“Of course I am,” he remarked with a smirk. “But I do wish you would recognize my genius on more occasions.”
“I said nothing about you being a genius.”
“You didn’t have to, but we both know you were thinking it.”
Enid smiled. “You are a cocky man.”
“Yet you still choose to spend time with me,” he teased. “What does that say about you?”
As she went to reply, the door opened and she closed her mouth. Bourne had a firm grip on Lady Eugenie’s arm as he led her into the room.
Bourne dropped Lady Eugenie’s arm and said, “You have ten minutes. Use them wisely.”
Greydon took in Lady Eugenie’s haggard appearance. Her eyes were red and swollen and her blonde hair looked no better than a rat’s nest. A film of dirt coated her fair skin and there was a pungent odor that had followed her into the room.
Enid seemed to have no reservations and closed the distance between them. She embraced Eugenie warmly and whispered, “I am so sorry this is happening to you.”
Lady Eugenie dropped her arms and stepped back. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she argued as she went to scratch her head. “I have lice and I do not want you to get it.”
“I have had lice before,” Enid said. “You need not worry about me.”
Greydon walked over to the table that sat in the middle of the room and pulled out the two chairs. He gestured towards them as he said, “We have much to discuss. Why don’t you both have a seat?”
After they had both sat down, Greydon crossed his arms over his chest, not knowing how this conversation would go. He needed to be direct but he didn’t want Enid to accuse him of being too forceful with his line of questioning. But he did not like being lied to.
He decided that the best course of action was to state what they knew and hope Lady Eugenie would fill in the gaps.
“We visited your sister, Lady Charlotte, yesterday,” he shared.
Lady Eugenie looked displeased by that news. “You shouldn’t have done that. Lottie knows nothing that would help me.”
“I think she knows more than she is letting on,” Greydon pressed.
“Lottie is just a young girl and can’t understand the complexity of the justice system,” Lady Eugenie attempted.
“She is not so little,” Greydon argued.
Lady Eugenie abruptly rose. “I would prefer not to talk about Lottie.”
Enid looked up at her friend. “Did Phineas know about the baby?”
Her face paled beneath the layer of grime. “What baby?” Lady Eugenie asked unconvincingly as she lowered herself back onto her chair.
“Lottie was rubbing her stomach, just as I did when I was pregnant with Marigold,” Enid told her. “We are assuming that Phineas is the father.”
Lady Eugenie’s eyes grew frantic. “You must not tell anyone or she could be ruined.”
Greydon huffed. “I do think her sister being accused of murder might have tarnished her reputation.”
“I told Lottie that I would protect her but I can’t do that from here,” Lady Eugenie said.
“No, but you can tell us the real reason why you went to visit my brother,” Greydon encouraged.
“For what purpose?” she asked. “If I tell the truth, then I could implicate my sister in all of this. That is something I do not want to do.”
Enid reached for Lady Eugenie’s hand. “I know you think you are doing what’s best for Lottie, but what happens if you are found guilty? You will be executed and what will happen to your sister?”
“I know what you are thinking and Lottie did not kill Phineas,” Lady Eugenie asserted.
