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“Because of that, you have managed to gather some of the wealthiest and most powerful figures of the ton to your side.” Astrid smiled brilliantly. “And we are more than happy to use our resources to support a friend who has never asked for them.”

“I never wanted you to have to use them for me,” Mei mumbled, looking down at her lap. Even now, she felt the sheepish reluctance that overcame her every time she thought about it.

“Which is why you are the person truly deserving of them.” Astrid sat back against her seat. “Besides. This is going to be fun.”

Since Astrid delighted in anything that threw the ton into a tizzy, her words were not exactly reassuring.

Sebastian

Arriving home in London, Sebastian stepped into the foyer of Bolton House and looked around, his heart full, seeing it all as if anew. The London home he was going to share with Mei. He could not help but wonder what she thought of it… what changes she might want to make to turn the house into theirs. Doubtless his mother would protest, but…

Sebastian thrust his mother from his mind. Eventually, he was going to have to tell her of his engagement to Mei, but he wanted to put that moment off for as long as possible. Just because he was willing to face down armies for Mei did not mean he was eager to jump into battle with his mother, and he knew it was going to be a battle.

Especially after a long day of traveling.

“Welcome back, Your Grace,” Riggs said, coming up to take Sebastian’s coat.

“Thank you, Riggs. Ah, you have met all the members of my mother’s entourage that she brought with her from the Grange, have you not?” Sebastian asked, tugging on the sleeves of his jacket to pull them back into place.

“Of course, Your Grace.”

“Did any of them say anything to you about Harleen?”

“Ah… no, Your Grace.” The butler frowned. “Should they have?”

Pressing his lips together, Sebastian did not answer immediately because he was uncertain. It seemed very odd that not one of them would have mentioned Harleen’s death.

“Most of them were newly hired,” Riggs said slowly. “I assumed they had not had the opportunity to spend much time with Harleen before she fell ill.”

Sebastian wavered on whether to tell the other man that Harleen was dead. It seemed cruel to keep him in the dark, but on the other hand, he did not want to say anything to anyone before he’d had the chance to speak with his mother. He still did not know why she had not told anyone.

But why were there so many newly hired staff among his mother’s servants?

Blast. Tiffany would have noticed. He had not. Because he had not bothered to look. Just like he had not realized Aaron Heywood was among them.

“Are there any who are not new?” he asked.

“Three of them. A footman, though he was hired on just before your mother left for the Grange. The maid currently acting as her lady’s maid, Miss Posy Waitman. And one of her grooms, Aaron Heywood.”

The name made Sebastian’s heart jump in his chest, though he tried not to show his reaction. This was a good reason he could speak to the man who had once worked for the Duke of St. Albans, who might have wanted to take revenge on that duke and not cared about who else he hurt in the process.

“I want to speak with all of them, Mr. Heywood⁠—”

“Sebastian! You are back!” His mother’s voice filled the air like a sudden clap of thunder, cutting off Sebastian’s request to speak to Mr. Heywood first, making both Sebastian and Riggs jump in surprise. He spun around to see her coming from the drawing room, which he had not realized she was in. From the expression on his face before he covered it, neither had Riggs. “Perfect, you can escort me to Alice’s supper party.”

Lady Alice Tremaine was his mother’s closest friend, and it was hardly an unusual request, but certainly not on a day when he’d just returned from a long trip. Sebastian stared at his mother, who smiled back serenely. Was it just his imagination, or was there a glint of something in her dark eyes? She was dressed like the fashionable ton matron she was in a gown of dark green with thin black stripes that set off her complexion, and yet there was something off about her. Or perhaps Sebastian was just seeing her through new eyes?

Try though he might, he could not find a hint of grief in her expression. Nothing to indicate that she knew Harleen was dead.

Yet she did.

Perhaps she had run mad. That would explain her invitation.

“Mother, I cannot go anywhere tonight.” He spread his arms, inviting her to look at him. “I am barely returned from Tiffany’s house party.”

A shadow flickered across his mother’s expression, almost too quickly to be seen. She sniffed.

“Well, if you are too tired to escort your poor mother, I suppose I shall have to go alone… or if you are so exhausted, perhaps I should stay home and look after you. Though I was hoping to see you with Lady Louisa again this evening.” She smiled coyly at him. “The two of you make such a lovely couple, you know.”