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Rafe said, “She didn’t know. We each took an area. Gen got the stables. It’s hardly a plot against you, Brooke.”
Brooke’s face flamed hotter. “Oh, what is the matter with you? You’re always defending her. And she’s just...well, you know what she is.”
“Brooke,” Genny said carefully, levelly. “Don’t do this. Dial it down.”
Brooke fisted her hands at her sides, tipped her head back and let out a screech of pure fury. “I will not dial it down. Not when you’re trying to steal my son from me.”
“Brooke, dear...” Eloise tried to catch her hand.
Brooke jerked away and went right on. “You were born with so much. You had it all. But you just weren’t satisfied. You had to have more. Do you think you’re fooling anyone? Well, guess again. You’re not. We all know what you did.”
Rafe said, “Brooke. Stop.”
Brooke did no such thing. “All your scheming to get Edward to marry you went nowhere. So with him barely cold in the ground, you fell into bed with Rafe and got yourself pregnant to guarantee you’d get Hartmore after all.”
“Brooke!” Eloise gasped.
“That’s enough, Brooke!” Rafe shouted.
Brooke whirled and opened her mouth to shout right back at him.
But Geoffrey shouted first. “Mum, you leave Aunt Genny alone! She’s a good person and she loves us all very much and I only wish that she was my mum!”
“Oh, dear God...” Genny didn’t know she would say it aloud until the anguished words fell from her lips. She clapped her hand over her mouth.
And Brooke? She let out a loud, wounded cry. And then she did what she always did when one of her tantrums spiraled out of her control. She burst into tears and ran for the house.
Eloise turned and went after her, the dogs at her heels.
Frances and her crew went on staunchly cleaning up, trying their hardest to pretend that none of this was happening.
Geoffrey stood still for a moment, his small body vibrating with fury. And then he took off running, back toward the stairs that led down to the parkland.
Genny would have followed him.
But Rafe caught her arm. “Are you all right?”
She wasn’t, not really. But she nodded anyway. And then she looked down at his hand on her arm. “Let me go. I need to see that Geoffrey’s—”
“Gen.” He caught her chin and tipped it up so she met his eyes.
“Don’t,” she cried. “Let me go...”
“Gen. Listen.”
She shut her eyes, sucked in a slow breath. “Yes. What?”
Quietly, he told her, “I’ll go. I’ll talk to him. It’s better if I go.”
She wanted to jerk away, to demand again that he release her, to insist that she would do it, go to Geoffrey. That she needed to do it, that Geoffrey needed her now.
But she didn’t jerk away. Because she knew he was right. The fight drained out of her, leaving her shoulders drooping, her arm limp in his grip.
She loved Geoffrey with a deep, unconditional, very motherly sort of love.
But she wasn’t his mother.
And in this delicate moment, for her to take his mother’s place and go to him when Rafe could do it just as well as she could...
That would be wrong.
She said in a flat voice of reluctant surrender, “I think he’ll just go to the stables again.” She wanted to burst into tears and run off wailing. Did that make her as bad as Brooke?
Probably.
He took her by the shoulders. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
And she made herself nod. “Yes. I’m all right. Go talk to him. He needs you now.”
“Gen, I...”
If he kept looking at her like that, she really would start crying. “You’re wasting time. Go. Go now.”
At last, he released her. She stood numbly watching as he went the way the way that Geoffrey had gone, to the stairs and down to the rolling expanse of lawn.
Frances stepped up and asked if the crew should take the gifts inside.
Off in the distance, clouds gathered. But there was no imminent danger of rain. “Leave them for now. Ask Eloise when she comes back down. Or Brooke...” If she comes back down. “And, Frances, I think I’ll go for a walk.” She needed to do something, get away, clear her head, soothe her aching heart. “Around the lake, I think. Maybe out to the castle, too.” She had on her sturdy trainers, so suitable for chasing after party-mad children. “I have my phone if anyone needs to reach me. And I’ll be back by dark.”
“Good enough, then.” The housekeeper gave her a nod.
Genny dug an elastic from a pocket. She swiftly smoothed her hair up into a ponytail, out of the way. Then she left the terrace and headed for the lake, setting herself the goal of briskly walking the perimeter. That would take a good hour, minimum.
