Page 102 of A Match Made On Duchess Square

“Oh dear. Fiona never told me any of this.”

James shrugged. “Would you have agreed to act as my matchmaker had you known of this family history?”

“Possibly not,” she admitted, letting go of his hands. “I would have required some convincing that you were not similarly inclined to commit theft. But I do not believe Fiona would have introduced us if she had any concerns about you. Clearly, she trusted you and vouched for your good character.”

James grunted. “There’s more, Gwen.”

“There is?”

He nodded. “Fiona felt the impact of my sister’s madness.”

“She did?”

He arched an eyebrow. “I see this was another thing she did not tell you. Well, you shall hear it from me now, because I want no secrets or misunderstandings between us. I had invited her and Durham to supper one night shortly before the Bromleigh house party began. The invitation was in gratitude for their saving my sons when they got caught in a rip current in our cove. That’s how Jordan got the scar on his leg.”

“He mentioned that scar to me and was quite proud of it,” she said, casting him an indulgent smile. “I’m sure your heart was in your throat when he came home with that injury.”

“It was, but Durham and Fiona had taken excellent care of him and delivered him fully tended to. I had little to do beyond making certain his wound remained clean until it healed. But to continue our discussion about Cordelia…the dinner invitation. Durham and Fiona joined us one night. The evening was going well until I stepped out of the dining room. It was only for a minute or two, but Cordelia apparently went wild. My footmen told me all about it. She went on a rant, called Fiona a harlot, and began spouting biblical condemnations at her. She was insanely jealous of Fiona and thought her a threat to our family.”

“A threat? Why?”

“Fiona and Durham had not married yet. Cordelia got it into her head there was a possibility that I might woo her away from Durham and marry her.”

“And this scared your sister? She must have feared you would send her away once you remarried.”

He nodded. “Honestly, I do not know what ran through her mind at that moment. By the time Bromleigh’s house party drew to a close, it was evident Cordelia was not in her right mind. Her impulse to steal. Her delusional hatred of any female who got close to me. I was concerned she might harm my sons while under another crazed delusion.”

“Oh my goodness.” Gwendolyn had her hand over her heart.

He knew she cared deeply for his sons and could not imagine anyone wanting to harm them. “I had thought to place her in charge of their care,” he said with a dismal laugh. “Can you believe it? Even now, I shudder to think what she might have done to Robert or Jordan had they done something to displease her, or even done nothing.”

“Oh, James!”

“She’ll live out her days in the sanitarium,” he added, his expression quite deflated. “It isn’t far from here. I try to ride over once a week when I am at Milbury Hill. She has the best of care and seems at peace there. This is my deep, dark secret that wasn’t much of a secret at all. My sister is mad. I do not know of anyone else in the family lineage who ever suffered from this affliction. But now you know everything and can decide for yourself.”

Gwendolyn pursed her lips. “Fiona should have told me.”

“Perhaps she felt it was not her story to tell. She must have believed I would say something to you. After all, I was supposed to pour my heart out to you as my matchmaker.”

Gwendolyn folded her hands primly on her lap and looked down rather than at him. She appeared lost in thought. “Would you take me to see Cordelia?”

He groaned. “I don’t think it is a good idea. She is fine around men and matronly old ladies. In fact, she is thriving within her confined circle of staff and fellow patients. They have created an active society among themselves. But my bringing you along? No. Leave it alone, Gwen. She is happy to see me whenever I visit. But having you by my side will only overset her. She did not take well to Jessica, and went into a frenzy over Fiona. I do not allow my sons to visit her because I worry that her anger extends to them, too. I think she hates anyone she believes holds my heart.”

“That is quite serious.” She stood up, an indication she was ready to leave.

He rose as well. “It is. I cannot make light of it. But she is my sister and I will always do what I can to protect her and provide her the best care. Her physical health is beginning to fail now. Her memory is failing, too. She spends more and more time in bed. In truth, I am relieved. I suppose it is miserable of me to feel this way, but I am not saying this for myself. I hope that as her recollections fade, she will forget to be angry or jealous. I want her to find peace.”

Gwendolyn once again avoided meeting his gaze. “I must go.”

He could not blame her. He ought to have said something about Cordelia at their first meeting. He hadn’t.

And now he had lost Gwen. His heart was not going to recover from this loss.

He had fallen in love with her.

Madly and crazily in love, like a helpless schoolboy coming face to face with the woman of his dreams for the first time. This was how Gwendolyn made him feel, light and young again.

What made it worse was that she would now choose Andrew Clement, and that man was incapable of ever making her happy.