Before He Was Mine (Before Series, Book 2)

Will Gets His Answers

The only thing that kept Will from blowing his cool was the pressure of Emilia's arm around his waist and her bright eyes as she had peeked up at him.

That look told him everything he needed to know at that moment. Despite everything that had been thrown at her today, Emilia wasn't going anywhere.

If someone were to ask Will what he had been thinking when he found out that his mother was the one helping the King of England blackmail him into becoming the monarch's political pawn, he wouldn't be able to tell them.

It was too much to take in, and his mind didn't seem to want to comprehend it until he heard it straight from the woman's mouth.

But when that woman's mouth opened, she sputtered, "Well, it would seem that now is not the time for catching up with my son. I should be going. The company here is..." She gave a condescending perusal of the room. "...less than ideal." His mother put emphasis on the last word, her eyes flicking over Lady Humphries as she did so. The countess was standing merely a step away from Lady Trotten.

Lady Humphries barely reacted to the slight, her hooded green eyes unmoving. Her gleaming brunette head tilted to the side slightly. Will was surprised to hear Leo cut in harshly, "You would be wise not to add insult to injury, Lady Trotten."

"Mother, you are not leaving," Will added, his voice surprisingly steady. "Do not mock us. We know you did not come here to catch up." He flashed a look at Andrew and Lord Clemonte, who silently closed the space between them, effectively blocking the exit.

His mother noticed and huffed, "Nonsense. Do not be dramatic, William. I shall return at a later time. You should leave as well, Lord Trevor." She flashed him a meaningful glare and then spun around, glaring expectantly at the two gentlemen behind her.

They did not budge.

"I am not certain what I have missed, but I would suggest you listen to your son, Lady Trotten," Andrew advised calmly, nodding to Will.

Lord Clemonte, the robust baron and owner of Potter Publishing, nodded in agreement. Will hadn't seen him since they wrapped up their scheme to restore Adelaide to the monarchy, but he was glad he'd come. Will was going to need him for what he planned to do next.

But before he could think about any of that, he needed to deal with his conniving mother.

"I want answers. Now," Will demanded of her. "You might have the king on your side, but as you can see, I also have powerful friends—friends that have accomplished more things than you or your king realize."

His mother turned slowly back to face him, and Will noticed she was growing ill at ease.

"Fine," she agreed. "What is it you wish to know?"

"What do I wish to know?" Will repeated, his voice a quiet menace as he broke away from Emilia and stalked toward his mother. "What do I wish to know?" he breathed in her face.

Will abruptly turned on his heel, striding across the space to grab the letter on his desk. Spinning around and holding it in the air, he said, "Why did you write this bloody letter? Why the devil are you working with the king? And most importantly, why are you trying to marry Emilia off to this incompetent fool?" Will jutted a finger at Trevor, who merely shrugged.

His mother's sharp gaze narrowed in on Trevor. She scoffed. "You are an incompetent fool, Lord Trevor. This is all your fault. Do not think for a minute that you are going to see any rewards for your poorly handled efforts."

"Yes, I rather assumed," Trevor replied, now seeming bored. "I knew that the minute those two showed up and ruined the plan." His eyes darted between Will and Theo.