“She was the last person to see him alive,” Greydon said. “What if she stabbed him and fled before you arrived?”
Lady Eugenie shook her head vehemently. “No, Lottie would not have done that. She was happy about the baby and couldn’t wait to tell Phineas.”
“What if Phineas did not share in her excitement?” Enid asked. “It might have led her to do something drastic.”
“You are wrong,” Lady Eugenie said as she pulled back on her hand.
“But what if we aren’t?” Enid insisted.
Rising, Lady Eugenie walked over to the window and stared out. “I must protect Lottie, at all costs.”
“At the risk of your own life?” Enid asked.
“So be it,” Lady Eugenie replied.
Enid cast Greydon a helpless look and he decided he needed to try a different tactic on Lady Eugenie. He needed to earn her trust or else they would get nowhere. It would be best if he tried to sympathize with her.
Greydon uncrossed his arms. “I understand the desire you have to protect your sister. It is something that is engraved inside of you. It is your purpose.”
“Yes, that is right,” Lady Eugenie said as she turned to face him.
“But we need to know everything about that day, no detail is too small. The more information you give us, the more we can help you,” Greydon advised. “We want to help you, and your sister. We are not trying to condemn anyone.”
Lady Eugenie pressed her lips together and it looked as if she were going to refuse his request. After a long, drawn-out moment, she sighed. “I went to Phineas’ apartment with the intention of asking him to break things off with my sister. Lottie fancied herself in love with him and I knew it would only end badly for her, and him. When I arrived, I found a knife sticking out of his chest. I swear I did not kill him.”
Greydon had made it a habit to know when people were lying to him. It was a matter of life or death for him, and he had gotten very good at it. But it was the way that Lady Eugenie held his gaze, without hesitation, that he knew she was telling the truth.
“I believe you,” he said.
Lady Eugenie looked pleased by his admission. “Lottie adored Phineas and hung on to his every word,” she shared. “I knew there was no point in reasoning with her. She had the ill-conceived notion that she would one day become Phineas’ wife.”
Greydon cocked his head. “But he was already married.”
Lady Eugenie shrugged. “That is what I told my sister as well, but I couldn’t seem to convince her of it. I don’t know what kind of promises Phineas made to her, but she believed him, wholeheartedly.”
Enid interjected, “It wouldn’t be the first time someone lied to control another person.” Her voice was sad.
Lady Eugenie’s face softened. “I’m sorry. You know that all too well.”
The door flew open and it banged up against the wall, startling the ladies. Bourne stepped into the room and announced, “Your time is up.” The guard went to grab Lady Eugenie’s arm and yanked her out of the seat. “We need to get her back before she is missed by the other guards.”
Enid rose. “Wait. We need more time with her.”
Bourne scoffed. “Just be grateful for the time you got to spend with her,” he declared as he led Lady Eugenie out of the room.
Greydon approached Enid and said, “She will be all right.”
Enid didn’t look convinced. “We need to get her out of here.”
“I agree, but it would be wise if we departed before anyone else notices our presence,” Greydon said as he offered his arm.
As Enid took his arm, Greydon could see that her shoulders were slumped slightly. He had no doubt that she knew what an impossible situation they found themselves to be in. Even if they were able to prove that Lady Eugenie didn’t kill Phineas- and that was a big “if”- he knew that she would never turn on her sister. It didn’t matter what the facts were. This was a matter of the heart. And that was much more complicated to decipher.
The rain fell against the windows as Greydon sat at the desk in the study. He had just returned from Phineas’ funeral, and he was emotionally exhausted. It had been one thing to know his brother was gone, but it had been entirely another thing to say goodbye.
The chapel had been filled with London’s best, who had come to offer their condolences at the loss of one of their own. But he would gladly wager his inheritance that there wasn’t a genuine mourner amongst them. Phineas wouldn’t have cared either. He would have just wanted a big show. It had always been about appearances to his brother.
Greydon’s stomach rumbled as he tried to get some work done. He had decided to forego his midday meal because he’d found he wasn’t in the mood to eat. He just needed to keep his mind occupied, which was proving to be nearly impossible.
