“Then what about Celeste? I can call you by your given name, at least when we are discussing this matter in private.”
“An improper suggestion,” she said, examining him now. “But I suppose there is nothing proper about this anymore, is there? This entire situation is impropriety embodied. Yes, Celeste is fine.”
“Then to be fair, I will ask that you call me Owen. In private.”
Owen. She let the name roll in her head. It suited him, though it felt wicked to call him by it when they had only just met.
“Very well,” she said. “I will give you Mr. Greenley’s information if you’d like so you may speak to him. And after that meeting, I had other errands in the village and then joined my parents here for supper.”
There was shouting at the door to punctuate that statement. Her mother, knocking hard and asking if they needed anything. “As you can tell, Lady Hendricks will be happy to discuss any and all details with you.”
He raised both his eyebrows. “It seems so. Perhaps you would like to continue this conversation back at your home in the village later? I can give you time to collect what I imagine are some very tangled thoughts. And it will give me time to call on Mr. Greenley.”
She blinked, shocked yet again by his calm and gentle support. Perhaps it had an ulterior motive; after all he was investigating the murder of her…husband, she would still call him even if it weren’t true. Owen suspected she might have motive to have committed the crime, if his questions were any indication. Why not be kind? More flies were attracted with honey than vinegar, after all. If he were a spider, he was doing a fine job of luring her in.
“Yes, I would very much like a little time to collect myself. Once I escape the trap that my mother will surely spring the moment you depart.”
He rose and she did the same. “I know Mr. Greenley’s address, so I will not require you to share it. I’ll go there and meet you, shall we say in two hours? Will that be enough time?”
“I hope so.”
They walked together to the door and before he opened it, he smiled down at her. “I realize this must be shocking and overwhelming, Celeste. But I assure you that I will do all I can to relieve some of the pain of it if I can.”
She didn’t have a chance to respond, for he opened the door. Her mother immediately rushed to him, babbling that he should stay and trying to get more information out of him. He handled Lady Hendricks admirably, though, detangling himself from her attention, and then he bowed to the family before he departed with a promise to return to speak to them further.
He made no mention of his intention to come to her home and for that she was grateful. Her mother would certainly insist on joining their conversation if she knew. Once he was gone, Lady Hendricks all but shoved Celeste back into the parlor, shrieking for Sir Timothy to join them. Celeste sighed as she paced to the window while the two of them huddled together by the fire.
“This is terrible, Celeste!” her mother wailed. “Think of what it will do to your father and me!”
Celeste saw the glimmer of excitement in her eyes. Even when the world was about to fall, Lady Hendricks would bask at being in the center of it. Celeste could practically hear her sobbing to her friends, sucking in their pity and support.
While Celeste’s world crumbled.
She pursed her lips. Normally she could be patient with this sort of display. She’d trained herself almost not to hear it over the years. But today when her life felt in tatters and her future was completely uncertain, she had less patience for the foolishness.
“Perhaps this is what you get when you grasp, then,” she snapped.
Her mother’s mouth dropped open. “Celeste Belinda Montgomery! How dare you speak to me in such a fashion? Timothy, speak to your daughter.”
“Now, Celeste—” her father began, a sheepish expression on his face. As if he knew this was foolish but had no energy in him to fight it.
Celeste turned away before he could finish. “You wished me to marry Erasmus Montgomery and I did so. This is the result. In the end, what does fault matter? The cost is coming due and I will have to face it.” She let out a long, shaky sigh. “Now I’m