Page 54 of Then Come Lies

“Dowager Duchess of Kendal,” Xavier corrected himself.

I wasn’t really sure what the difference was, but I did enjoy the way the comment appeared to knock her down a peg or two.

“Dear boy, we didn’t know you were returning to Kendal,” said the duchess. “Frederick and I were in town enjoying the Season, but when we heard from Imogene that you’d popped in, we immediately came back, didn’t we, darling?”

“Darling” appeared to be Frederick, the man standing next to her who was currently looking at Xavier like he was a bug he wanted to squash. Until, of course, Xavier caught him staring. Then the expression turned to mild terror.

“So I gathered,” Xavier snapped. “Left Henry to rot for the last four weeks. Or didn’t you know he’d been found?”

“Of course we knew,” Georgina said. “Who do you think rearranged his bedroom for him? But there wasn’t anything else to be done about his condition—the doctors said so. And he wouldn’t have wanted Frederick to miss out on the Season. The queen herself invited us to the garden party this year, I’ll have you know.”

“Oh, the queen’s garden party,” Xavier muttered. “Meanwhile, Henry has been here dealing with second and third strokes. And would it have really killed you to help with the estate while he was missing? I know it’s not your bloody son’s, but you do live here, don’t you?”

The duchess didn’t blink an eye at Xavier’s coarse language. It seemed to be something she was accustomed to. “Of course I do, darling. It’s my home.”

She was still speaking kindly, but the last word had an edge to it that I didn’t like. It reminded me of the way my own mother talked about her children. Like they were possessions she could come back to whenever she liked, not when they actually needed her.

And yeah, I knew exactly what that felt like, too.

“And who might we have here?” she asked, turning to me as if she sensed my instant disdain. Her steely gray eyes drifted over me like the knife edge of a blade, cutting through the simple leggings and T-shirt, snipping through the casual sneakers I’d worn for walking about the gardens.

“This is Francesca Zola.” Xavier snaked an arm around my shoulders, pulling me securely to his side. “My girlfriend. Up from London.”

“Oh, how lovely.” The duchess smarted. “We’d heard you’d brought that American and her daughter with you. Horrible rumors. So glad to see you’ve met someone new.”

“Er—” I started.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with Americans, of course, but Corbray isn’t really the sort of place for, er, that sort, don’t you think, Frederick?” she continued.

“There you are, Mama!”

If it weren’t for the sounds of Sofia’s feet pattering their way down the corridor, I was sure you could have heard a pin drop in the awkward silence. I grinned, then caught her as she jumped into my arms, followed by Elsie struggling to keep up behind her.

“All right?” Xavier asked the older woman.

“Goodness, yes. She’s fast, that one,” Elsie put in.

She said something to Xavier I couldn’t understand, then left with a quick farewell to Sofia and a daggered expression at Georgina. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t care for the duchess.

“As I was saying,” Xavier said, accepting Sofia from my arms. “This is Francesca Zola. My girlfriend, and also the mother of my daughter, Sofia. They’re spending the summer with us. From New York.”

Georgina did an excellent impression of a painted owl as she blinked between us. “I—see. Just the summer, then?”

“Not if I can help it,” Xavier murmured. His blue eyes sparkled down at me.

Excitement bubbling inside me, I opened my mouth to ask him exactly what he meant by that, but was interrupted by the appearance of Mrs. Niles, the housekeeper.

“Mr. Larsen is here from Brooks and Weston, sir,” she said to Xavier. “And I believe Gibson has already directed a Mr. Rhodes to your office as well.”

He grunted, squeezed my shoulder, then released me. “Lawyers and accountants,” he said. “Must go.”

“Can I come with you, Daddy?” Sofia asked, reaching across me to pull on his tie.

To my surprise, Xavier grinned. “Only if you promise not to make Elsie chase you anymore, babe,” he told her. He delivered a quick kiss to my cheek. “I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?”

But there was no more time for a response. He strode away, Sofia in his arms, and I found myself alone with the Dowager Duchess of Kendal and her son, both of them now eyeing me like I was bait on a hook.

“So, you’re the American.”

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