I arrive in the tearoom to see Sebastian sitting with a cup in his hand facing the window. He turns to me and smiles. “Good afternoon, Mary. I thought you had gone for the afternoon. You can, you know. You’re not a prisoner here.”

  I redden slightly. “I’m sorry to intrude, sir. I’ll leave you to your tea.”

  “You mistake my meaning,” he says. “You’re welcome to stay if you’d like. In fact, if you’d like, I’d love the company. You’re under no obligation to stay, though.”

  I hesitate a moment. On one hand, if there’s anyone who knows the whole story of Minnie’s disappearance, it’s Sebastian. On the other hand, he might be the most dangerous of the Carltons, and I don’t think it would be wise to poke this particular bear.

  But again, wisdom has never been my strong suit.

  “Thank you, sir. I will join you if that’s all right.”

  “I invited you,” he reminds me, “so it’s all right. Sit. I’ll get you a cup.”

  “Oh, sir, that’s all right. I can manage.”

  “Sit.”

  I sit. What else is there to do when the lord of the manor commands me?

  He returns a moment later and asks, “Do you take cream?”

  “No, thank you. I’ve always said a good Earl Grey should stand on its own.”

  “I agree.”

  He pours me a cup and resumes staring out the window. Just when I’m about to make small talk to break the uncomfortable silence, he asks, “Have you ever married, Miss Mary?”

  “No, sir. I’ve never met the right person, I suppose.”

  He nods. “You’re lucky.”

  When he doesn’t offer an explanation and the silence grows uncomfortable again, I say, “Veronica seems like a lovely woman.”

  “Oh, she is,” he agrees, “the loveliest woman I’ve ever met. But also the most demanding.”

  “Oh?”

  He smiles slightly. “She’s enamored with the status that comes with wealth. The money itself is secondary to her. She must be worshipped always. You don’t see that side of her at home, but she cannot stand being less than the most important person at all times.”

  I sip my tea. I really should speak to someone about my strange ability to get everyone to trust in me for no reason.

  Sebastian notices my embarrassment. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

  “Oh, no, sir. Of course not.” As though I could give any other answer.

  He nods. “I love her more than anything. And I will never leave her. I suppose that’s my curse.”

  “It can’t be all bad,” I say. “She’s given you three wonderful children.”

  “Yes,” he says. “She has. For the most part.”

  I consider my reply carefully. “It’s natural for a father to worry about his children. They will have to navigate many struggles in their lives, but they appear to be doing well enough. Eliza is establishing her place in the world, and while her job isn’t prestigious, it’s a good place to start. Oliver seems dedicated to his studies, and Lucas is quite brilliant. And so creative! I really think he could have a wonderful career.”

  Sebastian grimaces. “Lucas will fall over at the first strong wind thanks to Veronica’s coddling. Oliver is one drunken escapade away from jail, and Eliza declined a graduate scholarship to Cambridge to work as a secretary for a country doctor.”

  And yet you allowed all three of them to travel to a foreign country with your rake of a cousin.

  I’m smart enough not to say this aloud, thankfully. After a moment, he sighs and says, “It’s cruel of me to say, and I hope you’ll keep this in confidence, but there are days I wish I had never met Veronica.”

  “All married people feel that way at times, I imagine.”

  Sebastian nodded. “Yes. But I’ve acted on it.”

  I blink. “Is… I mean, it’s not my place, but—”

  “Oh, not with Veronica.” He chuckles. “No, I’m far wiser with her. But Jeannie… Well, you heard Alistair’s crass little joke the other night. I’m ashamed to say it’s rooted in truth. I was married before Veronica, and when Jeannie and I began to have problems, I ran to the first pretty woman who caught my eye. It worked out well, I suppose, but I wonder sometimes what would have occurred if I had thought more prudently. Jeannie was a sweet, kind, and pure woman. That made her boring, but it made her trustworthy. I wish sometimes that she had been enough for me.”

  “You wouldn’t have your children if you had stayed,” I offer, not sure what else to say.

