‘Why?’ Eden got to his feet and stood looking down at her. This was dangerous, this could tear him apart.
‘Because you are right in front of me, and we are friends and partners, so it behoves me to do something about you,’ she said firmly, getting to her feet too and beginning to shuffle her papers together.
‘Just like that?’
‘Yes.’ She nodded, tapping the edges of the pages on the desk to align them. ‘When I see something that needs to be done, I do it.’
‘And I have no say in the matter?’ Eden found he was smiling at her. He received a watery smile back.
‘Of course you do. You get to have free choice what to do with your love when you find where you have buried it.’ I know where it is, I have walled it up where it cannot hurt me. Or you, Maude. Oh God, I could hurt you so much.
She picked up her memorandum book. ‘Are you going to the Hethersetts’ ball in three days’ time?’
Conversation with Maude was like fencing lessons, you never knew where she was going to attack next. ‘No,’ Eden said baldly, a wary eye out for the next feint.
‘But you have been invited?’
‘Yes.’
‘Excellent. We have a committee meeting tomorrow afternoon—I did tell you, didn’t I? We need to discuss our plans for the theatre event and also tactics for taking advantage of the ball. It is very useful having another handsome man on the committee; you can woo all the rich widows, they are impervious to Jessica, Bel and me.’
‘Our theatre event?’
‘Ours. The others are going to be so pleased with us. Now, don’t forget, the Standons’ house at half past two. Goodbye.’ He was still standing regarding the door panels when she popped her head round again. ‘And don’t forget to accept Lady Hethersett’s invitation.’
‘Mr Hurst is attending today’s meeting,’ Maude remarked, standing in the Standons’ hall while Jessica supervised the footmen hanging a portrait.
‘Excellent,’ Jessica responded, her attention on what the men were doing with the heavy frame. ‘Careful! Don’t let the cloth slip off until it is up there, I don’t want to risk damaging it. It is Gareth’s papa,’ she added to Maude. ‘There’s his mother, behind you. They were in the country house, but not well displayed, and absolutely filthy. I had them cleaned and I think they will look good here.’
Maude turned to study the portrait of the late countess, severely lovely in piled white wig and sky blue satin. ‘Beautiful.’ She turned back as the footmen pulled at the swathing cloths on the matching portrait. ‘Oh, my God.’
‘What?’ Jessica blinked at her, puzzled. ‘I think it is a very handsome portrait.’
‘Yes, it is,’ Maude agreed. ‘But don’t you see the likeness?’
‘To Gareth? Well, of course, he’s much more like his mother at first glance, but there’s something about the way he stands.’
‘Have you got a Peerage?’ Maude asked urgently. Why on earth hadn’t she seen it before?
‘Yes, of course. Here, I’ll show you.’ Still looking bemused, Jessica led the way to Gareth’s study. ‘There, several editions, in fact.’
Maude pulled out the one that looked the oldest and flicked through her pages. ‘Ravenhurst, Dukes of Allington…here we are, marriage of Francis, second duke, to Francesca. Son Francis 1750, that’s Bel and Sebastian’s father, then a big gap up to Sophia, 1761.’
‘That’s Gareth’s mother,’ Jessica said. ‘Apparently Francesca was quite ill after the birth of the heir.’
‘Then Augustus, that’s Theo’s father the bishop, then…Aha! Margery, 1767.’
‘Why, Aha? I’ve never heard of her.’
‘Exactly. Let’s see what happens to her.’ Maude began to pull out volumes, opening them in date order. Finally, when she checked the final one she said triumphantly, ‘See? Nothing happens to Margery. No marriage, she isn’t dead. So where is she?’
‘I have no
idea.’ Jessica perched on the corner of Gareth’s desk, apparently set on humouring her friend.
‘She’s La Belle Marguerite and she’s Eden’s mother.’
‘What?’