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“His Grace was kind enough to escort me out,” Mei said hastily. The idea that she and a duke were a pair together! Really! Sometimes the Duke and Duchess of Clarence did not seem entirely aware of their place in Society—or, more to the point, they were unaware of her place compared to theirs. “I was just visiting your wife.”

“As was I.” The Duke of Bolton had become grimmer, and she remembered why he’d come to see his sister in the first place. Now he needed to face her husband with the revelation that the Duchess of Bolton had returned to London. “I do need to speak with you as well.”

“Ah, serious stuff it looks like.” Despite his statement, the Duke of Clarence’s smile only slightly dimmed. “Let’s to the library then. Miss Hu.”

“Your Grace.” She curtsied deeply to both of them and then headed straight for the door where a footman was waiting to open it for her. As she stepped out into the sunlight, as the day was turning out to be rather nice, she let out her breath and gave herself a shake.

It was time to get her head out of the clouds and back to work. It was very important to get the Duke of Bolton married as quickly as possible. She did not need any complications to her life, such as developing some kind of more-than-friendly feelings for one of her clients.

What a horrible mess that would be.

5

Sebastian

Once they were ensconced in the library, door closed, drinks in hand, Sebastian finally admitted to Gregory why he’d come to visit, Tiffany’s reaction, and then Miss Hu’s suggestion of a house party. Unlike Tiffany, Gregory was not so calm about the news. The smile dropped from his normally cheerful face, and he jumped to his feet, pacing and cursing the air blue before finally dropping back into his seat, where he slumped and glowered at Sebastian.

“You resemble Zachary more than yourself,” Sebastian quipped, referencing their most brooding friend. Zachary also had the most reason to brood, so it was nothing more than a teasing acknowledgment of reality and an attempt to lighten the mood just a touch. Sebastian was not very skilled at the latter—it was usually Gregory’s role to provide some cheer to the proceedings.

“Yes, well. The news that your mother has returned to London has me feeling more like Zachary than myself.” Gregory glared at him. “How could you allow this to happen?”

“I did not. I thought…” His voice trailed off. The truth was, as soon as his mother was out of Bolton House, he had not thought much about her at all. He had not wanted to. Any thoughts about her had brought a well of guilt with it. Guilt over how she’d treated Tiffany. Guilt over banishing her to her least favorite of the ducal properties.

Guilt because his punishment for her simultaneously felt like both too much and not enough. There was nothing more he could have done that he could think of. And at the same time, whenever he’d thought of her, knowing how miserable and lonely she must have been at the Grange, without her creature comforts, without her friends… he’d wondered if he’d been overly harsh. Yet he doubted Gregory or Tiffany would feel very forgiving of him if he’d been more lenient. And at the time he’d sent her away, he’d felt very validated in his decision. It was only afterward that he’d begun to second-guess himself.

So, once she was gone, it had been easier not to think of her at all.

“I know, I know. I should not be surprised she is uncontrollable. She has always been headstrong.” Gregory eyed him. “And I do know she was a good mother to you.” The way he said it emphasized the fact that she had not been a good mother to Tiffany. Another thing Sebastian felt guilty about, even though that was hardly something he had any hand in.

“I did make her promise to apologize. And if she does anything, I will send her right out to the country again, even if I have to drag her kicking and screaming to the carriage myself.” The very idea made him feel sick, but he also knew he would do it. If he absolutely had to. God, he hoped he never had to. Why couldn’t his mother just be more cooperative? “Hopefully, it will not come to that. Not too many ladies would be eager to marry a man who bodily hauls around his own mother in disgrace.”

“If it comes down to it, we’ll do it together, in the middle of the night,” Gregory promised him. “Perhaps Rose can give us something to dose her with.”

Miss Rose Belle was the illegitimate cousin of the now Duchess of St. Albans, and she was a dab hand with potions, poultices, and other remedies. A simple sleeping draught should be easy enough for her. Sebastian wished he’d thought of that earlier. Though… shouldn’t he be willing to give his own mother a second chance?

Still. If it became necessary, he was reassured by remembering that Rose might provide some assistance. She was friends with Tiffany, as was her cousin, so hopefully they’d be willing to help for Tiffany’s sake if not his.

“I might very well call upon you at some point for that,” Sebastian muttered. Then gave himself a shake. “I truly do hope it will not be necessary.”

“Because your mother is truly repentant?” Gregory appeared dubious, as he should be.

“Because she truly missed being here for the social whirl and will not want to risk a second banishment.” Sebastian rubbed his chin. “It is possible she is sorry as well, though. She did agree to apologize after all.”

Gregory snorted and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling.

“I admit, I thought you must need to talk to me about Heywood. I think I would have preferred that, especially if you had news.”

“When would I have had the time to ride out to my estate?” Sebastian gave his friend a bemused look. As much as he wanted to chase down the only real clue they had to their fathers’ murders, it was equally important that no one suspect they were searching for the culprit. The ton thought the gunpowder explosion and subsequent fire that had killed eight dukes at once was an accident… their sons now knew better.

They’d lost Sinclair not long after their fathers, but the remaining seven had been hunting for the murderer since even before Gregory and Tiffany were married, only to uncover what appeared to be a vast web of participants. First, Gregory’s steward fled into the night when he realized his hand in events might be uncovered, leaving behind only a note. Gregory’s father had raped the steward’s niece, impregnating and traumatizing her, and he’d wanted revenge for her sake.

According to him, he had not realized the full extent of plans, and in his note, he’d warned Gregory about being seen searching for answers.

So far, all efforts to track down the steward had been for naught, but another clue had recently been uncovered when Matthew, Duke of St. Albans, had married Lady Johanna. Miss Rose Belle had learned her craft from Lady Johanna’s mother, and she had sold the steward sleeping draughts, only a few weeks before the untimely deaths of the dukes.

Another man had come to fetch the draughts, one with a distinctive scar running down his face, and Tiffany had recognized his description immediately upon hearing it. Aaron Heywood was now in Sebastian’s employ, back in the stables at Somersham Hall, the main estate home. While Sebastian had not been at home as much, Tiffany and their mother had lived there until it was time for her debut this Season.

“The Hall is only a two-hour ride from my home. There should be at least one day…”