The more Georgina learned, the more concerned she was on Teddy’s behalf. He had every reason to stay out of arm’s reach of the earl who had consigned him to Brook Haven. On the other hand, if Ainsworth’s condition proved critical, by keeping his distance, Teddy was forfeiting his chance to see his father again, alive.
She thought of the renderings Teddy had sketched of the earl—almost caricatures by her estimation, in which his father appeared brutish and cruel. Had that been the seemingly cavalier-Teddy’s experience? If so, had he shared his woes with Drake?
Drake had never implied anything of the sort—although, he had more than implied that Teddy had demons. Were those demons external rather than internal?
“I’m surprised you haven’t asked about Lord Theodore Arlington, your dear brother’s constant companion.”
Georgina’s ears pricked. “What about him?”
“I mentioned he’d returned from the war and had not been seen.”
Georgina already knew that much. “So you did.”
“Asking after his welfare garnered zero results, as, apparently, the earl’s servants refused to share one iota of information. Our housekeeper insists the earl threatened his staff with instant termination should news of his son’s condition leak beyond their stone walls.”
“Oh?”
“And then, the earl had his incident and the iron manacles weakened.”
“I see. And what did you learn?” Georgina asked.
“It seems, Lord Theodore came home irrevocably damaged.”
Georgina was incensed. “That is absurd.”
Her mother looked taken aback. “I haven’t even told you what befell the man. Of course, you always did hero worship him.”
She sniffed. Evidently her secret crush wasn’t so secret. “Go on, then.”
“His doctor has pronounced him insane. He has fits of temper. Delusions. He even tried on more than one occasion to do himself bodily harm. Well, they had no choice but to confine him lest he eventually succeed in taking his own life.”
Georgina sent her an icy stare. “Is that all?”
“I should think that is more than enough. I did expect a bit more ofa reaction. I had the impression you harbored a…never mind. That hardly matters at this point.”
“He’s not dead yet, Mother,” Georgina chastised.
“Let us hope not,” she agreed. “But his condition likely explains Lady Catherine’s behavior, however.”
“You refer to the rumor attesting to Lady Catherine and Jonathan Arlington having commenced a romantic entanglement?”
“Indeed.”
Georgina frowned as puzzle pieces started snapping together. “Are you saying Teddy’s—that is, Lord Arlington’s cousin, Jonathan—stands to inherit the title in the event…” She could not bring herself to speak the unthinkable.
Her mother suffered no such constraints. “If Lord Theodore Arlington passes, Jonathan is next in line for the title.”
“You think Lady Catherine would marry him in order to become the next Countess of Ainsworth?”
“Of course she would. Especially after her fall from grace.”
That caught Georgina’s attention. “Fall?”
“Dear, where have you been? Sometimes, I fear you are so caught up in crafting your novels, you are missing out on real life.” She looked out the small-paned window, her face a study in regret. “Likely, thanks to your father’s indulgence. But, I suspect that will no longer be the case.”
Hisindulgence?As in allowing her the freedom to pursue her author career so long as she funded his gambling ventures? He would hardly be able to stop her now, not without threatening to expose her, and she doubted either of her parents would do such a thing. They did love her, after all.
“Enough about me, what of Lady Catherine’s so-called fall?”
