“Who cares what my intentions are?” William asked. “Ruth and I are getting to know one another, and it wasn’t as cumbersome as I thought it would be.”
“Your wife is…”
“Is none of your concern,” William said, finishing his thought. “Furthermore, I am not interested in hearing your opinion on anything.”
Why did Harred think his brother was capable of changing? As much as he wanted to lecture his brother on his relationship with Ruth, he knew it would be best to move on. They had something much more important to discuss.
As he held his brother’s gaze, Harred asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that you were in a duel with Mr. Carswell?”
William grew rigid. “That is none of your business,” he snapped.
“Isn’t it?” Harred asked. “You fought in a duel and Father paid to cover it up. How is it not my business?”
“Leave it,” William growled.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, especially since you have taken Mrs. Carswell as your mistress,” Harred said. “Have you noshame? You are sleeping with the widow of the man that you killed.”
William jumped up from his seat and advanced towards the desk. “You don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Enlighten me, then,” Harred responded.
“I will do no such thing. My business is my own and I would ask you to stay out of it,” William demanded as he leaned over the desk.
If his brother was trying to intimidate him into silence, it wasn’t going to work. “I’m sorry, but your actions could disgrace our family,” Harred stated. “I want you to end things with Mrs. Carswell before anyone else finds out what you have done.”
William narrowed his eyes. “You think you have everything figured out, but you don’t. You know nothing.”
“I know enough,” Harred responded. “You stayed with Mrs. Carswell for the past few nights and you visit her frequently.”
In a huff, William stepped away from the desk and walked over to the drink cart. He picked up the empty decanter and slammed it down. “Why in the blazes hasn’t Mitchell replenished the brandy?”
“I told him not to since I discovered arsenic in it,” Harred explained.
William scoffed. “How would you even know there was arsenic in it?” he asked. “You are not that clever.”
Harred thought his brother’s response was rather telling. William couldn’t care less about the danger associated with arsenic or that someone wanted Harred dead. But if William had placed the arsenic in the decanter, would he have been so quick to take a drink from it?
Leaning back in his seat, Harred said, “Thank you for that, but do we have an understanding?” he asked. “You need to do right by your wife.”
“I am doing right by my wife since I need her dowry. If Ican woo her, it will go a long way with the negotiations with her father.”
“Why not woo her because it is the right thing to do?”
William looked at him like he was a simpleton. “I can do both at the same time, can I not?” he asked. “Regardless, you will be happy to know that Mrs. Carswell is not my mistress.”
“You expect me to believe that, considering you call upon her constantly?”
William furrowed his brow. “How would you know such a thing?” he asked. “Are you following me?”
“I asked a friend to look into it for me, and he discovered your relationship with Mrs. Carswell,” Harred explained.
“Who is this friend?”
“It matters not, but he has worked as a Bow Street Runner in the past.”
William pursed his lips together and stared off into the distance. “Just when I think you wouldn’t do something so despicable, you go and surprise me.”
“You left me little choice in the matter,” Harred said. “You and I don’t speak, at least not about what is important.”
