Page 58 of Black Widow

“Hello,Uncle.”

A red-faced and bleary-eyed Clarence whirled to face him, almost losing his balance in the process. “What? What are you doing here,boy?”

He stumbled to the bed against the wall in the spare, but elegantly appointedroom.

Gideon resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose as a waft of stale wine breath hit him. “I’ve been waiting for you. For several weeks, infact.”

“Eh?” Sir Clarence, obviously relaxed, hiccupped and patted his paunch. “Oh, well…been out of town. I have many business interests. Things to attendto…”

Gideon had to strain to hear those last words. Sir Clarence was slurring. He pushed him onto the bed before the portly man fellover.

Would thrashing a drunk man be a stain on hishonor?

“I called on you several times these weeks past, only to be told by the charming Mrs. Spencer that you were away. She didn’t know where. None of your friends knew either. I even sent a man to your Northumberland estate. Imagine my surprise to learn you’ve been sleeping here in your club for the last week, instead of your comfortabletownhouse.”

One of the few I don’t happen to be a memberof…

“Hmm,” Sir Clarence hummed, his heavy lids driftingdown.

Gideon leaned over and yanked out one of his protruding nose hairs. Sir Clarence yelped, sitting upstraight.

“As I was saying,” Gideon continued as if there was no interruption. “No one knew where you were. I believe Mrs. Spencer was becoming quite annoyed with me toward the endthere.”

Seemingly confused as to what had happened Clarence rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. “S’bit annoyed with me too. Tis why I’m sleepinghere.”

Gideon nodded understandingly. The hesitation in the elder’s manner that followed the nose-hair yank dissipated and he slumped again, clearly not recognizing the threat across fromhim.

Sir Clarence coughed and spat on the floor next to the bed. He stretched. “Um-hum, well, thank you for checking in onme.”

Gideon’s smile grew several degrees colder. “I’m afraid my motive is not so altruistic. I’m actually here to threaten your life, my dearuncle.”

Sir Clarence blinked and cocked his head at him. “Sorry?”

In a snap, Gideon hauled the older man to his feet. “The only reason I don’t kill you where you stand is because you didn’t rape her all those yearsago.”

Clarence was sober now. His hands scrabbled against Gideon’s grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, blinking, then contradicted himself. “Whatever Amelia’s toldyou—”

“It wasn’t her. Amelia never speaks about her time in your home. I think she prefers to let the past lie.” He lifted Clarence off his toes. “I am not sogenerous.”

Despite his precarious position, his relative’s bone-deep sense of superiority was undaunted. “I’ve done nothing wrong,” he spat. “I gave that girl a home! I provided for her—a cit’s daughter noless.”

Gideon scoffed. “One worth a fortune. Amelia insists it’s the reason behind this ridiculous attempt to strong-arm her into a marriage with that doddering old fool Cannonburry. But we both know what is really behind it. Is Cannonburry really so desperate for an heir he’ll overlook someone else fatheringit?”

Releasing his uncle, Gideon gave him a little push, sending him crashing onto thebed.

“Save your excuses and explanations. I have the whole picture now—save for one piece.” He inhaled and released it slowly. “Did you have anything to do with Martin’sdeath?”

Clarence’s mouth went slack. He sputtered incoherently, whiskers quivering, before finding his tongue. “How dare you suggest I had anything to do with that! My ownson.”

Gideon studied him carefully, drawing on all his knowledge of interrogation and dissimulation. Drunk or no, the indignation was genuine. He bent to meet Clarence’s eyes on the samelevel.

“Then the mysterious man you hired to terrorize Amelia—the giant who leaves behind clay shards—he’s not the same one who threw Martin down thestairs?”

Sir Clarence blinked at him. “No, that’s not right. My boy fell down the stairs. Tripped on the runner,” hewhispered.

Gideon noticed he didn’t deny the charge someone was intimidating Amelia at his behest, but this was confusing. The suggestions that Martin’s death was not an accident elicited a reaction of surprise and shock…perhaps evenpain.

Though he could never be called a warm or loving parent, Sir Clarence had some paternal regard for Martin, if only because he was an only child and ason.

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