternoon.”
“He just let O’Rourke go?” Lily repeated in disbelief.
“Yes! Fanny talked Claybourne into it. She wrapped him around her little finger, the way she does every other poor sod of her acquaintance.”
“But O’Rourke threatened her life! And his servants nearly killed Lord Claybourne!”
“I know that! But she has conveniently dismissed O’Rourke’s villainy. She claims he has learned his lesson. And he has sworn to provide financially
for Fleur and Chantel. If you ask me, I think Fanny elected leniency because she loves that bastard. There is no other excuse for her madness.”
The disgust in Basil’s voice couldn’t hide the underlying bitterness. He was greatly upset, Lily knew. Even more because he was envious of O’Rourke than because he wanted to see the gaming hell owner pay for his crimes.
Lily understood the deep hurt Basil felt. She might not have two weeks ago, but she did now. She’d gained a newfound sensitivity over the past fortnight, because her recent love affair with Heath had made her much more sympathetic to the trials and tribulations of lovers.
“I am very sorry Fanny set O’Rourke free, Basil,” Lily said in a calmer tone. “But I don’t believe it is because she loves him.”
“Then why?” The question was a plea for understanding, and his tone held an edge of anguish, although Lily knew Basil would be embarrassed if she took note of it.
“My guess is that she earnestly wants to provide for her friends. Twenty thousand pounds is a significant fortune. If Fleur and Chantel are the least frugal, they will be set for life. And Fanny will no longer need to worry for their welfare. Instead, she can see to her own.”
“How is her welfare made better by championing that villain?” Basil’s hands clutched harder in his hair before he shook his head furiously. “Blast it all, I have had enough! I can’t bear to watch her any longer.”
“What do you mean to do, Basil?” Lily asked warily.
“I will return to Hampshire as soon as I can arrange it. I’ll give notice to my firm tomorrow.”
Lily hesitated a long moment. “You would leave London right now?”
“Yes!” he practically hissed. “I cannot stay here any longer. It is stupid to torment myself this way. I can never have Fanny. I have to accept that.”
“You love her.”
The glance he shot Lily was full of misery. “Yes, fool that I am. I have loved her for years. Why do you think I followed her here to London? I wanted to be certain she was safe and happy. I wanted just to be near her. But I can’t bear sharing her with other men.”
Seeing his anguish, Lily softened her tone even more. “I don’t think you should give up, Basil.”
“Why not? What would be the point of remaining?”
“Because I know Fanny is extremely fond of you.”
Basil continued to scowl while shaking his head. “Any feelings she has for me are brotherly, just as yours are. She doesn’t love me as a man. And she wouldn’t wed me if she did love me.”