Page 12 of The Mad Marchams

“I’m still the same person,” he said quietly. “This doesn’t change that. My family is just like any other family with their good points and their bad. We don’t have to stay here for the entirety of your visit. Once I’ve settled things with my father, I swear we’ll be free to leave.”

She reclaimed his hand. “Then I guess we’d better go meet them all.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Colin said a silent prayer of thanks as Mabel kept walking toward the house with him. There had been a few dodgy moments, but so far, she’d taken it very well. If his relatives could remember to behave in a civilized manner, he might breeze through this. Oh God, they were never going to behave like that in a million years. He had no right bringing a complete stranger into this emotional minefield.

“Mabel.”

He only realized he’d stopped walking when her hand slipped out of his grasp, and she had to back up.

“Yes?”

“My family.”

She stared up at him, and he realized he couldn’t go on. How to put such a complex situation into a few well-chosen sentences of reassurance?

“Colin, my dad ran out on my mom the day after I was born. I have two half-sisters and three half-brothers from his other three women, two of whom he was apparently married to at the same time. One of my half-siblings was born on almost the same day as me in the same hospital. My father is an unapologetic, charming bastard. Our family get-togethers are always punctuated by at least one person getting drunk and starting a fight with him.” She smiled. “I get it. Families suck.”

He took a breath and then another one. His admiration for the diminutive woman standing in front of him growing with every minute. “All right, then. Let’s get it over with.”

He led her around to the side of the house where everyone usually came in and went out. The battered kitchen door was propped open with an old standing iron to allow easy access to the outside.

“Do you like dogs?” he asked Mabel.

“I’ve never had much to do with them, why?”

“Because we’re about to be surrounded.” There was the thundering sound of paws and the clack of claws on the flagstone tiles. “Just stay where you are and let me deal with them.”

Luckily, his father’s dogs were a well-trained bunch. Once they recognized him, they were quite happy to accept Mabel as well. She took the appearance of about ten hounds, spaniels, and labradors very well, patting heads and gently dissuading direct attacks on her crotch with the skill of a professional.

“Come on.” He reclaimed her hand and drew her deeper into the house. There was a distinct smell of damp and old drains that hadn’t been present the last time he’d visited. He suspected everything needed upgrading. Victorian sewage systems weren’t meant to last forever.

“Wow,” Mabel whispered. “There really is a green baize door.”

“It separates the old servants’ quarters from the family rooms.”

“I know that. I watch Downton.”

She pronounced it like the American pronunciation of “downtown,” which made him want to smile. He pushed open the green baize door, and the plain cream walls and flagstones disappeared to be replaced by black and white tile, long windows, and ghastly green silk wallpaper that badly needed replacing, as did almost everything in the house. A faint murmur of voices sounded from down the hallway.

“They’ll be in the breakfast parlour.”

Two of the dogs trotted ahead of him as he mentally girded his loins. The door was ajar, so he pushed it open and walked in.

“Good Lord! Colin!” His grandmother’s voice rose over everyone else’s.

Colin scanned the table, noted his father’s absence, but saw that, unfortunately, two of his siblings sat at the table.

“Grandmother.” He forced his usual airy smile. “It’s so nice to see you. May I introduce Mabel Howard?”

“Howard?” His grandmother frowned at Mabel over the top of her glasses. “One of Richard’s gels from the castle?”

“No, she’s not,” Colin said firmly.

“I’m from California,” Mabel piped up. “It’s so cool to meet you all.”

“Cool? Whatever does that mean?” his grandmother asked.