Laughing, Lucien released Leah, and she was bombarded by Eve, then Celeste, and then Emery, all of whom insisted on hugging her for at least a minute each.
“We missed you so much,” Celeste said, when at last they had all released her.
“Don’t ever go away again,” Eve said.
“I’ll try not to,” Leah said with a laugh. It felt so good to see her siblings and to be back in her brother’s townhouse. The parlor looked exactly the same, and the feeling of nostalgia it filled her with was powerful.
She and Dorian had returned from the countryside the night before, and the first thing she had done this morning was call on her family. Now, as her sisters pulled her over to the couch to fill her in on all the gossip she’d missed, she vowed never to leave them again.
This is where I belong. Surrounded by family. And if I can’t give birth to my own, then I want to be with the one I was born into.
For half an hour, the sisters gossiped, drank tea, and asked her a million questions about married life. It was only once their curiosity had been satisfied did Leah get a moment of peace. Celeste was curled up with a book, while Eve read the gossip columns. Emery was embroidering, and Lucien was sitting in the corner, reading the paper.
Leah’s eyes lingered on her brother. If she were being honest, her reasons for coming to the house weren’t entirely so that she could reconnect with her sisters. She also had a few questions for Lucien.
Leah stood and crossed the room to where her brother was sitting, then sat down in the chair next to him. He lowered the paper and smiled at her.
“So how are you?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over her. “I know that Dorian is charming and gregarious in public, but I imagine being married to him is a little harder.”
“In some ways,” Leah hedged.
“He is the kind of person who talks a great deal but never actually tells you anything about himself.”
“Yes,” Leah said, her brows knitting together. “You’ve noticed that?”
“Of course I’ve noticed that. I’m his best friend.”
“What else have you noticed?” she asked.
Lucien raised an eyebrow. “Well, for a rake, I have never once actuallyseenhim with a woman. So I suppose I have my doubts about that as well.”
Leah laughed.Dorian is not so good at fooling people as he thinks he is.“I was actually wondering if you might be able to tell me something about my husband,” she said after a moment.
“What do you want to know?” He asked.
“Well…” She bit her lip. “He mentioned to me that he had a sister. And while he seemed glad to tell me about her, he alsosaid it was too painful for him to speak of for long. So while I want to ask him more questions, I don’t want to hurt him.”
Very slowly, Lucien nodded. “Yes,” he said at last. “He did have a sister. But she…”
“She died. He told me she died.”
“Yes. It was horrible. Many years ago, shortly after she was married.”
“Oh.” Leah made a mental note of this.Is this another reason Dorian is opposed to marriage? Does he associate his sister’s marriage with her death?Isit associated?
“Dorian does not like to speak about it. He did not even invite me to the funeral, although I told him I wanted to be there to support him.”
Despite herself, Leah felt her eyes begin to water. “That is very sad,” she murmured. “Do you know… do you know how she died?”
Lucien hesitated. Then he sighed and shook his head. “She drowned. It was apparently entirely preventable.”
Leah’s blood ran cold.No wonder he lost his mind when he saw me swimming!Nor had he ever accompanied her to the lake, although she had asked him about it again before they returnedto London. He’d maintained that the weather was too bad and that she would catch a cold. But now, she understood.
She shivered, and Lucien lay a comforting hand on her arm. “It was many years ago,” he murmured, as if this made it any better. “Although I know it must still affect him, I am also sure that he has healed … in at least some ways.”
But Lucien didn’t entirely look convinced.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said. But even as she said the words, she wished that it had been Dorian who had told her.
