Page 22 of A Rogue to Forget

“For goodness sakes,” his mother exclaimed. “This is not a topic for a dinner conversation.”

“Do you not see how very interesting this all is?” his father asked.

As expected, his mother gave them each a pointed look before stating the obvious. “This has nothing to do with our family. Delving into matters such as this can be dangerous. Do you wish for harm to come to us? Some things are best left to the authorities.”

“I am only providing assistance by studying the facts,” his father replied, his tone filled with pride. “They very much need the opinion of an expert in rational studies.”

Henry looked at his plate to keep from chuckling.

“And you?” his mother asked. “What exactly is your interest in this?”

For a moment, Henry had to ask himself the same question. Why was he so invested?

“Hannah is my friend. I found her father…”

His mother held up a hand to stop him from speaking. “That does not make you responsible for the lass. She has the support of the Murrays and the MacLeods. It is much more than people of her social standing could ever hope for.”

He bit back the annoyance he felt at his mother’s estimation of Hannah.

“She is a good person, Mother. I admire her greatly.”

“Do not allow this admiration to be more than that. You are not about to ruin everything by setting your sights on someone who is not of our social class.”

His mother was a kind person who worked tirelessly to help the impoverished in the city. And yet did she ever really notice them?

“I find it hard to reconcile your works for the needy with your predisposition against those that have less than us.”

Lady Campbell sighed and shook her head. “I have higher aspirations for you son, that is all.”