“There is a reason.” He arched one white brow, pulled his leather gloves from his hands, and then dropped them on the table in the center of the room. “The coroner has reached his conclusion.”
She stiffened, and the image of Roland’s lifeless body flashed. The mere thought that he might have been murdered was a terrifying one. “And what did he find?”
“He found no evidence of malicious activity. Roland’s death was from natural causes, namely, his heart.”
Dread trickled through her. She had not loved Roland, nor had she trusted him. But she did not wish death on him. Yet this news could have been conveyed in a letter. Silas had to have something else on his mind.
When she did not immediately respond, Silas’s words flung forth like an accusation. “You’re quiet. No retort?”
She weighed her reply. “It’s difficult news to hear.”
“Is it?” He challenged swiftly, fixing his aggressive stare on her.
She resisted the urge to be drawn into an argument or heated exchange with him. Instead, she had to focus on facts. “Now that that conclusion has been reached, I suppose you can remove the guards.”
Silas’s tone sharpened. “There’s more you must know.”
Charlotte steadied herself for what would come next. Silas was many things, but he was not prone to the dramatic.
He removed his caped greatcoat and draped it over the chair. “There’s a great deal of unrest at the mill. Apparently, Roland had other ventures, ones he did not disclose to me, and now there are ramifications. Of a nefarious nature.”
She drew a deep breath, but she was hardly surprised. Roland was forever holding secret meetings and going on special trips. “What sort of ventures?”
“It appears he was running another business out of the mill—one that involved shipping and distributing goods. Smuggled goods. He was able to disguise them under the regular shipments.”
The fact that Roland dabbled in the illegal was no surprise to her. It did surprise her, however, that he would do so right under Silas’s purview. “Is that the cause of the unrest at the mill then?”
Silas reached into his tailcoat for his enameled snuffbox and popped it open. “It seems he employed a great many of his workers either to assist in his efforts or to look the other way, and one very significant problem remains: he never paid these people for their services, and now, in the wake of his death, they are demanding recompense. Of course, I refuse to pay them a farthing. They entered into an illegal arrangement with my brother. Not me. But they are making threats. Against the mill. Against me. Against you. And Henry. We will not bow down to their demands. We must call their bluff and present a unified front.”
“‘We’?” Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head emphatically. “Silas, I’ve removed myself from the situation. I’ve never been involved in any of his mill business. There is no reason at all why I should be now.”
“Your name is still Prior,” he shot back, “and what’s more, there’s Henry to consider. You’re not that far outside of Leeds. Anyone could be here within hours.” He pinched the black snuff between his thick fingers and inhaled it through his nose. “Hiding away in your moorland house will not make the rest of the world go away.”
Charlotte had to tread carefully. Silas was used to being obeyed without question. But she also knew about his sinister side—his compulsive obsession with legacy. When his own wife, Abigail, had been unable to bear a child, he had her institutionalized, claiming insanity, and nothing could be done to help her. He possessed the uncanny ability to shift a narrative to fit his reasonings, and because of his power and prestige, he was rarely questioned or challenged. She strengthened her tone. “I’m not hiding. I’m creating a different life. Surely you can see the difference.”
He scoffed. “You clearly do not understand the power these people wield. They believe they’re owed money and will stop at nothing to get it. They care nothing for rules. For order. I loved my brother, but he did make foolhardy decisions. We must give a thought to the future. Henry’s future, not to mention that of all Prior enterprises. Your dramatic absence is the talk of every member of society, and it is calling into question the family’s stability. You and Henry will come back to Leeds.”
“That I cannot do.”
“This wilderness is no home for a Prior.” He bent down to pick up a piece of glass, making a great display of shifting through the broken pieces. “It is not safe.”
She stepped forward, determined to keep the conversation from spiraling to a point from which they could not return. “I have agreed to your stipulation of guards. What more do you need? You have said yourself Henry is not safe in Leeds either.”
Silence fell, and once again the only noise was the wind whistling through broken glass and the fire popping in the grate. He pivoted, and Charlotte’s defenses, for the moment, abated somewhat. How pale her brother-in-law looked. The lines around his eyes appeared harsher, and the shadows of his face appeared almost gray.
Silas tossed the piece of glass back to the floor and retrieved a packet from his coat. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. “We all owe it to Henry’s future to keep this sort of thing in hand, so if you will not heed reason, I intend to appeal to your sense of motherly affection.”
She eyed the large envelope skeptically. “What’s that?”
“If you insist on staying in this house, then it must be made respectable.” He extended the packet toward her. “This is enough money to see to the proper updates and maintenance for Hollythorne House and to employ a staff to properly run a house of this size. Mr. Walstead’s ramshackle retinue will not be here for long. We all must look to the future and all its facets.”
She stared at the offering. Had she not been clear? “I cannot accept it.”
“Why the devil not?” His face flushed crimson.
“That’s not my money. Quite frankly, I do not wish to be indebted to you. I’ll not be indebted to anyone.”
“How else can you afford to care for this?” he protested, his volume increasing. “This is a gift, one family member to another. This offer will not be extended again.”
She fixed her sight on the packet once more. It might very well be a gift in this moment, but there would eventually be conditions. “I’ll find another way. I am sorry, Silas, but I will not accept it.”
He snapped the envelope out of her reach and returned it to his pocket. “If you’re unwilling to accept assistance, given freely and without expectation, then there is nothing to be done.”
He stepped to and touched the broken window and moved the shattered glass on the floor with the toe of his boot. “I will be watching you, Charlotte. I’ll be watching Henry. Do not force my hand and make me petition the courts for Henry’s well-being.”
She knew what he meant. If she did not comply with his wishes, he would find a legal way to control Henry.
But she refused to bow to intimidation.
Silas snatched his coat and gloves from where he left them and exited without a word.
Charlotte remained in the parlor after he left. She merely turned to look out the window to the courtyard. She drew a fortifying breath and watched as Anthony escorted him back to his horse.