A dreadful foreboding spilled like acid into Athena’s stomach. Cramps seized her thighs, and she fought down a cry. She could not be weak, not now.
“You pride yourself on being unselfish, don’t you?” he said, taunting her like the cruel stranger he had become. “Athena Munroe never thinks of herself. She is the most generous, the most noble lady in Denver. So noble that she will sacrifice what she wants for the sake of others.” He sat on the edge of the desk, one leg swinging as if they were having a friendly chat. “I have a proposition for you, dear sister. I could send the circus away, as soon as the weather clears—pay them for the one performance and nothing more. Your Caitlin seems able to walk, so there’s no further need to pamper her.”
“Caitlin—”
“Be quiet, unless you wish me to throw them all out in the snow right now.” He studied his manicured fingers. “I can make them leave, and I can tell the sheriff that they’ve abused our hospitality and stolen property from Long Park—you can be sure I’d be believed where people like them are concerned. Just as decent folk will believe that you were seduced by the confidence games of Harry French and his followers.”
“You would lie—”
“I’d do more than lie. I learned many tricks running our father’s businesses. It would be easy to make sure the circus can never return to Colorado. They might have to travel some distance to find winter quarters, with the weather getting bad.”
Athena shook her head, but he went on relentlessly. “That’s not all, Athena. I still have control of your bank accounts. Our father left it to my judgment when I should let you have charge of them. I don’t think you’ll ever be ready to manage your own inheritance… unless you prove to me that you can live the quiet, reasonable life of any decent woman.”
Athena saw where he was leading. “Niall, you can’t punish innocent people because of what I—”
“So many depend on your charities,” he went on, ignoring her. “All those young mothers. The orphans. The unemployed men. What would they do if your contributions were suddenly cut off? Oh, you’ve talked plenty of others into giving, but a word in the ears of husbands and fathers would stop up that source as well. You know the women, but I know the men. They’d be glad not to have the burden of philanthropic obligations.” He sighed. “And then there’s your famous Winter Ball. Less than two weeks away now, isn’t it? Everyone will be there, ready to compliment you on your fine work. It would be a shame if you were unable to continue with it, and someone else took the credit.”
The ball, which Athena had left in Cecily’s hands, expecting to return well before the date. The ball that she had schemed and struggled to make the finest charity event of the year, the pinnacle of all her efforts, the defining element of her place in Denver society.
And Niall meant to take it from her. She did not doubt that he could. Cecily was enamored of him; if it came down to it, wouldn’t Cecily choose obedience to his will over friendship for Athena?
A small, cold hand gripped her heart. How had Niall known to come here? It was no accident. Athena had trusted Cecily to keep her secret, but she had expected to return to Denver before Niall did. If Niall had discovered his sister’s absence and confronted Cecily, how would it benefit her to defy the man she wanted? And she had not promised to help. She had said she would “do all I can.”
Niall knew exactly how to strike at his sister. All these years Athena had thought him oblivious to her work, but now she saw her error. Either he or someone else had been watching very carefully.
“Miss Hockensmith—Cecily—warned me months ago that you were taking on too much,” Niall said. ”It is perfectly natural that you should be relieved of your burdens and given a chance to… recuperate in another city, perhaps with our cousins in New York. As for Holt—I meant what I said. If he comes near you again, I will kill him. Even creatures like him can be killed, one way or another.”