Once Lady Simon was seated, she gave the first smile Mary had seen on her face. “I thank you as well. I hope we meet again.”
Kit closed the door, tapped on it twice, and the carriage started down the mews. “A good day’s work.”
“I do hope we hear from either them or Lady Theo that they arrived in England safely.”
Snaking his arm around Mary’s waist, he grinned. “That was extremely inventive of you to feign illness.”
“I’m not as clever as you think. I suddenly thought of what would have happened if my cousin had ever got hold of me. He may not be old, but the prospect was equally nauseating.”
“Which reminds me, I need to write to my father with our marriage announcement, and you should write to your brother. I daresay he would like to know you’ve wed.”
A burble of laughter escaped her. “Poor Barham. He’s been kept so much in the dark, he’s completely baffled. I received a letter from him after your father wrote to him, and never did write back.” The marriage announcement was somewhat problematic. “What will you put in thePost?”
“Only that we have wed. As you know, my mother has been putting around a story about my leaving Town. I have no idea what she’s said, but knowing her, it will have been vague enough to match any ending.”
Her mother-in-law sounded like a splendid lady. “I look forward to meeting her.”
He held her a bit closer. “She dearly wants to meet you as well. I almost wish we could go straight to Town.”
“No, it’s better to wait until the Little Season. There will not be so many questions, and Diana Brownly will be either safely married or back home.”
Kit and Mary had reached the terrace and entered through the library. He held the door open for her. She stepped in and stopped.
“Uncle Hector, what are you doing here?” Mary exclaimed in the loudest, most strident tone Kit had ever heard her use.
Lord Titus and a gentleman around the same age, or perhaps a bit older, rose.
Lady Theo glanced between Mary and her uncle. “Hector is a petrologist. I meant to tell everyone we’d have another guest, then with all the bother concerning my brother, I must have forgot. I take it you are related?”
Kit pulled out his quizzing glass to intimidate the man if he proved to be a problem. Mary’s uncle was a tall, slender man in his middle age. Touches of white interlaced with the light brown hair at his temples. A pair of spectacles perched on the end of his nose. He glanced up from a map they had been studying. As innocuous as he appeared, this was the man who was responsible for making his wife’s life hell during the past few years.
Hector Tolliver pushed the glasses up onto the bridge of his nose. “Mary.” He smiled benignly. “How wonderful to see you.” His brows pulled together slightly in confusion. “But why are you here, my dear, and not in London for the Season?”
Mary’s chin rose defiantly. “I recently married.”
His brow cleared, and he smiled again. “That’s wonderful, and about time it is. Not that I would want you to wed just anyone to see it done. Did you marry Lord Huntley? Is that the reason you’re here?”
“No no, Hector,” Theo interpolated. “Huntley wed Lady CaroMartindale last autumn. Mr. Featherton, Viscount Featherton’s eldest, is Mary’s husband.”
Kit gave a shallow, stiff bow. “We married yesterday.”
“Splendid. I shall instruct my man of business to wind up the trust.” He nodded several times, more to himself than anyone else. “Still, I don’t understand why Barham didn’t contact me.”
Mary’s jaw dropped, then she shut it so hard her teeth clicked.
This whole conversation was deuced odd. The man acted as if nothing unusual had occurred. Kit cleared his throat. “The trust was ended last week, and the marriage settlements have been signed.”
“Eh?” Tolliver’s brows snapped together. “Did I miss your birthday, Mary? I thought the trust wound up next year. If so, I’m terribly sorry. I meant to particularly remember this one.”
“No, sir.” Kit had heard academics were forgetful, but this was outside of enough. “The trust was ended by court order. I imagine your solicitor will have sent word.”
Tolliver cocked his head to one side, reminding Kit forcibly of a large bird. “I don’t understand. What court case?”
“Oh dear,” Lady Theo said, rising. “Why don’t we all move to the sofas, and I shall ring for tea, and . . . perhaps something stronger.”
She tugged the bell-pull and shooed them all to the area near the fireplace. Kit and Mary sat on a loveseat, which faced a larger sofa.
He placed his lips close to her ear. “I have a feeling this is not at all what we thought.”
