Lord William either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him because he went to lay down on the settee. He reached for a decorative pillow and positioned it under his head. “Go ahead and ask your questions,” he muttered with his eyes closed.
Lord Kendal tossed his hands up. “He is all yours,” he remarked before he departed from the room.
Greydon walked closer to the settee and said, “You lied to me about knowing Lady Charlotte. Why was that?”
“Did I?” Lord William asked, unconcerned. “Well, I suppose I didn’t think it was your business to know who Phineas spent his time with. Every man has a right to take a secret or two to the grave with him.”
As much as he wanted to press Lord William on that issue, he knew his next question was much more important. “Did you approach Lady Charlotte and try to bribe her to stay away from Phineas?”
“What’s it to you anyways?” Lord William asked.
“Indulge me.”
Lord William shifted his head on the pillow, his eyes remaining closed. “I don’t think I will,” he replied. “Phineas is gone. You should just let him rest in peace.”
“I’m trying to do just that.” He paused. “I am going to ask again- did you approach Lady Charlotte and try to bribe her?”
Silence.
And it was followed by a slight snore.
Good heavens! Had Lord William truly fallen asleep so quickly? Greydon refused to be dismissed so easily. He tossed his drink into Lord William’s face.
Lord William shot up in his seat. “What do you think you are doing?” he exclaimed.
“I thought it was fairly obvious,” Greydon said. “I want you to answer my question and I won’t ask nicely again.”
Reaching into his pocket, Lord William removed a white handkerchief and wiped his face. “This is not very becoming of you.”
“I care little of what you think about me.”
Lord William gave him an exasperated look. “Not that it is any of your business but Harriet asked me to kindly encourage Lady Charlotte to stay away from Phineas.”
“By bribing her?”
“Why not?” Lord William asked with a shrug of his shoulders. “But the dumb chit claimed she loved him and refused to leave him be.”
“Did you threaten her?”
Lord William narrowed his eyes. “I do not threaten ladies, and I resent the question. When she wouldn’t take the money, I told Harriet that I did all that I could.”
“How did she take the news?”
“She was angry, but what else could she do?” Lord William replied.
Greydon placed his empty glass down onto a table. “Have you been to Phineas’ apartment before?”
“I would go, quite frequently, in fact. It was the one place that my brother wouldn’t find me and nag me about wasting my life.”
“Did Harriet ever go with you?”
Lord William looked at him as if he were mad. “Why would Harriet ever sully herself by going to that apartment?”
“I was told that she visited the apartment before.”
“Whoever told you that is lying,” Lord William said. “Harriet is too much of a lady to ever go anywhere near that apartment.”
Greydon eyed him curiously. “Were you aware that Phineas knew about your liaison with Harriet?”
