“What?” she reiterated innocently as she glanced around the hall. “Where is everyone?”
“As I said, there’s something pressing I need to talk to ye about,” Connor repeated as they traversed the entry hall.
In reality, if the newlywed couple refrained from visiting Aylesbury or catching up with London’s gossip, he could probably go a few months or more before bringing up the subject or having the truth come out. For the time being, between his sister’s distraction with her new spouse and this sprawling monstrosity of a manor, secrets could be kept a while longer.
Until everyone was ready to expose them…
“Good God.”
Connor spun around at Harry’s harsh exclamation to find him standing stock-still and staring up the central stair as if he’d seen a ghost.
On the other hand…
* * *
Piper stood at the window overlooking the front drive. The carriage bearing her brother and his wife rattled up the endless avenue. With every jolt and distant grind of the wheels, apprehension took a tighter hold of her. She hadn’t decided if she was prepared to face Harry yet, though she had no objection to Connor telling him the whole truth on his own.
It had been difficult enough to confront her mother. With no anticipation for a happy conclusion, she hadn’t been disappointed by Celeste’s explanations. Her mother’s pleas of innocence, which snowballed to accusations that none of it would have happened if Piper had complied with her wishes, were much as she expected.
Between angry rants and bouts of tearful hysteria, Celeste finally confessed to being complicit in the duke’s vengeful plan. As an innocent pawn, no more. Rutledge had approached her—after Harry exposed Dormer’s assault on Edgerton’s daughter, a coincidence she hadn’t noted—commiserating with her reduced circumstance when Aylesbury had cut her off beyond a modest allowance. He’d offered her a loan to ease her well-known financial woes.
From there came a tangent about how it had all been Harry’s fault.
If he hadn’t left her without funds…
If he hadn’t brought Dormer’s scandalous behavior to light…
From there, she’d reverted back to blaming Rutledge. He’d played on her weakness for wealth and position. Provided money, and more money, only to call in her loans without notice. He suggested there was fortune enough to be had in Piper’s dowry. Celeste claimed her daughter hadn’t been old enough to wed…
“I promised you a Season, darling,” she cried through crocodile tears.
From there, Rutledge offered Celeste a duchess’s tiara and a forgiveness of all she owed if Piper were to marry Dormer.
She’d had no choice. No alternative. She was too afraid of the duke to dispute his wishes.
That she felt the circumstances warranted her actions, left Piper with a heavy heart. Nothing could rationalize a mother turning a blind eye to attempted rape. No amount of apology could make it better. Celeste never offered one, either. Though the emotional display her mother exhibited upon seeing her left Piper conflicted, she—backed by Connor and the entire household—had sent Celeste packing. She hadn’t wanted to hear any more excuses.
She wasn’t certain she wanted to hear them from her brother either. True, Harry hadn’t been a part of the duke’s plan, rather the object of his revenge. She now had confirmation, thanks to the conversation Connor had been privy to between Celeste and Rutledge, that Harry hadn’t known of her disappearance from London until months after the fact.
Celeste admitted to hiding or intercepting her correspondence with him in the months before she ran. Initially, to cover the forced marriage until it was too late. Later, to conceal Piper’s absence with the hope of retrieving her before he was the wiser. He’d known nothing of the events surrounding her flight from London.
Some things…most of them, he still didn’t.
Piper wasn’t certain she was ready to tell him everything. Connor had made no argument, but had gone down alone to greet Harry and his sister. Ian and Tam had taken to their room to “recover” under the tender care of the entire female staff.
As she watched, a smile touched Piper’s heart and lips as her new sister-in-law flung herself into Connor’s arms. He offered no protest, though she did see his wince. That ‘scratch’ on his arm had taken a half-dozen stitches and pained him still a fortnight later. Fiona’s joyful laugh penetrated the windows to reach Piper’s ears. He was his sister’s favorite. Connor had once thought that was all he had to recommend him, however, Piper knew he was coming around to a different way of thinking. A better way.
Her way.
Her smile faltered as Harry descended the carriage and offered his hand to Connor. Her brother slid an arm around his wife’s waist and smiled down at her with affection and tenderness that harkened back to Piper’s youth. She’d missed his smiles. His brotherly hugs. That sense of utter security that had once been hers.
Until it hadn’t been for so long.
Piper swung away from the window, a tear tickling as it traced a path down her cheek.
How she’d loved him.
Missed him.
