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“I have a good idea what haunts him, and it’s in her best interest to believe he’sunavailable.”
Now Caroline’s interest was more than piqued. “Whoishe,Marc?”
“Kelling,Weybourne’sheir.”
Heir to the Duke of Weybourne. Caroline swallowed. Yes, she had a good idea why the man was haunted too. The duke’s son, daughter-in-law and eldest grandson had all been slaughtered by a group of highwaymen a number of years earlier. The lone survivors had been the couple’s second son, away at war and their daughter who’d been at a finishing school. But then the daughter had met an untimely end herself. Suicide, if Caroline remembered correctly. And the second son had returned from the Continent quite mad, it was said. And now that she knew he spent his time hurling daggers in Covent Garden, she was inclined to believe those reports. “Youtalkedtohim?”
Marc nodded. “And I told him that if he even thought about approaching her, he wouldn’t survive our nextencounter.”
But if he was truly mad… “Will he listen to you?” Heavens! Heir to the Duke of Weybourne. Of all the people she’dimagined…
“He’d be foolishnotto.”
That hardly meant anything. “Is heafool?”
“No.” Marc shook his head. “Just tortured bydemons.”
And beyond dangerous. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” The last year, she’d struggled, trying to manage her children alone, but Marc made all of that so much easier. He made every aspect of her life better than it was without him. He filled every part of her withhappiness.
“Let’s not find out, all right?” He grinned downather.
A knock came at the door. “Lady Staveley,” Marc’s housekeeper called. “I have something for youtowear.”
Marc winked at her. “Get dressed and we’ll head to lunch with ourdaughters.”
Chapter25
Marc ledCaroline down the long gallery toward the far end of the manor and to the staircase that would take them near the verandah. He still couldn’t quite believe that she was here. With him. At Saddleworth. The entire thing wassurreal.
“Your mother?” she asked, gesturing to a painting that was, in fact, of his mother. She’d been a beautiful woman in herprime.
“Fortunate I inherited her coloring instead of my father’s,” hereplied.
Caroline cast him a sidelong glance. “I don’t think I ever saw yourfather.”
“You didn’t miss much.” There would have been no way for her to see the man. “He never left Saddleworth,” he told her. “Well, he left it on occasion, but he loathed London, and I can’t remember a time when he was there,actually.”
“Sounds like my brother. My oldestbrother.”
Marc agreed with a nod as they began their descent down the staircase. “I think he and Masten share a similar temperament as well.” But that reminded Marc why he’d originally stumbled into her chambers that morning, before he’d been sidetracked by her wearing nothing but his robe. “Yourotherbrother…”
“Luke?”
Could definitely be a problem if he wasn’t dealt with. “Did you have any plans to see himthisweek?”
“Nothing that wescheduled.”
That was a bit of luck. “You’ll need to write him a letter and tell him that you and the girls decided to return to Benton Park. Everyone else in Town, I imagine, might think your disappearance unusual, but they’ll accept that you’ve returned home. Your brother on theotherhand…”
Caroline nodded. “I was concerned about that, but Simmons said there wasnoneed.”
As they reached the bottom of the steps, Marc shrugged. “Simmons doesn’t know Luke as well as you or I.” Actually, she may need to send more than one letter. “And probably your son as well,” he suggested. “Is there anyone else you think you should send something to? Someone who might worry? OliviaKelfieldor—”
“Livvie might worry,” she agreed. “And perhaps Hannah Astwick, Bethany Carteret, CordieClayworth,and—”
“Yes, yes,” Marc said dryly, leading her toward the verandah. “Everyone loves you, you’re verypopular.”
She laughed a bit. “And what about you, my lord? Are you going to pen a similar note to yourfriends?”
