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“Banished? Whatever gave you that idea?” Her nose crinkled up in an adorable display of confusion and disgust.
Perhaps it was not yet time to reveal that Robert himself had given Nick the idea. It sounded as if Miss Pepper had been fed a different story. “Was he not?”
“No, he left of his own accord. It was my father who chose to break the connection and then Lord Hart shunned him. After that, there was no point in his returning. He never would have been welcomed.”
“Not even to see his mother?”
“How could he when his mother was not alive?”
Aha! So Patrick Pepper had lied to his daughter. But why?
“Actually,” Nick began softly. He stalled for a moment, considering the best way to break the news. Miss Pepper watched him intently and he offered a sad smile. “She only died two years ago.”
“No,” Miss Pepper whispered.
“I am afraid it is true.”
“I don’t believe you.” Her eyes flashed and she stood, marching from the room before he could say anything to waylay her. His instinct was to run after her but given his current situation, he guessed he would make it to the door, perhaps the hallway given his adrenaline, before he collapsed.
He sighed. She would have to process the information and then come back to him. If she loved a good mystery as much as he thought she did, then it wouldn’t take long.
* * *
Nick was full of lies. He had to be.
Giulia paced her bedroom as the ascending sun rose steadily higher, calling forth the birds that nested above her window and turning the sky a lovely pale blue. She glanced at the carpet and checked for a worn footpath, but the rug was in pristine condition. Surprising, since she had spent the entirety of last night alternating between pacing in front of the fireplace and trying—and failing—to sleep.
She paused, dropping her face into her hands.
What would Nick gain by falsifying this?The same question repeated in her mind for the thousandth time, followed quickly by: But what would Father have gained from lying?
It was a lot to take in.
Her stomach growled and she glanced down at her midsection. “Fine. I’ll feed you.”
Giulia finished dressing herself and made her way to the breakfast room before loading her plate and devouring every last bite. Her appetite had slowly returned to normal in the weeks since arriving at Halstead, but it was hard to break old habits. And when one was used to not knowing where or when their next meal would come, one always took advantage of the food present. Without hesitation.
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the door and Giulia glanced up to find the earl in the doorway, staring at her as though he had seen a ghost, his wrinkled skin pale and eyes wide. She sent him a smile and he averted his gaze before crossing to the sideboard and loading a plate of his own. She considered starting a conversation, or trying to start one, but the earl obviously had an aversion to her. She would probably do better to respect the distance he sought. She was a guest in his home, after all. Sort of.
She paused in the doorway and turned, speaking before she could tell herself to stop. “The gravy is superb, my lord. Never have I partaken of a finer breakfast in all my days.”
She hazarded a look at the old man. He stilled above the gravy with ladle in hand, mid-spoonful. Giulia waited another few seconds before dropping a curtsy that he probably did not see and escaping to the east wing. Nick was correct. There was something odd about the earl’s dislike of her, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
Her fist was about to connect with the door when it swung open. She jumped back to avoid a collision, but Jack had her under the elbows and righted her before she’d managed to move away.
“We really must quit meeting this way,” Giulia joked.
“If you insist,” Jack said with a wink. He nodded toward the bed. “He is awake.”
“And decent?”
Jack lowered his voice. “That depends on what you mean by decent.” He chuckled as he released her, and she scowled at him in jest before moving into the room and opening the door as wide as it could go.
“You know,” Nick called across the room, “the door just may pop right off if you try to open it any further.”
Giulia turned her scowl on him before crossing to his bedside. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Better now.” Nick sent her a roguish grin which she met with a stern look.
