He didn’t even know she was aware of Temperence!
“If you had just told me the truth about John’s troubles, I could have done so sooner,” she continued. “I told you Iknewsomething was wrong. Andstillyou chose to keep me in the dark. I only wish I had thought to check with Farnsworth months ago. Although”—she assessed him with a look he thought contained just a hint of pride—“I suppose that was your point. Who would suspect a vicar?!”
Neville rubbed his forehead. “Only kept you “in the dark” to protect you.”
“Pfft. John ismy son. Why would I not wish to be involved, no matter what the risk? I nearly died bringing him into the world. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”
They stared at one another for a fraught moment.
Then, she added quietly, “Or for you.”
A discordant note panged within.He’d thought her the loveliest mother in the world. Lovely. And clever. And warm.
When had that changed?
He didn’t know. But he did finally realize his father had worked to poison that well.
Oblivious of his thought’s direction, his mother continued, “Getting the whole story out of your uncle and John took somecoaxing. Once I was appraised, I immediately went back to Brighton in search of the prostitute.”
“Mother!”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. It’s not as if I haven’t lived long enough to understand the world. Have you never heard the rumors about my father?”
“Haveyou?” he asked, still in shock.
She leveled him a quelling glance. “When one’s father was a notorious libertine, only partially reformed by marriage, one is subjected to a certain type of attention.”
Her meaning took a moment to sink in. “But certainly, you had protection.”
“A lady cannot depend on a man’s protection all the time. Sometimes,” she glanced at him pointedly, “she doesn’t wish to do so at all.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “You made you stance quite clear.”
“My brother was determined to be the opposite of his father in every possible way, in other words, preoccupied with his own consequence. A little like—” She cut herself off. “Anyway, my nephew—precocious little Edward—has been a delightful surprise…a studied balance between his ducal predecessors.”
Neville quite agreed.
He only hoped Harbury had already agreed to Sarah’s scheme tonight.
“Mother, I am urgently expected elsewhere. Could you summarize what you’ve learned?”
“Certainly,” she replied, as if somewhat insulted. “Where was I? Ah, yes. The prostitute…”
Neville closed his eyes.
“Who turned out not to be a prostitute at all,” she continued. “In that, John was vindicated. Which is why, I’m sure, he is feeling so much better. I have a suspicion—but there will be time later to speak of such things.”
Neville frowned. “When you said, ‘the girl says the villain has spies in the houses of every enemy.’ Did you mean Temperence?”
“Yes.” She glanced to the ceiling. “Of course.”
He paced the length of his study and back. His mother had found Temperence. She’d convinced her to talk about Willard. “I can’t believe this.”
“Itoldyou that you should have come to me in the first place.”
Clearly, she’d been more effective than he had. “Perhaps I should have. But this was my fault. I sent John down to Brighton. And I didn’t want to burden you.”
“Burden,” she scoffed. “Why do you think you must handle every problem on your own?”