I pulled back and dashed at the tears that were starting to fall again. “Yes. He told me everything.”
“They’ll make this right. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that no one crosses a Legend. And now that you’re married to Clifton, they will do anything for you. The Tuttlefords won’t be able to escape justice.”
I nodded. “Clifton and Fairfax will be leaving after breakfast. I know they’ll take care of the matter.”
She was watching me carefully. “And what about you?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going with them?”
I shook my head. “Clifton said that he wants me to stay here.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And what do you want to do?”
It seemed such an odd question. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked me what I wanted to do — aside from when Clifton had asked me to marry him, of course. But even then, I hadn’t had to think about it. There was no world in which I would have said no to him.
I wandered over to the mirror and looked at myself. My eyes were puffy. My hair, which hadn’t been taken down last night, was loose and a nightmare. I looked a fright. It was no wonder that my husband wanted to leave.
Lady Clifton moved behind me and her eyes met mine in the mirror.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. He wants me to stay here.”
She smiled kindly at me. “Yes, he does, but I’m sure it’s because he’s worried for your safety.”
I looked away. “We’ve spent a great deal of time together. He probably wants some time away from me.”
She placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “He is definitely not tired of you. He is trying to protect you, but it doesn’t really matter what he wants. I’m asking you what it is you want to do.”
I swallowed back my initial inclination to tell her that it didn’t really matter what I wanted, because I realized in that moment I was no longer the same person I’d been a few weeks ago. I was married to a Legend now. It would no longer be enough to act as though I were a meek shadow who wanted to hide from the world.
No, I wanted to be seen. By my husband, by the Legends. Most of all, I wanted the Tuttlefords to know that I would no longer cower in their presence.
“I want to go to London. I want to be there when the man who killed my mother is arrested and brought to justice.”
Lady Clifton smiled. “That’s my girl. I will see to it that your things are packed up while you are downstairs having breakfast. I am so glad my son had the good sense to marry you.”
CHAPTER 29
CLIFTON
Diana stormed into the breakfast room with the confidence of a general stepping onto a battlefield. And heaven help me, when she announced she was coming to London with us, I was powerless to refuse. Truth be told, I was filled with relief, because I was already dreading being away from her.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t tempted to punch Fairfax when he grinned and said he was delighted because now he’d have something attractive to look at during the journey.
Mother, of course, was pleased with Diana’s declaration and announced that she, too, was thinking of following soon and spending more time in London. She proclaimed that since I spent much of the year there, she’d need to remain in town so she could spend more time with her grandchildren.
She was getting ahead of herself, but given that she’d gotten her wish when I’d married Diana, I knew that it was only a matter of time before her desire for grandchildren became a reality. I also suspected she wanted to make up for the last two years, when Diana was supposed to be in her care.
The carriage ride from Hampshire to London was surprisingly carefree. I’d feared Diana would be angry with me for keeping my suspicions to myself for so long, but that worry turned out to be groundless. It also helped knowing that Tuttleford had no reason now to harm my wife. But that didn’t mean I wanted him anywhere near her.
When we arrived in London, we drove past King’s first to drop off Fairfax, who seemed anxious to get back to the others.
Diana looked at me with surprise when I didn’t go with him. “You’re not leaving as well?”
“Of course not. I’m coming home with you.”
“But we are in London now.”
