Of course she did, Brandon thought, rolling the tumbler between his palms. He considered defending himself and decided against it, letting Aurora answer for herself. Clearly she had shocked the Whittakers with her suggestion. They were not prepared to believe that he was so desperate to be rid of his wife that murder would suit if divorce did not.
An attractive apricot flush stole across Aurora’s cheeks. “Did I give that impression?” she asked, her violet eyes widening. “Forgive me. I would rather we did not speak of the matter at all. An unpleasantness better left in the past, I think.”
“Certainly,” Molly said, blinking rapidly as she sought some topic that would relieve the uncomfortable silence that was sure to descend. Her eyes alighted on Aurora’s hand. “That is a most attractive ring. Onyx, isn’t it?”
Aurora nodded. “How kind of you to say so. Yes, it’s onyx. A gift from my parents.”
It was all Brandon could do to swallow his Scotch without choking. He had noticed the ring, and he knew very well that it was not among his wife’s jewelry when she left for Belletraine. It was a gift from Parker. He realized Aurora must feel very confident that he would not expose her lie. And he wouldn’t. Not when the price Aurora would extract would be at Shannon’s expense. By flaunting the ring, Aurora was reminding him they both had secrets that were better left unsaid.
“How are your parents?” asked Robert. “Well, I hope?”
“Oh, yes. They visited not long ago. Mama and Papa missed Clara dreadfully. They had a splendid time with her.”
All of which was perfectly true, Brandon thought. He wondered that he should still be amazed at Aurora’s facile explanations. “And Clara enjoyed every moment of their stay. I was surprised that she remembered them so well. It had been a long time since she had seen them.”
“Will Clara be dining with us?” asked Molly, setting her empty glass on the table at her side. “I confess I would like to see her. It seems an age since she was last in church.”
Brandon ignored the faint reproval in Molly’s tone. He was unwilling to make excuses for not attending church these past months. It was not the service he objected to attending, but the socializing afterward that he found unbearable. His presence, and Aurora’s absence, would have only served to fuel the gossip and give rise to pitying glances he could not bear. “Yes, she will be dining with us. It is a special treat for her to dine with guests, and she has promised to put her best manners forward.” He chuckled. “I imagine that means she will try not to spill her milk, but one can never tell.”
“Brandon is so indulgent with her,” said Aurora, smiling faintly. “She begged to be allowed to join us, and he simply cannot say no to her.”
Very clever, Brandon thought. How sweetly innocent she sounded as she damned him, suggesting he gave in to Clara’s every whim. He almost laughed aloud when he realized how she had miscalculated her thrust as Molly defended his decision.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to have her join us. The nursery has its place, I think, but children must be allowed to mingle with adults upon occasion. How else should they learn?”
“Indeed,” said Robert. “There is no better way for a child to sense she is part of the family than to be permitted to share a meal with the other members. It will be a pleasure to dine with her.”
“It is precisely this talk of family that concerns me,” Aurora said. Her hand visibly shook as she set her glass of wine aside. “I thought we would speak of this after dinner, but since you have brought it up…” Her expression was earnest as she addressed Robert. “Aren’t we in effect lying to Clara? How am I to encourage her to believe that she is part of a family when the family will be no more if Brandon has his way? My husband wishes to divorce me, remove me from my daughter’s life. I cannot—”
“This is not the time, Aurora,” Brandon cut in firmly.
Aurora’s eyes glistened at the reprimand. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to the Whittakers. “Brandon’s correct, of course. This is a matter for later discussion, after you have had a chance to observe our family.” She forced a smile, determined to be cheerful. “Cody is here. He has not returned to William and Mary. He’s making plans to join my father’s business in several months.”
“I thought he wanted to study law,” said Robert.
Brandon smiled wryly. “I’m afraid it’s what I wanted for him, and not what he wanted for himself. Thank God he finally spoke up.”
“My husband sometimes assumes he knows what is best for everyone,” Aurora added quietly, but with a certain appeal that the Whittakers could not mistake. “I was very proud of Cody for insisting that Brandon listen to his wishes. It is a measure of the man he has become.”
Brandon was saved from responding by Martha’s announcement that dinner was served. Gritting his teeth, he left his glass on the mantel and offered Molly his arm, leaving Robert to escort Aurora. “In addition to Cody and Clara, Aurora’s sister will be dining with us,” he said, stepping into the hallway.
“I had no idea Aurora had a sister.”
Aurora, hearing the conversation in front of her, answered. “It was something of a shock to me also,” she admitted. “It is rather a complicated situation, one which demands a lengthier explanation than either Bran or I can give now. Brandon has been very kind to allow her to stay with us, and Shannon has become quite close with Clara. Shannon’s been my daughter’s governess since her arrival in June.”
Brandon thought of several curses he would have liked to place on Aurora’s head as he felt Molly stiffen beside him. Again, Aurora spoke the truth, but the manner in which she said it made him seem the ogre. The impropriety of employing one’s sister-in-law as a governess was not lost on Molly, and certainly not on Robert. “It was Shannon’s wish,” he said, striving for calm.
“Of course it was, darling,” she agreed readily. “Haven’t I already said how kind you were to permit her to stay here?”
Brandon opted for a coolly polite smile as he parted the doors to the dining room and escorted Molly inside. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Molly’s lashes beat furiously as she was confronted with Shannon Kilmartin. Behind him, the usually unflappable Robert Whittaker gave a tiny start of surprise.
Even though Brandon knew he could not be completely objective where Shannon was concerned, he believed no one could fault him for thinking she looked incredibly radiant this evening. She wore one of the dresses he had had made for her when she was posing as Aurora: a gown of marbled rose silk, which contrasted beautifully with the dark richness of her hair. The modest square-cut bodice was edged with ivory lace, and her throat was unadorned by any jewelry. Tiers of lace fell from the elbow-length sleeves of the gown, and on one wrist—Brandon recognized Clara’s touch—Shannon wore a satin rose ribbon as a bracelet.
She had been talking quietly to Cody, feathering Clara’s curls absently, when the dining room’s doors parted. As she looked up and smiled, Brandon selfishly wished that her welcome was reserved for him, even at the risk of damning them both.
Cody handled the introductions, remarking on the startling resemblance between Aurora and Shannon so the Whittakers were not made foolish for staring. “It still startles us,” he said, seating Shannon at the table. He helped Clara into a chair between himself and Shannon while the others were seated.
“It is quite amazing,” said Molly as she unfolded her napkin on her lap. Her eyes darted between Shannon and Aurora. “I shouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it.” Her gaze finally rested on Shannon. “Aurora mentioned you act as Clara’s governess.”
