‘You took your time coming home,’ said Freddie, still rocking like a Bedlam patient.
‘You left early.’
‘I swear by all that is holy, if you wake her up…’
‘But you are speaking.’
‘I am her father and you are ridiculous.’
‘You are ridiculous.’ Not his best comeback, but it was the early hours of the morning. He made his way slowly to the settee and sat down next to Edward, who was still staring at Arabella as if she were about to explode.
‘I am going to be a terrible father,’ said Edward.
‘That is true,’ said Christopher, even though it wasn’t. Sometimes it was best not to sympathise with Edward when he started to panic. Besides, he was still a little cross that Edward and Kate had left early, meaning there had been no chaperone in the carriage. Realistically, it was not Edward’s fault that Christopher had pounced on Sophia likea starving man, but logic didn’t always follow when dealing with one’s brothers.
Edward lightly punched him on the arm and even Tobias smiled at his joke. Freddie finally stopped rocking and made his way to a wingback chair, which he lowered himself onto slowly, never taking his eyes off his sleeping daughter.
‘WhileIknow it to be true, what makes you say that?’ Christopher asked. Dealing with someone else’s crisis was much better than thinking about his own.
‘She cried and cried and I could do nothing. What if that happens with my own child?’
‘It very likely will happen, but at least you will have found the perfect mattress for him or her.’ He nodded to Tobias, who reverted to scowling.
‘I did not know what to do.’
‘You do not have to have all the answers, Teddy. You and Kate will work it out as you go along. Is that not what we all do? Try not to worry about it and, if you do, just remember that the good days will outweigh the bad.’ ThatTeddyhad been risky, but his brother did not seem to notice.
Edward rubbed his brow with a thumb. ‘Annoying though it is, I suppose I have to concede that you are right. Thank you, Christopher.’ He paused. ‘And do not think I did not notice what you called me. I am too tired to retaliate.’
‘Why are you up?’ Arabella may have been screaming, but it was a big house. It was not as though the noise would disturb Edward or Tobias.
‘There has been another letter. We were discussing it when Emily arrived with Arabella. Emily was at her wits’ end and so utterlyexhausted it looked like she might collapse on the spot. We said we would take over; little did we know what that entailed.’
‘Oh.’
Edward and he were almost talking normally now. Freddie was no longer telling them off, because he had fallen into a deep sleep almost as soon as his head hit the side of the wingback.
‘What did the letter say?’
‘There was not much news. We are still no closer to finding out how Sebastian and his wife were killed, or if indeed it was foul play. Mr Hornel wrote to tell us that he has established that the older couple living in Sebastian’s house are his wife’s parents and that they have turned down all requests he has made to speak with them.’
Christopher waited for more, but Edward had stopped. ‘Is that it?’
‘Yes.’
‘So what now?’
‘Now, we do what we have been doing for months. We wait for his next instalment and hope it provides more answers.’
Edward finally relaxed his position and settled back in the chair. For a while they watched the sleeping baby as she gently rose and fell in time with her oldest uncle’s breathing.
The room was warm and comfortable, but Christopher was still not sleepy. In the silence all his thoughts came crowding back in.
‘Sophia is not going to marry Robert,’ he blurted out, when the thought circled his brain for the thousandth time.
He was rewarded for his confession with a snore. Next to him, Edward had also fallen asleep. Only Tobias was awake, observing him with his dark, unreadable eyes. Oh well, he’d said it now; he might as well carry on.
‘She has changed her mind. She has decided they do not suit after all. I mean, she is right. He is a decent man; there is nothing wrongwith him, aside from the fact that he is more interested in other things than he is in her. The man who marries her should put her first above all things and that was never going to be him.’
