A lump caught in Sheridan’s throat. Father had died without ever knowing why Grey was so distant from them all. One more reason to do his best in finding out who had murdered Father.
The four of them left together, pausing to retrieve hats, bonnets, and greatcoats from the footman in silence, as if departing from a funeral. It was a funeral of sorts, he supposed. It was the death of whatever little had remained of Mother’s friendship with Lady Eustace.
Once they were out on the street in the light of the oil lamps, they headed across to the pretty garden mostly used by residents of the square and their guests. Sir Noah and Sheridan’s mother headed straight to the statue of Queen Anne, but Vanessa tugged at his arm to get him to go down a different path.
When they were out of earshot, she said wryly, “Wasn’t that fun?”
“Allow me to apologize for my mother—” he began.
“Don’t you dare. I admire your mother. She’s fierce in defending her children, but without trampling over those who don’t deserve her anger. Mother deserved it, trust me.”
“You were just a baby when Grey came. How do you know what he went through?”
“The same way your mother knows. From other sources. For me, it was servants. And from reading between the lines in things my parents said or overhearing their discussions when they thought I wasn’t around. I did learn some of it from Grey. First from watching his wariness whenever he was in Father’s presence.”
“I don’t imagine they got along, given what Mother said.”
“Hardly. Even though Grey went off to school at thirteen, he still came home for holidays and the weeks between terms. When I was old enough, he told me some of what he’d suffered before he went to Eton. I think he just needed someone to listen and to care about it. Once he was off to school, the punishments stopped, since he wasn’t ever home long enough to sustain them, but he was unable to leave Papa’s oversight for good until he was twenty-one. Before then, whenever he was home, he would take me on walks in this very garden, teach me how to ride, rescue me from trees I climbed—”
“You climbed trees?” he said incredulously.
She chuckled. “Short ones. I was quite the little hoyden until I received my first fashion doll at twelve. Then Grey had to switch to taking me shopping.”
“As a big brother might.”
“Yes.” She had a faraway look in her eyes as if remembering the past. Then she shook it off. “He was never a cousin to me. He was my big brother in every way but legally. Although Mama wanted us to marry, neither of us even considered it.” She shuddered. “I can only imagine how uncomfortable that would have been.”
“No doubt.” He steered them to a bench where they could both take a seat, though he made certain they could still see her uncle and his mother. “Not to change the subject, but will your mother take my mother’s accusations out on you?” The thought of Lady Eustace doing so chilled his blood. Vanessa was blameless in this.
“Because I sided with the duchess? Probably. But Mama is primarily bark and no bite. Even back then her main crime was in looking the other way while Papa did as he pleased with Grey. Just like Papa, she wanted Grey’s properties. But she never had the audacity to lift a hand to him herself.”
“Are you sure she won’t hurt you?”
She seemed touched by his question. “Most of her ire will be reserved for your mother. No doubt I will have to endure an hour or so of ranting, but that’s nothing new.”
“I’m sorry if the incident today became uncomfortable for you and your uncle.”
“Honestly, it’s been a long time in coming.” She nodded over to where his mother and Sir Noah were now engaged in a low conversation at the foot of the statue. “As for my uncle, I think your mother is making up for whatever discomfort he experienced.” They sat in silence a minute. “Did you know ahead of time that your mother was planning to confront mine with the past when you brought her with you?”
“God, no. I would have left her at home if I’d even guessed.” Mother clearly had forgotten the purpose of the visit. Not that he blamed her.
“So . . .” Vanessa continued to stare across to where the others stood. “Why exactly did you bring her?”
Damn. Now he was treading dangerous ground. “She wished to pay a much-delayed call on you, actually, to thank you for attending Thorn’s party.”
Her eyebrows rose so high, they nearly reached her hairline. “I hardly think any unmarried woman in her right mind would have turned down such an invitation. Certainly I wouldn’t have.”
“Ah.” He wasn’t sure what else to say.
“The thing is . . . you’ve come to visit me every day since that night—”
“As a man who is courting a woman should do,” he was quick to point out.
“Yes. But your part of our bargain was that you would court me to make Mr. Juncker jealous. My part—such as it is—was that I’d acknowledge you were right if he proved not to care about marriage.” She stared down at her gloved hands. “Neither of us has completed our part conclusively. And I can’t even do mine until you do yours, which you haven’t been doing at all. I mean, how can I make him jealous when he’s not around to see you courting me?”
“An excellent point.” Bloody hell. He’d known he wouldn’t get more than a few visits to question Lady Eustace before Vanessa started to wonder at his motives, but he needed more time. Still, she’d been very patient, and without understanding what he was up to. “I do take your meaning. How do you suggest I solve the problem?”
She met his gaze, the faint blush on her cheeks unleashing an oddly savage feeling in his chest, a fiery need to possess her. At once. In every way possible. Which was madness, of course.
“That’s simple,” she said. “You bring him as your companion next time, not your mother.”
“But what reason can I give to convince him to join me in calling on you?”
“Let me think.” She mused a moment. “I know! You can say you need a companion to distract Mama so you can talk to me in private and pour out your heart to me.”
“That would work.” It would, but he wasn’t sure he liked it. Involving Juncker was unpredictable. The man might treat her ill. Or break her heart. Or lay his hands on her for wicked purposes.
No, he didn’t have to worry about that. Because he refused to leave her alone with the chap.
She cast him a soft smile. “Then, if Mr. Juncker cares for me at all, he will try to take your place and pour out his heart to me himself. And I will know for certain whether he wants me as his wife.”
“And if he doesn’t take the bait, you will acknowledge that I’m right about him?”
“Yes.” She stared hard at him. “I merely need to know the truth.”
He could see how she would feel that way, but it annoyed him she was so fixed upon Juncker. The man was a ne’er-do-well, cocky for no reason. She didn’t belong with Juncker. She belonged with—
No, that wasn’t acceptable. Never mind that her sweet side intoxicated him and made him want to claim her as his own. He was not looking for a wife. She might have a generous dowry, but it would never be enough to salvage the Armitage dukedom. And right now, saving the dukedom and figuring out who was behind Father’s murder had to be his whole focus.