The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey - Stephanie Laurens Page 0,101

persuade you to accept our hospitality and remain overnight.”

Appreciation flickered in Jeffers’s eyes, but he looked at her father.

“My daughter is lady of the house,” her father said, “and she’s right. And as Lord Godfrey said, had you been another sort of man, today would have ended very differently for our family. You must allow us to show our appreciation and provide whatever comfort we may.”

After the barest hesitation, Jeffers inclined his head. “Thank you. You’re all very kind. I would be glad to remain overnight.”

“Good—that’s settled.” Her father thumped the arms of his chair. “Now”—both his tone and features hardened—“let’s decide what to do about Masterton.”

As Godfrey had suspected, Hinckley family decisions—those that affected the entire family—involved the active participation of all four members. From Maggie’s extreme view that Masterton should be sent straight to the gallows, to Harry’s determination that Masterton should be incarcerated for decades at the very least, to Mr. Hinckley’s suggestion of appealing to the local magistrate for advice, each proposal was explored—and all were rejected on the undeniable grounds that Masterton was known to be a cousin of sorts.

Eventually, Jeffers, who, like Godfrey, had listened without comment to the debate, glanced at Maggie and stated the problem clearly. “If the punishment you settle on is likely to become public knowledge, there will inevitably be a scandal—a large one, given this is North Yorkshire and not London—and society being what it is, deserved or not, that scandal will adversely impact the whole family.” With his gaze, Jeffers included Mr. Hinckley, Ellie, and Harry, too.

“Sadly,” Godfrey said, “Jeffers’s point is incontrovertible. Any besmirching of Masterton’s character will extend to all of you.”

Maggie flung herself back in her chair. “Then what are we to do?”

Harry protested, “We can’t just let him go!”

“Not, at least, without some degree of assurance and also retribution.” Godfrey looked at Mr. Hinckley. “You are by no means the first family to discover you have a bad apple in your midst. You are not the first to have faced the conundrum of how to punish the guilty party while protecting the innocent from collateral harm. I’ve been involved in such deliberations before and, if you wish, can make a suggestion.”

Mr. Hinckley waved him on. “Please do. There must be some way to resolve this to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Godfrey wasn’t so sure his suggestion would meet with Maggie’s or Harry’s enthusiastic approval, but as he laid out what he thought was the family’s best way forward, he saw consideration flare in Ellie’s siblings’ eyes.

When he reached the end of his dissertation, everyone remained silent, turning over the prospect in their minds, then Harry said, “My one question is why would he go along with that?”

“One facet of Masterton’s character that has struck me,” Godfrey said, “is that when faced with a reverse or a hurdle, he immediately makes new plans. He constantly shifts and adjusts, and the only thing one can be sure of is that he’s always focused on advancing some plan to lay his hands on money that isn’t his.”

Jeffers nodded. “I agree—that’s how I read his character, both from Cawley’s notes and my own observations.”

Mr. Hinckley slapped his hands on his knees. “Well, then, I can’t see any reason not to put Lord Godfrey’s suggestion to the test. Let’s have the blackguard in and put our proposal to him, shall we? Are we agreed?”

Ellie nodded, and rather more reluctantly, Harry and Maggie did as well.

“Allow me.” Jeffers rose and tugged the bellpull.

Kemp arrived and was dispatched to fetch Masterton.

Mr. Hinckley stroked his chin, then looked at Godfrey. “My lord, would you be willing to lay out our position? I fear that if any of us were to speak, our tempers might get the better of us.”

Godfrey felt Ellie’s fingers press his in supplication; he stroked her hand with his thumb and inclined his head to her father. “Given the circumstances, I would be honored to act as your mouthpiece, sir.”

Harry and Maggie busied themselves seeking out the hardest, most uncomfortable straight-backed chair they could find and set it with its back to the drawing room door, facing the hearth and the horseshoe formed by the chairs occupied by them and the others.

Masterton was duly escorted in, attended by Kemp and two footmen. A bruise was blooming on Masterton’s cheekbone, and his clothing was disheveled; clearly, the footmen who had brought him down from the attic had not been inclined to be gentle.

The instant Masterton set eyes on Matthew Hinckley, his face lit,