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“Will it at least,” he tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear, “be something I’ll like? Not a scene from a ball with pompous lords and ladies?”
“I promise. Not so much as a hint of a fan or a gown.” Theo meant to paint the night sky over Greenbriar in varying shades of blues, the idea having come to her while Haven was telling her about his love of the stars, a love he’d shared with his father. She hoped it might ease some of the pain he lived with and remind Haven of a happier time. Hasten the forgiveness which he needed to give. She had witnessed what a lifetime of anger and bitterness could do; Leo and Tony’s attitude toward the late Duke of Averell and their inability to forgive their father before he died had nearly driven a wedge between all the Barringtons. Both her brothers would live with a well of regret for the remainder of their lives. Theo didn’t want that for Haven.
Which brought her to the next question.
“How did Jacinda become lame?”
Haven’s fingers stilled against her cheek. “She fell.” His features instantly shuttered.
Theo had already ascertained as much. “In the library?”
He stepped away from her, turning to look out the window. This was obviously a topic Haven didn’t care to discuss, but unfortunately for him, Theo did.
“Our father,while in his cups,” he spat out as if the taste of the words poisoned him, “knocked her off the ladder. I was...not here. He was such a bloody sot, he didn’t even recall being in the library. And then he went and,” his lips clamped tightly before inhaling sharply, not looking at her, “left Jacinda with nothing.”
Notmeor theestatebut Jacinda. There was more to the story, but it wasn’t the time, not with her body still humming gently from their afternoon together. She wondered if Haven’s father had ever gone to Elysium. Lost a purse or two there while playing cards.
“Erasmus could barely stand.” Haven shot her a hard look. “But at least he wasn’t passed out on the floor while Jacinda wept in pain. Mrs. Henderson found them. But it was Erasmus who had the sense to summon a physician. My uncle isn’t good for much, but he does care for Jacinda.”
The image of Erasmus flashed before her. The way his lips had curled in dislike at his niece. Theo had to have been mistaken.
“After Erasmus visited when I was a child, when he fell off the horse in front of the house, my father mentioned my uncle at times to me, but never spoke his name in front of my mother. He considered Erasmus a lost soul. My father cared for him, but the brothers were not close, if they ever had been. At least, not until later.” Haven turned away for a moment.
“When you were on the Continent.”
Turning back to her, he ran a finger down the length of her arm. “My uncle claimed he had come to console my father. Said he’d heard of my death from the fairies.” He gave a derisive snort. “Ironically, I was injured, but I can’t imagine how Erasmus would have known about it. I’m fairly certain there were no fairies about when it happened to send him word. But with my temper, assuming I’d been killed in a fight wasn’t much of a stretch.” Haven’s head tilted toward his shoulder where the scar she’d seen earlier shone stark white against his lightly tanned skin. “Set upon by thieves. I’m sure if they’d known how poor I was, they wouldn’t have bothered.”
Theo reached out, pressing her fingertips to his chest, desolation filling her at the mere thought of a world without Haven. “Possibly not.”
A large hand covered hers. “Another one of my uncle’s brandy-fueled hallucinations. If it matters, he also claims the fairies come and drink with him next to that tree he hides his spirits in.” Haven’s breath fanned across her cheek as he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “We should wash up before facing the rest of the house.”
Theo nodded, happy and at peace for the first time since arriving at Greenbriar. “You mentioned another surprise.”
Haven kissed her again. “You’ll see it when we wash up.”
