“James is a good man,” Mother began firmly. Callum interrupted.
“It was certainly noble of him to seduce my betrothed right in front of me. That is certainly the action of a morally superior person.”
His mother blinked. That, at least, seemed to make her see sense for a moment. Callum inclined his head. Though he had said the words simply to contradict his mother, they were accurate.
“You know,” he said, turning to Harriet. “I think I might go and talk to James. I think he might have something to tell me.”
As he strode down the hallway, Harriet beside him, their mother’s dire warnings about not making a scene still ringing in their ears, Callum tensed. James was coming up the hallway towards them. Philippa was with him.
They were chatting together, clearly in good spirits, and when they saw Callum and Harriet, they fell quiet. James bowed low.
“Lady Harriet! Callum, old chap. I did want to apologise, but...”
“I would not wish you to apologise,” Callum said carefully. “For then you might have to tell me what, exactly, you are apologising for.”
James frowned. “But, Callum, surely that is obvious?” he asked in a soft tone. “I am apologising for the pain that I have caused.”
“Why, pray, when that was precisely your intent?” Callum asked.
“I say!” James began, his face flushing. Philippa held up a slim hand.
“I would like to know what you mean,” she said in a thin, even tone to Callum. Callum shrugged.
“I believe you already know. However, should you wish to explain, I invite you both to the Green Room to do so.” The Green room was something akin to a parlour downstairs, so called because of the green curtains. It was the one room in the house where nobody was likely to overhear what they said.
“This is preposterous,” James blustered. Philippa, though, seemed calm. She walked ahead, leading the way down the stairs.
Callum walked with Harriet, a little behind James, who, though he seemed reluctant to go, nonetheless walked down the stairs with Philippa to the entranceway. They turned left at the library, entering the small, warm room that their parents had sometimes used for informal gatherings. Callum shut the door.
“What exactly do you think you are doing?” James demanded as Callum stood in front of them, arms folded.
“I think you are aware that you have something to tell me?” Callum inquired.
“You’re being ridiculous,” James blustered, but Harriet interrupted.
“I heard you. You said that you were glad that you had made a fool of my brother, made him suffer like you wanted to. I heard you!” she said firmly.
James’ eyes widened. His cheeks turned an ugly shade of red and he rounded on Harriet. Callum stepped in front of him.His hand made a fist. He took a deep breath, trying to resist the temptation to hit the man. James paled.
“I suggest that you do not turn your ire on my sister. Do not dare.”
James went quiet. Philippa spoke up.
“I think perhaps Harriet has misunderstood. Yes, my cousin was pleased to have hurt your feelings, but that stems from childish jealousy,” she said smoothly. James whipped around, a surprised expression on his face as he stared at her, but she shrugged and looked at Callum appealingly.
Callum winced. That was altogether too possible. James probably had been jealous—though that was the first time he had heard about it—and the words Harriet heard could easily be interpreted that way. He turned away. He had longed for Harriet’s story to be true. But he was left to believe the evidence of his own eyes, and that was that she was mistaken. Philippa must be right about what she had heard.
“There is nothing to say,” he began, but Harriet interrupted them, voice high-pitched.
“Wait! Wait! You said that James was pleased because he was jealous. But that isn’t what he said. He didn’t say that. He said he was pleased because the plan worked as he intended. That theplanto humiliate and hurt my brother had worked. That means it wasn’t an accident. It was intended to hurt him all along.”
Callum caught his breath. James gasped. Philippa turned on Harriet, gaze icy.
“She is lying,” Philippa began, looking at Callum, but he shook his head. He had been prepared to forgive them, to believe Philippa’s words about James having been jealous of him. But her response changed that.
“My sister,” he said thinly, “does not lie. I think you are the one with little regard for the truth. And I want to hear what really happened.” He rounded on James.
“You saw what you saw,” James said stubbornly. Philippa was silent.