  “Yes,” he says. “I suppose I wouldn’t.”

  There’s a touch of bitterness in his voice. I fall silent and sip the rest of my tea. I’m about to excuse myself when he stands instead.

  “I’d appreciate if you didn’t ask about the missing girl.”

  My blood freezes and my mouth dries instantly. I swallow and stammer. “I… of course not.”

  “It’s a source of great embarrassment to my family that rumors abounded regarding her disappearance. Reputation is very important to us, and the stain of her loss still corrodes that reputation. It’s a source of personal pain for me, and while it’s a tragedy that she was lost, I would rather not be reminded that so many people still think of us as kidnappers and possibly murderers.”

  “Of course, sir,” I say, I hope not too quickly. “It’s none of my business after all.”

  He nods. Then he lays a hand on my shoulder and squeezes softly. I resist the urge to cry out and hope that the trembling in my body isn’t noticeable.

  “Thank you, Miss Mary.”

  He leaves the room, and when I hear the door close behind me, I gasp. I set the teacup on the table so the trembling in my hand doesn’t lead me to spill the remaining liquid. Then I stand and pace the room until my heart calms.

  My reaction might be excessive, but Niall’s warning echoes in my mind. How much danger am I putting myself in by turning over these stones? What can I hope to gain that is worth the sacrifice, perhaps of my life?

  At the Ashford house, I was nearly killed by a crazed woman with a handgun. I escaped that situation by the skin of my teeth, but Sebastian Carlton is not unhinged. He is shrewd and cold and very, very dangerous.

  And I have no doubt that he would erase me from the Earth in an instant if doing so would protect his family’s reputation.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Alistair and the three younger Carltons return the next evening. They all wear flushed faces and grins that proclaim the enjoyment of their brief excursion. Lucas is more animated and alive than I’ve seen him, more so even than when he showed me his photograph collection. Despite my suspicion of Alistair, a part of me can’t help but be grateful for Lucas’s sake. The boy needs experiences that aren’t viewed from under his mother’s wing.

  Unfortunately, that wing circles him protectively the instant he returns. His smile fades, but only slightly. I hope that’s a sign that he’s learned he isn’t stuck with her his whole life.

  Oliver and Alistair laugh and joke like twins. The swagger and cheeky smiles of each young man show a similar spirit. They immediately launch into tales of their exploits in Madrid, some of which I hope are exaggerated.

  Eliza seems flushed with a similar joy, and occasionally intervenes to inform us all that many of these tales are indeed exaggerated.

  “Oh, cousin, why must you crush my spirit with each word that leaves your lovely lips?”

  “Oh, Alistair, why must you lie compulsively?” she counters. “The girl was decidedly uninterested in our poor cousin.”

  “That one, yes,” he admits, “but who can blame me? With such a creature as yourself before me, how could I have eyes for anyone else?”

  He smiles rakishly, but his eyes show a longing as he says that. I see no violence or possessiveness in that longing, but I can’t help but wonder if his attraction to Eliza might be strong enough to become something sinister.

  Could he have felt such an attraction for Minnie? I’ve assumed that if he killed her, it was to avenge Oliver’s broken heart or protect him from ruining his own life, but now I wonder if he fancied her and was angry that she preferred Oliver.

  Eliza smiles at Alistair, and it’s clear that she knows of her cousin’s interest in her. It’s equally clear that she tolerates it to a point, but not nearly so far a point as Alistair would hope.

  “At least one of us found love overseas,” Oliver interjects. “Lucas, tell them about the lovely young lady you met on the dance floor.”

  Lucas blushes red as a cherry and shakes his head.

  “Just show them the mark on your neck,” Eliza says, reaching over and pulling down his collar. “I’m sure some of her lipstick is still there.”

  Lucas flinches away, and Alistair comes to his rescue. “Oh, come now, you two. Allow our young man his privacy. A gentleman should never kiss and tell. Unless, of course, he’s telling other gentlemen to show them how much luckier he has it. But since we’re in mixed company, we’ll allow Lucas a fond memory without forcing him to reveal it.”

