Page 25 of One Last Smile

“It can’t be all bad,” I say. “She’s given you three wonderful children.”

“Yes,” he says. “She has. For the most part.”

I consider my reply carefully. “It’s natural for a father to worry about his children. They will have to navigate many struggles in their lives, but they appear to be doing well enough. Eliza is establishing her place in the world, and while her job isn’t prestigious, it’s a good place to start. Oliver seems dedicated to his studies, and Lucas is quite brilliant. And so creative! I really think he could have a wonderful career.”

Sebastian grimaces. “Lucas will fall over at the first strong wind thanks to Veronica’s coddling. Oliver is one drunken escapade away from jail, and Eliza declined a graduate scholarship to Cambridge to work as a secretary for a country doctor.”

And yet you allowed all three of them to travel to a foreign country with your rake of a cousin.

I’m smart enough not to say this aloud, thankfully. After a moment, he sighs and says, “It’s cruel of me to say, and I hope you’ll keep this in confidence, but there are days I wish I had never met Veronica.”

“All married people feel that way at times, I imagine.”

Sebastian nodded. “Yes. But I’ve acted on it.”

I blink. “Is… I mean, it’s not my place, but—”

“Oh, not with Veronica.” He chuckles. “No, I’m far wiser with her. But Jeannie… Well, you heard Alistair’s crass little joke the other night. I’m ashamed to say it’s rooted in truth. I was married before Veronica, and when Jeannie and I began to have problems, I ran to the first pretty woman who caught my eye. It worked out well, I suppose, but I wonder sometimes what would have occurred if I had thought more prudently. Jeannie was a sweet, kind, and pure woman. That made her boring, but it made her trustworthy. I wish sometimes that she had been enough for me.”

“You wouldn’t have your children if you had stayed,” I offer, not sure what else to say.

“Yes,” he says. “I suppose I wouldn’t.”

There’s a touch of bitterness in his voice. I fall silent and sip the rest of my tea. I’m about to excuse myself when he stands instead.

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t ask about the missing girl.”

My blood freezes and my mouth dries instantly. I swallow and stammer. “I… of course not.”

“It’s a source of great embarrassment to my family that rumors abounded regarding her disappearance. Reputation is very important to us, and the stain of her loss still corrodes that reputation. It’s a source of personal pain for me, and while it’s a tragedy that she was lost, I would rather not be reminded that so many people still think of us as kidnappers and possibly murderers.”

“Of course, sir,” I say, I hope not too quickly. “It’s none of my business after all.”

He nods. Then he lays a hand on my shoulder and squeezes softly. I resist the urge to cry out and hope that the trembling in my body isn’t noticeable.

“Thank you, Miss Mary.”

He leaves the room, and when I hear the door close behind me, I gasp. I set the teacup on the table so the trembling in my hand doesn’t lead me to spill the remaining liquid. Then I stand and pace the room until my heart calms.

My reaction might be excessive, but Niall’s warning echoes in my mind. How much danger am I putting myself in by turning over these stones? What can I hope to gain that is worth the sacrifice, perhaps of my life?

At the Ashford house, I was nearly killed by a crazed woman with a handgun. I escaped that situation by the skin of my teeth, but Sebastian Carlton is not unhinged. He is shrewd and cold and very, very dangerous.

And I have no doubt that he would erase me from the Earth in an instant if doing so would protect his family’s reputation.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Alistair and the three younger Carltons return the next evening. They all wear flushed faces and grins that proclaim the enjoyment of their brief excursion. Lucas is more animated and alive than I’ve seen him, more so even than when he showed me his photograph collection. Despite my suspicion of Alistair, a part of me can’t help but be grateful for Lucas’s sake. The boy needs experiences that aren’t viewed from under his mother’s wing.

Unfortunately, that wing circles him protectively the instant he returns. His smile fades, but only slightly. I hope that’s a sign that he’s learned he isn’t stuck with her his whole life.

Oliver and Alistair laugh and joke like twins. The swagger and cheeky smiles of each young man show a similar spirit. They immediately launch into tales of their exploits in Madrid, some of which I hope are exaggerated.

Eliza seems flushed with a similar joy, and occasionally intervenes to inform us all that many of these tales are indeed exaggerated.

“Oh, cousin, why must you crush my spirit with each word that leaves your lovely lips?”

“Oh, Alistair, why must you lie compulsively?” she counters. “The girl was decidedly uninterested in our poor cousin.”

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