When the butler appeared once more, pale and gaunt, there was something terribly off-putting about the man as he glanced between all of them with his rather beady eyes. “You required something, sir?”
It was the least respectfulsirshe’d ever heard in her life.
“We,” the viscount said, his voice ringing with authority that brooked no rebellion, “require that our guests, Miss Fortune and her companion…?”
“Forgive me, my lord,” Caris said. “Miss Grace Burnham.”
“Miss Fortune and Miss Burnham are to be shown to the gold suite and they are to be assigned a maid to assist them with whatever they require while in residence… a pleasant maid, Sellersby. Not one of your crows,” the viscount finished.
And with that, Caris and Grace left the drawing room, following the wisp of a butler, who still managed to project an air of menace, to the room that was to be theirs for the duration.
Chapter Two
By the timeMiss Fortune and Miss Burnham joined them in the conservatory for tea, the Denworthys had arrived. And, as always whenever they arrived, chaos followed.
“Must we stay in the drafty old place, Mr. Fitzsimmons?” Amaris Denworthy Ashton asked with a greatly put upon sigh. “It’s positively wretched here.”
“Then perhaps you should have considered that before packing your stepmother here with a shrew of a nurse to care for her and not a soul to provide any actual companionship for her,” Felix said with no small amount of bite.
Amaris simply looked at him nonplussed. “How very droll you are, Grimsleigh. Of course, we did not simply pack her off here as you suggest. We encouraged her to make use of her family home and to leave the townhouse for people who actually needed to be in town! Why, our dear stepmother had not been in society for years!”
“Because she was ill. Terribly ill and growing more so by the day!”
Felix looked up to see Miss Fortune standing at the entrance, her face etched with fury as she stared at the other woman. In truth, she and Amaris were not that far apart in age. Amaris might be a few years older than her, but in terms of maturity they were eons apart. Amaris would never grow up because shewould never have to. She would die a spoiled child even if she lived to be one hundred.
“Oh, look! The servants are joining us,” Amaris all but cooed. It was a warning, like the hiss of a serpent before it struck.
“I’m not your servant. I never worked for you… nor would I,” Miss Fortune snapped. “And you may poke your fun at me all you wish, but one day you will have to answer to a far greater authority for all that you did to Mrs. Denworthy. And no doubt to others, as well.”
“Let us not draw blood! Sheath your claws, ladies,” Archibald, the eldest of the Denworthy siblings urged though it was clear he enjoyed the friction. “We are all stuck under this miserable roof for the night. Might as well make the best of it. Do introduce me to your friend, Miss Fortune. She’s a remarkably stunning creature!”
“Keep a civil tongue, Denworthy,” Mr. Fitzsimmons warned, his tone hinting at the hot temper simmering beneath the surface.
“Stand down, Mr. Fitzsimmons… And that’s quite enough from you, Archibald. I’ll not have guests chased through the halls by some half-witted and self-styled lothario,” Felix admonished.
Archibald made a slight moue of distaste, as if the very notion of having his behavior curtailed was as distasteful to him as being reprimanded would be to a small child. Of course, Archibald was very much like a small child, so that certainly would explain a great deal. The truth was, not a single one of the Denworthy siblings could be considered a decent human being. They were all self-serving, selfish, spoiled, dishonest, disreputable, and thoroughly irritating. Alistair was at least quiet, if nothing else. Odd—disturbing on many levels—but quiet. There was something to be said for that.
Felix took note of the fact that Miss Fortune did give Alistair quite a wide berth. It seemed as if he disturbed her as well. Why that was, he would not hazard a guess. But he had a sinking feeling that if he did know the answer, it would be infuriating. Some things were best left unknown; at least then he would not be required to act upon them.
Still, they were in for a very long and difficult evening, and no doubt, once the contents of his aunt’s will were disclosed, things would get infinitely worse. He hoped that Miss Caris Fortune and her companion were prepared for all that might follow. He certainly was not.
As the afternoon wore on, they all drank their tea and ate the biscuits that had been prepared by the cook—dry as tinder and nearly as tasteless—but it kept everyone from talking, and that was, at least in his opinion, a boon.
When tea was done, everyone began to disperse, returning to their rooms or to other areas of the house where they might do whatever it was they all did when not in one another’s company. But as she was leaving the room, Felix called out, “Miss Fortune, if you don’t mind, I would like to have a word with you, if you please.”
She turned, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Certainly, my lord, I am happy to speak with you.” Then, to her companion, she said, “Grace, would you mind waiting for me in the corridor? I’m certain that Mr. Fitzsimmons would be happy to keep you company in the interim.”
Felix noted that it was very wise of her not to send her companion out there alone—not with Archibald and Alistair running wild in the place. Heaven knew what they would get up to.
When they were alone in the conservatory, he looked at her and said, “Did my aunt ever speak to you about the contents of her will?”
“No, my lord, she did not. I had no notion that she had left anything for me. I do hope that it isn’t something that would be of concern to other members of the family. I do not wish to fight with anyone over a small request, or even a large bequest, if it comes to that. But I would like to honor her wishes, if possible.”
Felix nodded. “Her wishes were quite generous for you, Miss Caris Fortune. She had great plans for you, I think—had she been permitted to continue living out her life in town. Alas, she was not, and… so she took a different route to securing your future, if you will. I hope that when the will is read, you will keep that in mind—that she was trying very much to secure your future. And please greet whatever contingencies she has placed upon you with an open mind.”
Miss Fortune stared at him in confusion. “Do you know what the contents of the will are, then?”
He took a steadying breath. “I do. But I do not feel comfortable disclosing it just yet. I want to wait for Mr. Fitzsimmons to share that information with everyone at one time. It will be shocking for everyone, and I daresay there will be quite a commotion when it comes about. Are you prepared for that, Miss Fortune?”
