Free Honor by Lindsay Chase Page A

“He’s certainly turned my world upside down.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “I hadn’t thought of marrying anyone. Now a man has said he wants to spend the rest of his life with me.”
    Theo rose, glided across the room, and placed a concerned hand on her niece’s arm. “Do you love him?”
    “I rather think it’s more a matter of my desiring him,” Honor said dryly.
    Ah. All was not lost. “If you don’t want to marry him, become lovers. It’s much simpler.”
    “Robert says he doesn’t want me for his mistress. He wants me for his wife.”
    “When your uncle Oak asked me to marry him, I was the happiest woman on the face of the earth. But I knew I loved him, you see, and I didn’t want more from life than to be his wife.” Theo patted Honor’s arm. “You, on the other hand, positively overflow with unladylike ambition. You want to be a lawyer.”
    Honor tugged at her locket. “Robert says we respect each other’s work and could help each other.”
    “That’s true. Another man would expect you to give up your dream so he could achieve his.”
    Looking pensive, Honor strolled back to the sofa and sat down. “There’s so much to consider. I’d have to leave Boston. I’d be living with a man I know little about, sharing his life and his bed.”
    “My dear, one can know a man forever, and he’ll still behave like a stranger. That’s part of the adventure of marriage.”
    “Then there are practical considerations.”
    “Such as?”
    Honor’s expression of distaste was comical to behold. “I’ve always had servants, but at first we’d be struggling and couldn’t afford them. Will he expect me to clean house and cook?”
    Theo burst out laughing. “Good reasons to remain a spinster if ever I heard any.”
    When Theo sobered, she said, “Life is a series of choices, sweet Portia. All choices have their consequences, and every choice has a price.” How well she knew that.
    Honor rubbed her temples, then rose. “I’m so confused. I have a great deal of thinking to do, Aunt Theo, so if you’ll excuse me—”
    “Wait.” The moment she had been dreading was at hand.
    With a heavy heart, Theo walked over to the desk, took a small key from the top drawer, and unlocked the lower right-hand drawer. She removed the incriminating papers and handed them to Honor. “Before you decide, I want you to read these.”
    Honor took the papers. “What are they?”
    “I hope they’ll help you to make up your mind about Robert Davis.”
    With a puzzled frown, Honor settled back on the sofa and read the first page. Theo watched the frown deepen and Honor’s eyes gradually widen in shock and disbelief. Then Honor leaned forward, both hands gripping the papers intently.
    Minutes later she finished reading and flung the papers down. Like huge black pools, her eyes dominated her ashen face, and she looked as though she might faint. “I don’t believe this.”
    Theo sat down beside her and clasped her cold, lifeless hands. “Everything you’ve read is true. I wish to heaven that it weren’t.”
    “How…”
    “I hired the best private investigator in Boston. That is his report.”
    Honor pulled her hands free and jumped to her feet. “Aunt Theo, what a despicable thing to do!”
    “I know you’re furious with me, but I make no apologies for going behind your back. We knew nothing about Robert. I wanted to make sure there were no skeletons rattling in his closet.”
    Honor paced around the library, her brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
    “I never intended to show you the report unless you became serious about him. Now that you’re considering marriage, I felt you should read it and make an informed decision.”
    “These allegations can’t be true.”
    “I admire your loyalty, but the detective told me that all the information in his report can be verified by people who knew Robert when he worked in Lowell. The investigator listed everyone he spoke to. If