"You were married to him. You must know."
"I probably had three conversations with the man in the entire span of time we knew one another. Surely no more than five. I couldn't rightly claim to know anything about the man, nor can I say that I wish I did," she said.
"Well, if you ask me, that's what killed him," Benjamin said. "Nothing you did, but the drink. Anyone who drank the way he did would have met his demise eventually."
"You seem to know a great deal about the late duke."
"I ought to," Benjamin said. "He was my cousin."
The words took a moment to register.
Then Victoria stared at him. "He was your cousin? Then—then you and James are…you're relations?"
"He didn't tell you," Benjamin said with a sigh. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised either," Victoria admitted. "I'm beginning to think there are a great deal of things he doesn't tell me."
"Well, yes, we're family," Benjamin said. "We're brothers, as it happens."
"He never mentioned having a brother."
"Technically, I'm his half-brother. As I'm sure he would rush to clarify if he was here right now."
"It sounds like you're saying you two weren't very close," Victoria surmised.
"No, we never have been. Not for lack of trying on my part, I assure you—but he hasn't been much interested in a relationship with me."
"I wonder why that is?"
Benjamin smiled, but Victoria thought it was a sad smile. His eyes lacked the cheer they'd had thus far in this conversation. "You would have to discuss that matter with him," he said. "It's not my place to talk about it, I don't think. Especially since you two are the ones with the relationship."
"Oh—we don't have a relationship," Victoria said. "It isn't like that between us." Her cheeks were hot. If Benjamin had made this mistake, was it possible that other people had made it too? "We're just—friends."
"Of course," Benjamin said. "I didn't mean to make an assumption. Please forgive me."
"There's nothing to forgive," Victoria assured him, feeling herself relax slightly. "An honest mistake."
"It's just that the two of you have been living in the same house, and you're so lovely," Benjamin explained with a smile. This time, the expression seemed more genuine.
"That's kind of you to say," Victoria said, noticing that she didn't perceive any threat from him. It would often have bothered her to have her looks commented upon by a gentleman, but there was something very innocent—harmless—about Benjamin. She wasn't worried about what he might intend. She was sure he meant her no ill will.
How strange. The last time she had been sure of that had been with Jonathan, and she couldn't have been any more wrong about him. And now she found herself ready to believe in the good intentions of a man again, something she had thought would never happen.
She had no romantic feelings toward him. She could tell at once that things between the two of them would never move in that direction. But that was all right. It was enough to feel comfortable, to know that she could stand here with him and not have to worry about where things might be going. She thought she would have been more intimidated if thishadbeen a romantic situation, and she was grateful for the fact that it wasn't one.
"Is James going to be angry that you told me all this?" she asked. "If he had wanted me to know, he probably would have told me himself. Don't you think?"
"I do," Benjamin said. "But he works too hard to keep me a secret."
"I don't understand. Why would he want to conceal the existence of his brother?"
Benjamin let out a sigh. "That's one thing I truly can't answer," he said.
"Because you don't know?"
"Because it isn't my place. If you want to know more about our past and why he likes to keep me a secret, you'll have to speak to him about it directly."
"You show a lot of concern and respect for someone who doesn't even acknowledge your existence," Victoria observed.
