Her mother brushed past her and went to pick up Marigold. “Oh, my sweet child,” she cooed, lifting Marigold into her arms.
Enid had made a lot of mistakes in the past but they had all led her to right here. And that wasn’t such a terrible place to be.
ChapterEighteen
Greydon exited his coach in front of Lord William’s familial townhouse. It was a three-level whitewashed building with an iron fence surrounding the exterior.
He approached the main door and used the knocker to make his presence known. The door promptly opened and a short, balding man greeted him. “Good afternoon,” he said. “How may I help you, sir?”
Greydon removed a calling card from his waistcoat pocket and extended it towards the butler. “I would like to speak to Lord William.”
The butler accepted the card and nodded. “I shall see if he is available, my lord.”
“It wasn’t a request,” Greydon said firmly. He knew he was being rude but he didn’t have time for games. He needed to speak to Lord William and he wouldn’t be brushed aside.
The butler didn’t appear to be surprised by his gruff response. He just opened the door wide to allow him entry.
Greydon stepped into the entry hall and waited as the butler closed the door behind him.
“Wait here,” the butler ordered before he started walking down the hall.
As he admired the tapestries that hung on the wall, a familiar voice came from one of the rooms. “What a pleasant surprise. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Greydon turned his head and saw Lord William’s older brother, Lord Kendal, standing in the doorway. Though they had once been good friends when they attended Oxford, time had drifted them apart.
“Good evening, Kendal,” Greydon acknowledged.
Lord Kendal gave him a curious look. “Are you here to see me?”
“I am not,” he replied. “I need to speak to your brother.”
All humor was stripped away from Lord Kendal’s expression. “What did he do now?” he asked, his words dripping with criticism.
“I just have to ask him a few questions.”
Lord Kendal approached him, stopping a short distance away. “What is so urgent?” he asked. “Did you not just bury your brother?”
“I did, but there are a few things that are unresolved that I need to take care of,” he replied, his words intentionally vague.
“I suppose you will not tell me what those things are.”
“I will not.”
Lord Kendal smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You always were a man who preferred intrigue.” He gestured towards a room just off the entry hall. “Come have a drink with me while we wait for my louse of a brother.”
Greydon knew that one drink would do no harm so he tipped his head in acknowledgement. “I would be honored.”
He followed Lord Kendal into a room that had yellow-papered walls and ornate woodwork that ran the length of the room. Furniture of all types and sizes filled the small, rectangular-shaped room, making it rather cluttered.
Lord Kendal walked over to the drink cart in the corner and picked up the decanter. “I do apologize about the furniture but I haven’t had the heart to remove any of it since my mother died.”
“My condolences for your loss,” Greydon murmured.
Lord Kendal’s eyes roamed the room with pride. “My mother loved collecting antiques, much to the chagrin of my father,” he said. “He indulged my mother entirely too much.”
“My father was the same with my mother, although my mother preferred shopping along Bond Street.”
“Ah, yes,” Lord Kendal said as he poured two drinks. “Bond Street was a popular destination of my mother’s, as well.”
