“I do not frighten little children.”
“That is up for debate,” Mr. Moore said with a smirk on his lips, “but I am trying to right a wrong I made long ago.”
Greydon cocked his head. “What wrong are you trying to correct?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mr. Moore replied, brushing his question aside. “The point being- Matthew’s death was not your fault.”
“How in the blazes did you know about Matthew?” Greydon demanded.
“You didn’t think I would agree to work with you without digging into your past a little, did you?” Mr. Moore questioned.
Greydon had to admit that his opinion of Mr. Moore improved, but he didn’t dare admit that out loud. “And what did you discover?” he asked dryly.
“That you are just as broken as I am.”
With a shake of his head, Greydon said, “I am not broken- at least, not anymore. I have a purpose now.”
“I must assume you are referring to Lady Enid.”
“I am.”
Mr. Moore turned his gaze towards the window. “I was in love once and it ended very poorly.” His words were resigned.
Greydon didn’t quite know what to say so he settled on, “I’m sorry.”
“I am not against love, mind you, but I just don’t believe everyone is fortunate enough to find that one person they simply can’t live without.” Mr. Moore shifted his gaze towards him, and his eyes shone with sadness. A sadness that could only come from an experience that altered him somehow. “Marriage isn’t about simply falling in love once and being done with it. It is about loving someone until the end of your days and growing that love endlessly.”
Mr. Moore offered him a weak smile and continued. “I did not mean to preach to you about love. You know it better than I do.”
There was something about how Mr. Moore said his words that caused him to pause. “I don’t believe that to be true,” he remarked.
“I knew it once, but that is in the past. And I would prefer to keep it there.” Mr. Moore’s words brooked no argument.
Greydon was smart enough to leave well enough alone, especially when it came to matters of the heart. He wouldn’t want Mr. Moore to pry into his relationship with Lady Enid. No, it was best if he let the man be.
But he did have one thing that needed to be addressed before they arrived at Lady Charlotte’s townhouse. And it was important.
“I do believe that my brother intended to divorce his wife,” Greydon revealed. “He even went so far as to draft up a divorce contract for Harriet to sign. She claims she talked him out of it but I have my doubts.”
Mr. Moore furrowed his brow. “You are only telling me this now?”
“I just discovered it yesterday,” Greydon defended. “Phineas also made promises to Lady Charlotte.”
“What kind of promises?”
“He told her that he planned on marrying her,” Greydon revealed.
The coach came to a stop, effectively ending their conversation. The door was opened and Greydon followed Mr. Moore out of the coach.
“We are decided, then,” Mr. Moore started. “You will let me do the talking.”
“You seem to forget that I am a skilled investigator.”
“And I argue for a living,” Mr. Moore countered.
Greydon knew they would get nowhere if they remained on the pavement so he decided to propose a compromise. “I will allow you to take the lead on this, but I can’t promise I won’t ask any questions.”
Mr. Moore considered him for a moment before bobbing his head. “Very well. I can agree to those terms.”