  Veronica manages a smile, but it’s clear that she’s unhappy to hear that Alistair has indeed allowed Lucas a dalliance with a strange foreign girl. Alistair notices that look and quickly adds, “In any case, it was only a kiss. Lucas returns as pure of heart as always and remains faithful to Tilly. Though perhaps we shouldn’t tell Miss Fairfax about that particular dance.”

  “I think that would be wise,” Veronica says, relaxing.

  “Well, I hope you’ve all gotten it out of your system,” Sebastian says, “because tomorrow, it’s back to normal life.”

  “Speaking of,” Veronica says, “Dr. Chalmers came to visit yesterday.”

  Eliza blanches. “Oh?”

  “Yes. I got the impression that he wasn’t entirely aware of the circumstances of your leaving.”

  Now it’s my turn to be surprised. Veronica was gone when I let that particular cat out of the bag. Did Dr. Chalmers call her? Or does she just know Eliza well enough to know she wouldn’t be honest with her employer?

  “Well, if Rupert has a problem with how I spend my free time, he can talk to me about it,” Eliza says curtly.

  Color has returned to her cheeks, enough that Alistair points it out. “Lovers’ quarrel, cousin?”

  “Shut up,” she hisses with shocking venom.

  “She does prefer to call him by his first name,” Oliver says.

  “Yes, that’s how adults speak to each other,” Eliza snaps.

  “Though it’s hardly appropriate coming from a secretary to her employer,” Veronica mentions.

  “He’s what, twenty years older than you?” Alistair says.

  Eliza’s lower lip trembles. She turns and abruptly stalks from the room.

  The mood sours immediately, not surprisingly. Sebastian has withdrawn into disinterest once more. Lucas’s grin is gone, and his shoulders are slumped. Oliver chuckles bitterly and shakes his head. Veronica wears an oddly triumphant smirk. Even Alistair seems subdued.

  Finally, he says, “Well, I suppose I’ll have to apologize to her. I’ll wait until tomorrow, though. I don’t think I’d survive what she did to me if I talked to her again tonight.”

  Conversation resumes, but it’s clear the life has been stolen from the room. I excuse myself next, pleading fatigue.

  “Nonsense!” Alistair calls after me. “I don’t believe it! Behind that proper exterior lies a wildcat, I know it.”

  I smile at him. “Perhaps one day you’ll meet her.”

  His eyes widen. “Ooh, is that a threat, Miss Mary?”

  “It’s a promise.”

  On the surface, it appears I’m only flirting playfully, and the family reacts accordingly, laughing and teasing. Veronica lifts an eyebrow at me and says, “Why, Mary! I would never have guessed you’d have such a saucy side!”

  Something flashes across Alistair’s eyes. He sees beneath the surface and knows that I referred to a very different sort of wildcat than the one to which he alluded. I hold his gaze a moment, then say, “Good night, Alistair.”

  “Good night, Mary.” He recovers from his momentary fear and flashes another of his rakish smiles. As I walk out of the room, he says, “Hey, does anyone have any pictures of her from when she was younger?”

  “Alistair!” Veronica cries.

  The door closes behind me, and I don’t hear the rest. I really am tired, and while I wonder why Eliza reacted so strongly to the teasing about the handsome village doctor, I would rather wait until the morning to dig into that mystery any further. Besides, it’s probably best I save my prying for when Sebastian isn’t home.

  I start upstairs, but when I hear crying, I pause. I follow the sound back down the stairs to the drawing room behind the parlor.

  Eliza sits in one of the upholstered chairs with her face buried in her hands. She looks up when I enter and straightens, wiping her hand across her eyes. “I must have embarrassed myself horridly out there,” she says.

  “Hardly,” I reply. “Between you and me, your cousin is a cad.”

  She laughs. “He is, isn’t he.” She sighs. “Sometimes I think I should just give him what he wants, at least for a year or two. Maybe I’d enjoy just throwing caution to the wind and living a life of adventure for a while. It’s not like he’d maintain any sort of interest longer than that.”

