Page 16 of The Last Warrior

When Lady Blair didn’t answer at once, Suzette persisted. “Did he have knowledge of this when he brought me here?”

“Yes, child. He did.”

“But he did not say a word to me about it.”

“I asked him not to utter a single word about it to you, for, at the time, I believed it would be better if I were to speak to you about it personally.”

“Better for whom?” Suzette asked. “Better for me? I am not certain I agree with you about this.”

“I understand. You are upset. It is to be expected. But, then, we are not asking for your agreement, are we?”

For the first time since Lady Blair had delivered this fait accompli, Suzette raised her gaze to meet the countenance of her elder. What she saw there was startling.

Had Lady Blair’s eyes always held a glimmer of spite? Was the flush which was almost constantly upon her cheeks more than a sign of ill health? Had her demeanor always been so arrogant? The tilt of her chin so haughty that she appeared to be sniffing something distasteful?

Fleetingly, Irena’s words of caution drifted through Suzette’s mind: He is ruled by his mother.

It is said that love is blind. Perhaps the saying was true. But if this were so, then she had been blinded not only by William, but by his mother as well.

She said, “You are wrong, Lady Blair. My grandmother is an upstanding woman. I am proud she is touring with the Wild West Show, and I am delighted she is able to provide entertainment which is moral and honorable.”

“I see.” Lady Blair’s mouth tightened. “Do you seek to contradict me in this, then?”

“Yes. I fear I must.”

Lady Blair raised the angle of her chin until she was practically staring down her nose at Suzette. Only then did she say, “Do you know who I am?” Her double chins quivered as she spoke.

“Oh, yes.” Suzette rose to her feet. “Indeed, I do. I now know who you really are. And for the first time in my acquaintance with you, Lady Blair, I am displeased with what I find.”

Lady Blair’s true character at last found outlet, and she pounded her hands on the arms of her chair as though it were the personage of the one who stood before her. “Of all the impertinence! I will not be spoken to in this⁠—”

“Pray do excuse me,” Suzette interrupted, “for I am certain you can have nothing more to say to me. And I, for my part, have nothing more to say to you.”

“Do be seated, girl. Though there might be cause for your anger, I am not so savage that I will not send for a servant to escort you back to your home.” Lady Blair’s anger found vent in a pretense of sweet sympathy.

“No, thank you. And do not bother with a servant, for I will seek out William. He will escort me.”

“Why, my dear girl, how unbecoming this is of you. Because you see, now the engagement is broken, the two of you must not be alone together. I would not think of it.”

“Still, I would like a word with William in private, thank you very much.”

With nothing more than an urgent need to escape Lady Blair’s presence, Suzette swept out of the room, finding William cowering on the opposite side of the door.

“Ah,” she said. How much of their conversation had he overheard? And why had he not been there to champion her? “There you are. I believe we have some matters to discuss. If you will accompany me to my home, let us put these affairs between us in order.”

That William shot an inquiring look toward his mother did not escape Suzette’s notice. However, she was not about to give mother and son a chance to conspire.

“Do come along,” Suzette said, taking hold of his arm, “for I have only recently become aware of a problem of some concern, and it is you I must divulge this to. I fear there is nothing else for it but for us to talk.”

William, realizing at last that he had no choice in the matter, faced up to his duty.

Chapter

Six

Colorado Territory

Three months later