Page 15 of The Truth Serum
“Good heavens no. I was the staff for my parents. And my aunt and uncle didn’t need as many as a duke. I fear my future. I’ve never managed this many all at once. They’re everywhere.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
The lady chuckled. “I’m sure Ras’s housekeeper will do fine. I merely follow her lead.”
Rebecca suspected the lady was being modest, but what did she know about a ducal household? Perhaps that was the way of things in London. Either way, she had no reason to object.And in the silence, Miss Petrelli folded her hands and finally addressed the issue.
“I’m in a bit of a quandary, Lady Rebecca, and I have absolutely no skill at subterfuge.”
Becca quietly set her teacup down. “How may I help?”
“It has to do with your brother. There seems to be some longstanding animosity between Lord Fletcher and my fiancé’s best friend. Normally I wouldn’t interfere. Honestly, men’s relationships can be as confusing as a flock of wild birds fighting over a favorite tree. But the argument seems to have spilled over to me.”
“I don’t know anything about Fletcher’s friends.”
“Do you know why he hates Lord Nathaniel?”
Ah. Rebecca looked down at her hands, grateful she had thought to set down her tea. But without the cup in her hands, she was left to twist her fingers together in awkward shame.
“It’s a long, ugly story, Your Grace.”
“Oh! Don’t call me that yet! I’m Kynthea. And I shall call you Rebecca, if I may?”
“Of course.”
There was a moment’s awkward silence, and then Rebecca took a deep breath. Might as well get it out in the open. Then she could find out why Kynthea thought so ill of Fletcher.
“Our two families have had long standing animosity going back several generations. Someone poisoned the water between our two lands, we don’t know who. Everyone claims it was the other family, and as far as I am concerned, it should have been forgotten years ago. My family has control of the water, and we have prospered because of it. If anyone should be upset, it should be Lord Nathaniel’s family.”
“And they aren’t?”
“Oh, they are. For as long as I can remember, we’ve called each other ugly names, accused everyone of cheating, pillaging,murdering.” She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what’s true. I don’t think anybody does.”
“But they believe it?”
“Everyone in our respective families believes it.”
“But you don’t?”
“No. I haven’t since…” She shrugged. “Since I was fourteen.”
“What happened then?”
“I met Lord Nathinal. We used to spend summers together in secret.”
Miss Petrelli’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“The vicar thought the feud was ridiculous, and he was right. So he lied to our parents and found excuses for Nate and me to be together.”
“That sounds incredibly risky.”
“Not as much as it sounds. We weren’t the Montagues and the Capulets.” And they certainly weren’t Romeo and Juliet, though the consequences had been equally tragic. “My grandfather wasn’t as entrenched. And neither was Nate’s mother. So the vicar helped me see that Nate was just a teenage boy. Nothing like a monster. It opened the door for our friendship.”
“The vicar’s gambit succeeded.”
Rebecca shook her head. “It did not. And he lost his appointment because of it.” Because of what she and Nate had done, and the hideous consequence of their discovery.
“Oh dear.”
