“I’ll see to it at once, my lord.” The man bowed and left.
Iris’s knees nearly buckled with relief that her son was safe.
“Come. Into the house now,” Theo said, taking her arm.
“You can go,” she said.
“No, I can’t. We need to talk about the risk you took tonight.”
“That has no bearing on you.” Iris walked away from him and to her front door. “Good evening, my lord.” She threw the words over her shoulder.
Opening her large front door, she stepped over the threshold, but before she could shut it behind her, a hand in her back nudged her forward. Theo then shut it.
“I-I thank you again for saving me,” she said slowly. “But I wish to retire now.”
“Do you have brandy, whiskey, or any spirits here?”
She nodded.
“Then lead the way.” He held out a hand, and Iris knew he wasn’t leaving until he’d spoken his piece.
They removed their outer clothing, and then Iris directed him to the small parlor. She went straight to the decanter of brandy and poured two glasses. She threw hers back, and the liquid hit her throat, making her cough.
Theo did not suffer the same fate.
“Now, explain to me why you would take such a foolish risk. Especially when I had told you if you needed anything to come to me.”
He’d moved back a few steps but not many. He stood there glaring at her.
“My son was threatened. I had no time—”
“That man wanted to hurt you,” he gritted out, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “Would have hurt you and possibly done something to you that you would never recover from.”
“How did you know I was there?” she asked. Her knees felt suddenly weak, and Iris couldn’t be sure if that was from the brandy or the night’s events. Likely both.
“Sit.” He took her arm and led her to a chair. Nudging her down, Theo grabbed another and dragged it close. When he sat, their knees were touching.
“How, Theo?”
His eyes held hers as he spoke. “I had someone watching your house. What you told me about Renton’s behavior, and what I witnessed myself was enough to have me worried you and Henry were in danger.”
“You had someone watching us?”
He nodded.
She didn’t know what to say to that. She really should be angry he hadn’t told her, and yet she was also humbled that he’d cared enough to have someone watch her. Had he not, her fate at that man’s hands tonight could have been dire.
“I don’t understand. Why did you do that?”
His eyes never moved from her face. “You may be a link to my parents’ death.”
“Of course.” She’d been silly to believe it was because he was worried about her.
“You do understand that when that man realizes you were lying about Renton, and you do not produce the papers, he will come after you again.”
“I could produce the papers,” Iris said.
“You could after we copy them,” Monty said. “My worry is that he will not be content with that. He may get it in his head that you are a risk to keep alive because you may have read them.”
