me? Me, your own father, and you with this sordid matter with Bolderwood.”
“Pack of lies,” Joshua said. “The witnesses have admitted to being paid for false testimony, a former secretary has confessed to stealing my personal letters, and over the next few days, I’ll secure alibis for all the so-called trysts. After which, Bolderwood will be laughed out of court and out of town. And everyone will know that he’s a liar, and they’ll also know that my own father would not speak in my defense.”
“Why should I? You don’t deserve that.”
“But my wife does. So why don’t you do something decent for once in your life and show the world where you stand?”
Treyford scowled at him, paced around, then came back and nudged Joshua’s chest with his walking stick. “If I speak up for you, tell all my circle that Bolderwood is lying to get money out of you—you and your wife will stay away from the countess and me. We want nothing to do with either of you.”
“My pleasure.”
“And get back to Birmingham where you belong. Good day.”
With that, the earl marched off.
Isaac stared after him. “He would have preferred to put us in a sack and drown us like kittens, wouldn’t he?” he said. “So much for family. Well, when I find Mother and Miriam, we’ll have a family again.”
Joshua winced. Poor, hopeful Isaac. “Forget about them,” he said. “Our family finished years ago. We have no mother, we have no sister—”
“And no brothers either.”
For a long moment, neither spoke, then Isaac turned back to the horse. “I guess I’ll go too. Get my own rooms. Get a horse and ride around Britain.”
Fine. Let him go again. Isaac had left before, he would leave again, and Joshua had lived happily without his brothers for half his life so he had no use for them now. Cassandra and her sisters would go back to Warwickshire, and Isaac would go off to wherever he wanted, and Joshua could get back to Birmingham where he belonged.
“As you wish,” he said. “Now I have work to do. Lots and lots of work.”
When Joshua learned from Newell that Cassandra was staying in that night, he joined them at dinner for the first time. Isaac entertained them all with tales of re-learning to ride, Lucy entertained them with tales of shopping with the duchess, and Emily told tales of the theater. Cassandra said little, sitting at the other end of the table from him, with a gentle smile that slipped when their eyes met.
After dinner, he went back to work, ignoring the look Cassandra gave him. But their music and laughter invaded his study, cheerfully disrupting his peace. That must be what it was like at Warwickshire. What was the place called?
Sunne Park. Stupid name.
Long after their noise had stopped, he went to his bedchamber and undressed. He pulled on his dressing gown, under the baleful glare of Cassandra’s cat. The cat had taken to sleeping in his bed, as he had taken to sleeping with Cassandra. And now he would do it again: Go through that door to where she awaited him, hold her, love her, forget himself in her, until his whole world narrowed down to her and the way they made each other feel.
He did it because he wanted to be with her. She did it because she wanted children. And once she had what she wanted, she would leave.
He tumbled onto the settee, not moving even when Cassandra rapped on the door and came in, wearing her stupid bed jacket with its ugly bow.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“Just thinking.”
“I do that. Staring at the fire, thinking. I’ve learned it does not help at all.”
He grunted. She waited.
“Shall I leave you?” she finally asked.
“No.”
By the time he thought to retract the word, she was already seated at his side.
“Will you tell me what’s wrong?” she said. “You’ve been quiet all evening.”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Are you coming to bed?”
“I might…”
He waved a hand at his own bed. Her smile faltered.
“You’re tired of me?”
“No. No. I just…”
He just wanted to spite her, petty, selfish bastard that he was. No reason to be confused. It was all very simple: They were enjoying each other for now, and then they would go back to their normal lives. Him amid the noise and industry of Birmingham; her amid the noise and warmth of family.
She tucked her feet up under her, pressed against him, and curled her fingers in his hair. He had become too used to