‘In what way, aunt?’ Sebastian enquired, with what he hoped was an ingenuous expression.
‘There was that terrible scandal with poor Amy Thompson.’
‘I know about that,’ Sebastian said.
Peggy’s eyes darted around the garden as if she expected Anthony to materialise from behind the shrubbery. ‘They say he had his way with her and left her with child. The shame was too much for the poor girl.’
‘Very sad,’ Sebastian commented, recalling his conversation with Bennet. Of the many crimes laid at Anthony’s feet, maybe getting poor Amy with child was not one of them, but it did not excuse the appalling neglect of his wife and the wasting of his estate.
Connie ran up to them, her bonnet hanging down her back by its strings and her face flushed from exertion.
‘Sebastian, do come and play!’ She grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet.
The happy group surrounded him as Connie bound his eyes and turned him around three times for blind man’s bluff.
After the last carriage had been waved off, Sebastian and his siblings retired to the blue parlour where the Lynchs joined them, to Sebastian’s annoyance.
Connie collapsed into a chair with a dramatic flourish. ‘I’m exhausted. Who’d have thought it, Bas? We have such lovely relations.’
Freddy bowed low as he offered her a glass of sherry. ‘Of course, I hope you would consider my sister and me among that happy grouping?’
Connie looked up at him. ‘Of course, Mister Lynch. You are both so kind.’
Sebastian’s jaw clenched. He really must talk to Connie.
Freddy sat down and crossed his legs. His gaze flashed across to Sebastian as he spoke.
‘And of course, we are both so grateful to Lord Somerton for his continued kindness to us, otherwise, my dear cousin Constance, we would be quite bereft.’
Connie’s eyes flashed up to Sebastian and then back at Freddy. She gave him a charming smile and said, ‘My brother is quite the most generous of men.’
‘And may I say he is blessed with quite the most beautiful of sisters,’ Freddy simpered in return.
‘Enough of that, Lynch,’ Sebastian growled. ‘My sister has had quite enough compliments for one day. I don’t want it going to her head.’
As Freddy looked at him and smiled, a cold shiver ran down Sebastian’s spine.
Chapter Thirty-Six
From somewhere in the house, Isabel could hear music and laughter. Connie and Matt were having dancing lessons. Freddy had produced some ghastly French dancing master and they had all adjourned to the ballroom. The suggestion at breakfast that Sebastian may care to join them received a frosty response and his lordship had taken his broadsheets and retreated to the study.
As Isabel stood outside the door to the study, she wondered how many years it had been since laughter had rung down the corridors of Brantstone. Connie and Matt had brought life to the gloomy corridors.
She took a breath and knocked. At the gruff response, she opened the door.
‘Am I disturbing you?’ she enquired.
Sebastian shot to his feet, almost knocking his chair backwards in his haste.
‘No, not at all. Come in.’
She entered the room and stood before him, her hands clasped in front of her black skirts.
‘I came to tell you that I am planning to move to the dower house in the next few days.’
He stared at her for a long moment.
‘Oh,’ he said, followed by, ‘Why?’
