“He is proving the most elusive of the lot.” Lord Gray shook his head. “And truthfully, I fear your involvement in that case would only complicate things. I need you to keep a clear head and not get too emotional. But if you were helping us find your father-in-law, I fear that wouldn’t be possible.”
James would have argued, except he certainly hadn’t kept a clear head in the past few minutes.
“All right,” he grunted.
“Very well.” Lord Gray smiled secretly. “And perhaps…”
“What?”
“Perhaps this assignment can help distract you from whatever happened to sour your mood.”
James might have been offended by the Magistrate’s presumptuousness if he did not agree wholeheartedly—finding a way to secure the evidence against Farrell was exactly the distraction he needed from the memory of Violet’s kiss.
Chapter Eighteen
“My dear, where is your husband?” Lady Carfield asked as she sat down on a chair next to Violet, who was sorting through another bookcase. “I haven’t seen him in several days.”
Violet looked up, surprised by her mother’s presence. She had been so focused on organizing that she hadn’t even heard her enter the library.
It was a very good question. Violet had not seen her husband for a couple of days, ever since their kiss, and she couldn’t fault her mother for asking. However, her stomach turned at the thought of James, and she had to clench her jaw and look away.
“He is staying at his apartment in The Albany,” she replied stiffly.
“Really?” Lady Carfield sounded surprised and concerned. “And why is he doing that?”
Violet swiped a palm over her sweaty brow and turned back to her mother. “I believe he thinks it will be easier for him to conduct his business from there. It is closer to the headquarters of Scotland Yard as well as Parliament. And from what I understand, his crusade against Farrell—and the other criminal enterprises in the duchy—is taking a great deal of both legal and political bargaining. And with the number of hours he is spending there, it simply makes more sense for him to reside close by.”
He really had the perfect excuse.The perfect excuse to get away from me.
“I see.” Lady Carfield squinted at her as if trying to read the look on her face, but Violet kept her expression placid and cool. It wasn’t hard—she’d been doing it her whole life. “And how do you know all this?”
“He sent a note,” Violet explained.
The mere thought of his note, which had arrived shortly after he had fled the house, still made her angry. It had been cold and impersonal, informing her that he would be staying at The Albany until the business with the duchy was concluded.
“And before you ask, no, he didn’t say how long he’ll be staying there, as he doesn’t know how long it will take to clean up the duchy once and for all.”
“I certainly hope he returns home soon,” Lady Carfield said. “The house is not as lively without him, and you do not seem as happy.”
Violet bristled at the insinuation, not least of all because she knew it was true. “I’m happy! I don’t need my husband to be present in order to be happy.”
Lady Carfield tilted her head to the side and studied her daughter with motherly astuteness. “You’re not happy, Violet. A mother can tell. I can see it in your eyes when you look at his empty chair during dinner—I can see it on your face now.”
Violet scowled. “What would you know?” she snapped. “You have only been back in my life for a few months. You don’t know how to read my expression, and you certainly don’t know me well enough to decide what does and doesn’t make me happy.”
There was a short, tense silence during which she couldn’t quite meet her mother’s eyes. She hadn’t meant those words, but it was easier to be angry at her mother than to admit what was wrong.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Lady Carfield acknowledged. “Perhaps I missed too many years of your life to try and offer advice now.”
“No, you didn’t,” Violet sighed, taking her mother’s hand and looking her in the eyes. For the first time in two days, she felt her shoulders relax, but a lump formed in her throat. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. I apologize.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” her mother said gently. “It’s all right if you’re mad at me for abandoning you when you were young. You and I haven’t really had a chance to talk about it yet. Iris and I spoke, but you… Well, you have always been so tough, so reserved, that I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
“I’m not mad that you left us,” Violet clarified, squeezing her mother’s hand. “I understand why you did it. If I had to live with a man like Father… Well, I can understand the temptation.”
“But it was wrong of me to leave you behind,” her mother insisted.
Violet shook her head. “I’m not in a place to judge, Mama. Nor am I angry about what I’m sure was a very difficult choice. I spoke in anger just now, but I’m practical enough to know that sometimes we have to make the hard decision, even if it hurts people.”
