Page 109 of The Hollow of Fear
Bancroft said nothing.
No denial on that front, then. And when he had withdrawn that offer, it would have been because he realized that his secrets would be far less safe, if he were, in fact, married to Holmes.
Without another word, Lord Ingram rose and saw himself out.
Lady Ingram’s revelations—andthe fact that she wasn’t dead—shocked Society. No less breathtaking, however, was Lord Ingram’s subsequent petition for divorce. Livia was most astonished, however, to receive an invitation to Stern Hollow: Lord Ingram was hosting a small gathering of family and friends, Mrs. Newell would be present to serve as her chaperone, and a suitable woman would be sent to accompany her on her travels.
Who turned out to be Mrs. Watson in glasses and a sack of a dress, speaking in a broad Yorkshire accent, devoid of all glamour—but still warm and delightful, once they had a train compartment to themselves.
Livia asked about what had happened with Lord and Lady Ingram, and the answers she received astounded her. Lady Ingram had become the eyes and ears of a dangerous man named Moriarty. She’d had to leave when Charlotte found out what she was doing. Lord Bancroft, fearful of what secrets Mr. Finch might know, had done everything in his power to apply pressure to Charlotte, including via Lord Ingram—and that Moriarty had played the spoiler in his plans.
It was almost too much to take in. Almost.
But not so much that she didn’t eventually get around to the one participant in the drama that Mrs. Watson had not mentioned yet. “The young man who pretended to be Mr. Finch, ma’am, do you know who he was? And why he had tried to pass himself off as someone else?”
“About him, your sister plans to speak to you herself. But between you and me”—Mrs. Watson winked—“I find him rather adorable.”
Livia prayed that she hadn’t flushed a splotchy shade. “Do you also know him then, ma’am?”
“Not to any great extent, I’m afraid.”
“But he isn’t a confidence artist or anything of the sort, is he?”
“I would say not.”
“Then...” Realization struck Livia; as always, a slap of dismay. “He is this Moriarty’s man.”
Mrs. Watson leaned forward and took Livia’s hands. “Not in the way you think, my dear. Not in the way you think.”
But what did that mean?
After they reached Rampling Cottage, Livia was taken to see Bernadine, who looked rounder and happier, and almost acknowledged her presence. Charlotte was also in the room, looking not very different from how she had when Livia had last seen her at the cottage. The two of them sat side by side without speaking, watching Bernadine, who was completely absorbed in her own world. After a while, Charlotte signaled to Livia that they should repair to the parlor, where they took tea by themselves.
Charlotte asked Livia how much she’d been told. And when Livia had rattled through the major points, Charlotte added, “Mott is Mr. Finch.”
Livia leaped out of her chair. “What?”
But as flabbergasted as she felt, the news was not unwelcome: Her illegitimate half-brother had turned out to be someone she liked and cared about. And from time to time she’d thought of him and hoped he was all right.
“Goodness! Last I saw him, he was running away from some people.”
“From Lord Bancroft’s men. He’s still safe, as far as I know.”
“That’s a relief.”
“And your young man is Moriarty’s estranged son.”
Livia fell back into her chair with a thud.
“His mother left Moriarty for the latter’s brother, and Moriarty has been hunting for the entire family ever since. He is also at least five years younger than you, in case that matters. Mrs. Watson’s late husband was eleven years younger than her, by the way.”
Livia blinked. “So do you or do you not approve of his age?”
“It is not my place to approve or disapprove. I am here to tell you everything that I know about him, so that you do not make up your mind in a vacuum.”
“Make up my mind? What is there to make up my mind about? He sends an occasional memento. That’s all.”
“All I can tell you is that his father—not Moriarty, but the man who raised him—was concerned enough to arrange for a face-to-face meeting with me, months ago.”
