Page 54 of Taken to the Grave
“Is this what you call being supportive? I am living under your thumb, brother, and unless I agree to replace your thumb with some other man’s whose only interest in me is my money and my body, then you will withhold what is rightfully mine.”
“You are being vulgar.”
“And you are being a tyrant!” she returned. “Very well. If you don’t wish to give me my inheritance, I will find a way to make my own living.”
Cassie seemed to sway with the statement, perhaps realizing the enormity of the threat. But then she turned on her heel and stormed out.
All was quiet for a few moments in the wake of her departure. Audrey was glad she’d joined them. She hadn’t been an ounce of help, but at least now Cassie wouldn’t have to work herself up into a froth by retelling the story to her later.
“You are being too stringent with her.” Genie’s tone was gentle but unyielding.
“If you don’t meet her in the middle on this,” Audrey agreed, “I fear she will land herself into some trouble.”
Not the same sort of trouble she’d found herself in two summers ago, when she’d allowed the roguish and charming Lord Renfry liberties and ended up needing to go away to give birth to a child in secret. She would have been ruined had anyone ever learned of it, especially since Renfry had so cruelly posted the banns to marry an exorbitantly wealthy heiress. At least he had never learned of the pregnancy.
Michael sat down heavily into a chair. “I only want what is best for her.”
Genie slid her hands over his shoulders. “You must allow her the chance to determine what that means for herself.”
He laid his hand on his wife’s and squeezed. “I’m a blind man when it comes to Cassie. Philip would have known what to say to her.”
Guilt flayed Audrey’s chest when the duke and duchess took a silent moment to acknowledge their loss. These moments continued to sneak up on her, and she was always left questioning if she would ever stop feeling like a fraud.
The study doors reopened, and their butler, Barton, entered. He held a shallow silver tray in his gloved hand, and within it was a folded note.
“A messenger has just delivered this for you, Dowager Duchess.”
Finally, she thought, eagerly taking the note. But even before breaking the wax seal, her hopes foundered. It wasn’t from Hugh. The handwriting addressing Audrey was unfamiliar.
“Excuse me,” Audrey said to Michael and Genie, who were looking on with curiosity. She left the study, reading the note as she went. It was from Flora Bertram.
Please come as soon as you can. My sister has not been home in a day, and I am frightened that something has happened to her, as it did to Bethie.
Audrey stopped in the middle of the hall, the breath driven from her lungs. Gwendolyn had been missing? For a day?
“Are you leaving?” Cassie was suddenly standing right in front of Audrey. She had not gone running to her room as expected. “I’m coming with you if you are. I need to get away from this house and my insufferable brother.”
Audrey’s heart re-started, and she folded the note, stuffing it into her pocket as she made a decision. She signaled a footman and requested a carriage be brought around, and quickly.
“I need you to wait here for Hugh,” she told Cassie.
She scowled. “For Hugh?”
“He is due to send word or come here himself, only I’m not sure when. But it’s important that when he does, you tell him that I’ve gone to the Bertram residence on Fitzroy Square. Tell him Gwendolyn has not been seen for a day.”
She followed on Audrey’s heels to the front door. “Who is Gwendolyn? What is this about?”
Another footman hurried to open the door for her, and she was grateful she’d already been dressed and ready to depart at a moment’s notice. “I can’t explain right now, but Hugh will understand. Please, Cassie, this is important.”
“Very well, I will tell him, but Audrey.” She grabbed her hand before she could dart outside. “Be careful.”
Flora was sittingin the front window of her house when Audrey arrived. As soon as she stepped from her carriage, the girl jumped up and pointed to the left. Her motions were animated, and Audrey read the instruction clearly: she didn’t want Audrey to knock on the front door but to go around to the back of the house. Mrs. Bertram had not summoned her, and likely did not know that Flora had. The young girl disappeared from the window.
“Carrigan, wait here.” Audrey started for the corner of the house, where a narrow lane cut back to a mews.
Within a minute, Flora opened a gate and slipped out onto the pavement. With one eye on the windows of her home, she motioned for Audrey to come stand with her behind the screen of a trellis, cascading with purple wisteria.
“I’m so glad you’ve come, Your Grace,” she said, her breaths quick and words rushed. “No one will listen to me.”
