He bowed, not taking her hand. “Sleep well, ma’am,” he said. “Perhaps you’ll join us again.”
“Perhaps,” she murmured before slipping into the room.
Walking back, he allowed the troubling memories of his marriage to surface. They hurt less than even a year or so before. She had been a good woman and a dutiful wife. He’d felt her loss keenly. Perhaps it was time to let his grief go, or perhaps he had just learned to live his life around it. In either case, he planned to enjoy dinners with Euphemia Selwyn as long as she was in residence. He’d allow himself that small pleasure at least.
*
Before seeking hisown rest, Gideon took a detour to the stables. He found Pritchard currying Hannibal. His old friend seemed to have appointed himself the horse’s guardian angel. Purpose had given Pritchard a bit more energy. He even stood straighter.
“Do you have time for a chat?” Gideon asked as if empty time didn’t hang heavily on the old groom.
Gideon’s friend led him to a corner of the stables, where a kettle simmered over a brazier. “Keeps the beasties warm on the outside and the grooms warm in their innards. Kin I offer you some tea? Ain’t fancy but…”
Gideon accepted a mug, and the two men sat, Gideon on a log raised up as a bench and Pritchard on an overturned bucket.
“Where are the other grooms?” Gideon asked.
“Called to help with the troublesome ditch, complaining every step.” He shrugged the shoulder with the empty sleeve. “I’m not much use with digging, so they left me in charge.” He laughed as if his being in charge was a perfect joke.
Miss Selwyn’s hound bounded up to put his chin on Gideon’s knee. “Has this monster been behaving?”
“That one is a perfect gentleman. Only time he misbehaved was the time he spied that lady. Longs for her, I think. She ought to pay him a visit. Meanwhile, I see he gets fed and has a good run every day.”
Gideon nodded, making a mental note to tell Miss Selwyn. “Thank you,” he said.
“I don’t think you came out here to see about the dog, though.”
“I came to ask what’s being said about me,” Gideon told him, scratching Hector’s ears.
“What do you mean? There’s the usual talk, filthy names, foul lies. Nothing you don’t know,” Pritchard said.
“Exactly the same as fourteen years ago?” Gideon asked cautiously. He had been twenty-three, dressed in servants’ castoffs and publicly derided by his father. Fillmore, for one, acted as if nothing had changed. Others weren’t in residence at Woodglen back then, though.
“You puzzle some, the ones with eyes. Not as deformed as they expected, smarter ’n they were told. They look for trouble, but they don’t find any. Of course…”
“Go on.”
“That is, folks warn parents to hide their daughters and ladies to bar their doors. They’ve heard the stories.” Pritchard glanced at him sharply. “I’m not asking what really happened with Her Grace that night, but I never believed that story.”
His loyalty put a lump in Gideon’s throat. His hand stilled. “I need to ask you a favor, Pritchard.”
“Ask me anything,” the old groom said.
“I want you to visit the Cockcrow. I’ll give you enough for your drinks and some to help loosen tongues. I want to know what’s being said.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out coins. “There’ll be more. Will folks wonder where you came into money?”
“Let ’em,” Pritchard chuckled, taking the coins. “This could be fun.”
For one of us, perhaps. “I hope so,” Gideon answered. He gave the dog another pat and left him.
Chapter Thirteen
“Tell me abouthim again.” Selina’s words ended in a coughing fit. Even feverish, with glazed eyes and cracked lips, Selina had one obsession, the heir. “Tell me,” she rasped.
Two days had passed, and Selina had dined with the gentlemen both nights. Each time, Selina demanded to hear every detail of Tavernash’s appearance, every word he said, every sumptuous adornment in the house. Mia avoided pointing out that the man was rotund, florid, opinionated, and overbearing by dint of simply providing facts and details, hoping Selina could draw her own conclusions. She seemed to find Mia’s lack of interest in the dolt reassuring.
Kerr, Mia suspected, disapproved of the dinners and likely had been told to keep Mia to her room. She could deny her darling nothing, however. As long as Selina demanded Mia bring back description and stories, she was happy to encourage it.
When Selina drifted off, Kerr bustled over and put a hand to her brow, her expression worried.
