“Indeed.” George rubbed his forehead. “I mean to get to the bottom of this story. I promise.”
“I don’t understand. What does Winchester have to do with the Russians? You can’t possibly think he’s behind the bombing.”
“He has been a thorn in our side from the beginning. First, he accused your father of cheating him out of a deal, although it was his fault. Then, he refused to sell Easthollow,even when we offered to share the railway with his company.” George lowered his voice. “Then I saw him shaking hands with the Russian anarchists, and now a bomb conveniently goes off during the inauguration of our new locomotive model. It could be a coincidence, but we’re businessmen. We don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Speculations.” He folded the piece of paper.
“Speculations that make sense.”
“Lady Effie was at the station. Winchester wouldn’t risk her life.”
George drummed his fingers on the table. “True. But as I said, I’ll investigate the matter.”
The smellof chlorine pinched Tristan’s nostrils when he entered St. Bartholomew’s Hospital with George.
Yesterday, his nose hadn’t worked properly after the blast, but now, the pungent scent reached his lungs.
“I can’t believe Rowan almost died.” George shook with either rage or worry. Maybe both.
“I hope he’ll be able to walk normally again.”
Grey sunlight added a layer of sadness to the hospital corridor. The shiny sunlight from yesterday had vanished, as if the sun hid in mourning behind the clouds.
Rowan lifted his head an inch when Tristan walked into the room. The mild disinterest in his face turned into an expression of relief the moment George appeared.
“Uncle George!” Rowan sat bolt upright.
George rushed past Tristan to hug Rowan. They held each other, crying together.
George kept repeating, “My boy.”
“I was scared,” Rowan said, resting his head on George’s shoulder.
“So was I.” George held him again. “We’ll go home soon and do everything to make you recover as quickly as possible.”
They kept chatting and comforting each other, laughing now and then.
He didn’t get closer to the bed. He stood aside, again feeling as if he were intruding in a private moment. Rowan and George were a family, and he wasn’t sure he was part of it.
