“Sometimes, when my head hurts, I have problems understanding while reading. I can read the words, but they’re meaningless. All I got is that the letter is from my uncle.”
Her expression softened.
He poured the tea. “Usually, it doesn’t last for long.”
“I actually saw Neville the other day.”
He perked up. “Neville? Are you two friends?”
“Well…did I say something wrong? You look flustered.”
“I’m surprised you’re so familiar with him.” And a little concerned. Uncle Neville didn’t have a terrible reputation; he didn’t squander money, and his name didn’t appear on the scandal sheet, but his liking for women and pleasure was known.
“He’s friends with Daphne and Valentine, but he isn’t my friend. I’m sorry he’s your relative, but I find him upsetting. He was with Daphne, Valentine, and me in the Scarlet Room. Didn’t you see him?”
Perry sucked in a deep breath. The man he hadn’t seen at the gaming table had been his uncle. “Did he witness my seizure?”
“I’m not sure. I was focused on you and didn’t notice where he was. Why? Is something the matter?”
He scratched his chin. The rules of the Scarlet Room were clear. Even if Uncle Neville had seen the incident, he couldn’t tell anyone.
“Albert was very careful not to mention my seizures to anyone. Aside from you, your family, and the doctors, no one knows. My uncle is aware I needed medical treatment in Geneva but doesn’t know about the seizures.”
“Do you worry he might use the information against you?”
“We’ve always had a civil relationship.”
She hesitated before speaking. “He told me the story of his intended, claiming you seduced her and convinced her to break up her engagement.”
“Bollocks. My uncle and I discussed the matter many times years ago. Margaret broke up the engagement of her own accord when she realised she didn’t love him. I simply happened to have listened to her when she was desperate and confided in me. Neville saw us together and drew his own conclusions, the wrong ones, of course. Nothing ever happened with Margaret. She’s now happily married. The fact my uncle still believes I caused the incident is absurd. Anyway, please read.”
She read the letter in a clear tone that helped him understand. “Dear Peregrine, I received your previous letter about the possibility of ceding the title to me, and I’m more than happy to take the title of Earl Ravenscroft when you’re ready. I appreciate how difficult the past years have been for you, and—” She lowered the letter. “Are you renouncing your title?”
He fiddled with a pencil. “I’ve been thinking about it. Uncle Neville is next in line.”
“Why do you want to renounce the title?”
He turned towards her. “My condition isn’t a temporary situation. An earl is required to attend social events andmeetings in the House of Lords, which means being constantly under scrutiny. If someone witnesses one of my seizures, I won’t simply be considered unfit to hold the title but also a danger to society. I want a normal life and decide when I’m in the mood to see others.”
“But you told me your seizures aren’t frequent.”
“But they still happen. Being an earl isn’t like being a doctor.”
“What do you mean?”
He waved at the pile of documents on his desk. “You can certainly become a doctor. You have the brain and the knowledge necessary for the job. I’m not sure I’m now fit for the job of an earl. I need help reading sometimes. Doctors don’t understand the cause of my seizures. I don’t expect people to understand them, either.”
“People always fear what’s different and not easy to understand. Your condition doesn’t impair your cognitive ability. Look at the progress you’ve made. It’s incredible.”
She was talking like a doctor again. Good.
“From experience, I know people don’t care about my cognitive ability. They think my seizures are the result of madness at best and witchcraft at worst. Many people think I’m not sane in the head.” He tilted his head. “Which I guess is true, in a way.”
She moved her hand closer to his. “Yes, some people would lock you up in an asylum only because you can’t control the seizures.”
“Trust me, sometimes I wish I were locked up in an asylum, too. At least my life would be simpler.”
“You don’t mean that.”
