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“So, you haven’t told him,” I drawled.
That coaxed a small smile out of him. “No, I haven’t shared this with Dad.”
“What happened to Thomas after he disobeyed the king?”
“She’d birthed a son by then. What do you think?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled.
“Nothing,” he confirmed.
I changed the subject. “Any fun plans for your birthday?”
“Mother has a party every year. My sense, this year, Chelsea’s being uninvited.”
I started laughing.
He was a gentleman, so he waited until I wrung all the enjoyment out of that before he asked, “How’d your talk go with Portia?”
“Not great.”
“I think one of our meetings in the Conservatory needs to include some history. You two couldn’t be less alike, and you’ve shown quite the efficiency with dealing with inanity and idiocy. And yet you haven’t marched to your car, roared away in a spray of gravel and called your solicitor to lock down her inheritance.”
“You have a flair for the dramatic, Lord Alcott,” I teased.
“You have patience and loyalty that seems unearned, Miss Ryan,” he parried.
I shrugged. “I try to do what Dad would do. He had a lot of patience with Portia. And it’s his money.” I took another sip to gather the courage, and then I asked, “Did you look into Portia too?”
“You know I have.”
“Is she working?”
“Working?”
“Employed.”
“No. She quit her job last month to be Daniel’s full-time girlfriend.”
I looked beyond him to the moonlight shining through the vast expanse of windows.
“Why?” he asked quietly.
I looked back to him. “I was wondering how she could be here this week. She’s held down a job for eight, nine months. It’s required for her to draw from her fund.”
“Well, shit.”
I tipped my snifter to him. “Now it’s well-said to you, my friend.” I sighed. “I was giving her thirty thousand pounds a month. When she hit her year anniversary at work, I was going to increase it to fifty. Now, it’ll return to two. And that won’t be at my decree. That’s Dad’s.”
“Is there any hope she’s set aside any of those two hundred and forty thousand pounds to get her through a long, cold winter?”
“None whatsoever. The shoes she was wearing tonight cost twenty-five hundred pounds, and they were new. Everything she’s worn that I’ve seen in this house is new. Is Daniel in a position to buy her a diamond bracelet?”
“Not that I know.”
“So there’s another fifteen K, at least.”
Ian just watched me.