  “You’re not attracted to him, are you?”

  She bursts into laughter. “Oh God! Oh, if he could see the horror on your face!” She shakes her head. “No. No, I’m not attracted to him. But it’s quite easy for a woman to fake attraction if she must. Men don’t know the difference.”

  “You can do better than him,” I assure her.

  “I can. I have. I will. But I don’t think it matters. All men are like Alistair. They might dress better and talk smoother, but when you strip everything away, all men are just wolves hunting for prey. They catch you and devour you, then they shit you out and move on to the next doe.”

  The viciousness of that sentiment silences me for a moment. When I recover, I say, “Your love life is none of my business, Eliza. But a man who would use you and then discard you as though you were worthless is not worth your time. No matter who he is to you.”

  She looks away. “Oliver’s the same, you know.”

  The change in subject is jarring, but it’s nothing I’m not used to from this family by now. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, he’s like all men. He slept with three different girls in two days in Madrid.”

  “Oh, goodness!” I exclaim, unable to help myself.

  “Yes. Three different girls.” She shakes her head. “They seemed to enjoy themselves, so I suppose there’s that.”

  “Did Lucas…” I can’t bear to finish the question.

  She chuckles. “No. No, don’t worry. Lucas would probably have scored one had Alistair not swooped in to save him. Oddly enough, Alistair is quite responsible when it comes to Lucas. Though I suppose it’s not so odd that he would be careful with Mother’s favorite. He wouldn’t want to bite the hand that feeds him. But don’t fret. As Alistair said, Lucas is as pure of heart and mind as he was when he left. But his day will come. Later due to Mother’s stifling, but eventually, all men succumb. I tried to warn Minnie.”

  “About Lucas?”

  “No, about Oliver. Oliver was no different with her than he is now. He claimed to love her, claimed she was the only one, acted all devastated when she cheated, meanwhile he and his mates were out prowling the bars all over the Cotswolds. Not that I’m excusing Minnie for cheating. She was as much an utter fool as he was.” She shook her head. “I warned Oliver too. But no one listens to me.”

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  “You’ve said that already.”

  “I’m still sorry.”

  She looks me up and down a moment before turning away again. “Don’t be. I’m through punishing myself for the fact that people don’t bloody listen to me. I told her to leave Oliver alone. I told her to leave—”

  She catches herself, but her trembling lips betray the grief threatening to overcome her again. “I left her. The night she died, I left her.”

  My heartbeat quickens. I fight to keep my tone calm when I ask, “What do you mean?”

  “I left her,” she snaps. “It’s not hard to figure out the meaning. She and I fought. I told her to leave my brother alone because they would only break each other’s hearts again. She called me a meddling whore and accused me of… well, I won’t repeat it, but it was enough that I said, ‘Fine. Go get yourself hurt for all I care.’ I was supposed to walk her home, but I didn’t. She left by herself, and she was never seen again.”

  She stands abruptly. “Maybe you’ll take my advice. Don’t get close to us. Don’t get involved in our lives. We’re very badly broken, all of us. Even Lucas, poor boy. Just teach him his maths and his reading and his science, and at the end of the year, collect your paycheck. Be polite if you must. Join us for dinner, and at the end, embrace us all tearfully and promise to write and visit.”

  She meets my eyes. “But don’t. Don’t write, don’t visit. Escape and leave us to our own warped devices. If Minnie had done that, she might still be alive.”

  She leaves the room without waiting for a response. I remain, wondering if what I’ve just heard is an emotional warning or a direct threat. What it is, unquestionably, is good advice.

  Unfortunately, I haven’t been good at following advice for nearly thirty years.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Do you ever think of leaving?”

  My brow furrows. “Leaving? Annie, what on Earth are you talking about?”

  She shrugs. “You know. Leaving.”

  I stare at her for a moment. In the twenty-one years I’ve known her, I’ve never gotten used to these off-the-wall questions. “Leaving what? Our parents? I’m pleased to say that we’ve already left them. Well, Father left us, but we both left Mother.”

 

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