he could stop it. The woman’s tongue did like to run away with her. Then he recalled all the unorthodox ways she’d stopped herself from talking, which led to the kiss he was trying not to remember. “Be that as it is, I want to know anything I don’t already know.”
“I rattled on about most of it last night.” Miss Fitzroy’s face flamed. Was she too remembering what had stopped the rambling? The embarrassment didn’t make her shove food around on her plate in despondency, though. Despite the slump in her shoulders, she ate steadily.
“Perhaps the less jabbery version, then?”
She set her fork down and speared him with her gaze, her cheeks still flushed. “Father died when we were seventeen.”
When they were seventeen? Not just siblings, but twins?
“Mother passed within the year,” she continued in a brisk tone. “No one would hire us to do the horse training Father had done, and we eventually had to sell the house, land, and horses, along with most everything else, to pay his debts. Searching for work took us farther and farther from where we’d grown up.”
Mr. Fitzroy set his fork down and placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “I think I can condense this down to the parts you care about.”
“By all means.” Aaron stared at Mr. Fitzroy, daring the younger man to be the first to break eye contact.
He didn’t. “We left home with the last two horses our father bred and the few mementos that had more value to us than the pawnbroker. Staying together was difficult, but we managed. We left Ireland after being accused of stealing items we’d never even seen before.” He gave a wry grin. “Turned out the pawnbroker got those items as well, but he didn’t get them from us.”
“After that, we joined the circus,” Miss Fitzroy chimed in, looking from Oliver to Aaron and back to her plate. “You know the rest.”
“That seems rather simple.”
“Living it was complicated.” Mr. Fitzroy took a bite of ham and chewed it slowly, a contemplative look on his face. “I wonder if that’s why people find a lie so much easier to swallow.”
“You were injured.” Aside from the wince and careful sitting, there seemed nothing wrong with the man.
Mr. Fitzroy nodded. “Broken coccyx, according to the surgeon. Nothing to do but wait it out and try not to sit.” He shook his head. “It’s rather difficult to work on a horse when you can’t sit.”
A footman appeared in the doorway. “Lord Farnsworth, Lord Brimsbane has arrived.”
Oliver’s eyes met Aaron’s and widened before he turned to the footman. “Show him in, please.” He leaned forward and hissed, “I did not send for him.”
Aaron ran a hand over his face. This had the potential to get messy.
Brimsbane, otherwise known as Lady Rebecca’s brother and Lord Gliddon’s heir, strode into the room, taking in all the occupants with a sweeping look. “Rebecca will be relieved to know Miss Fitzroy’s whereabouts at least, though it looks like the rest of the story could be far more interesting.”
“We’re not gossiping about our jockey.” Aaron rose to refill his plate. He wasn’t hungry anymore, but he needed something to do.
“I would introduce Miss Fitzroy’s brother, but I haven’t been acquainted myself,” Oliver said.
Aaron rolled his eyes as he selected a slice of ham.
Before Brimsbane could respond, Oliver gestured toward the sideboard. “Help yourself to the food, Brimsbane. How is your father this morning?”
“He’s not meeting with the magistrate, if that’s what you’re asking.” He sent another quick look toward Miss Fitzroy.
Aaron put down his plate and stepped into Brimsbane’s line of vision.
The other man cleared his throat and continued, “That doesn’t mean he’s happy. Rebecca asked me to offer assistance in finding Miss Fitzroy, since no one has seen her since the race.”
“At least you’ll be able to brag of your remarkable efficiency when you tell her you found her before breakfast.”
Everyone in the room turned their attention to Mr. Fitzroy, who was hunched over his plate, eating without an apparent care in the world and leaving only the disheveled spikes of his red hair visible.
“Sisters don’t find efficiency impressive,” Miss Fitzroy added quietly, apparently not as bold as her brother but unable to let him have the final word. “He could roll around in the grass and wait until this afternoon to return and it will look like he put in some effort.”
The only sound in the room was that of the twins’ forks against their plates. No one else moved. Aaron