He heaved an irritated sigh as he made his way to the sideboard. “Whatever you’re going to say, you can keep it to yourself.”
Certainly, he didn’t think that was going to dissuade her, not after watching him sell their grandmother’s jewelry the day before. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. We must have a conversation.” She frowned at her brother as he filled a plate with sausages. “I want to talk to you about our encounter at Garrard, what you were doing there yesterday.”
He cast her a glance back over his shoulder. “I don’t have to answer to you, and while we’re on that subject, Bella, you can have Avery stop trailing me everywhere I go too. It’s damned annoying.”
Trailing him? Bella blinked at her brother. “I beg your pardon?” What in the world did he mean by that?
Elliott did turn around fully then, irritation rolling off him in waves. “I’m not an imbecile, Bella. I don’t know why you have him following me. But call him off, will you?”
He was out of his mind. “On my honor, Elliott, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her brother snorted. “The bawdy house, the jeweler, the gaming hall last night...”
Greg visited a bawdy house? Bella’s stomach twisted at the thought. She hadn’t thought he was the sort to—
“..Looking down his nose at me,” Elliott continued in annoyance. “And I am quite tired of it.”
Greg hadn’t said anything about following Elliott around, and Bella doubted he’d done such a thing. But, goodness, had Greg really visited a bawdy house? Bella shook the awful thought from her mind. “This has nothing to do with Lord Avery. This is between you and me, Elliott. The things you’re doing, they’re going to land all of us in an unfortunate situation. If Grandfather—”
“Wasn’t such a stingy bastard, I wouldn’t have to take an advance on my inheritance,” Elliott finished for her. “And I will not feel guilty about it. So you can save your breath.”
For heaven’s sake, reasoning with him was nearly impossible. “Those earbobs were supposed to be mine, Elliott.”
He scoffed as he shook his head. “I never thought you were so selfish, Bella. You don’t need them, but I did. You want to see me destitute and living in a gutter, do you? All for some shiny baubles?”
Was he serious? He was trying to make her feel guilty for his actions? “Elliott, you need some sort of help, and not just financially.” And then her conversation with Prissa popped back into her mind. “What will happen to your son in Seven Dials if you don’t pull your life together now?”
He stared at her blankly for a moment and then his mouth fell slightly open. “Prissa told you,” he said as though he was putting two and two together.
Prissa had told her that Elliott claimed to have a daughter in the notorious rookery. Had he missed that little detail just now because he was so surprised that Bella knew about the child? Or had he simply forgotten the lie he’d told their sister, and didn’t remember if he was supposed to have a son or a daughter? One way to find out. “What’s his name, Elliott? I think I have a right to know my nephew’s name.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to answer…
“Michael,” he finally said. “Named after Father.” Then he started toward the table, looking as sincere as he ever had. “So you see why I need funds now.”
Bella closed her eyes, unable to look at her brother, who truly was a practiced lair. If she didn’t know better, she might very well have believed him. “Then why did you tell Prissa you’ve sired a daughter, if you’ve had a son you named after Father?” She opened her eyes once more and pinned her brother with a glare. What had happened to the sweet boy she’d grown up with? “Do you even know when you’re lying anymore, Elliott? Or when you’re telling the truth? Or is it all just one big blur?”
Instantly, her brother’s face was red with indignation. “You tried to trick me.”
And was successful. “If you were telling the truth, you couldn’t have been tricked.”
“I don’t need the damn Spanish Inquisition, Bella. So you can save your condescension and Avery’s. Just stay out of my life,” he growled before abandoning his plate of sausages on the sideboard and stalking from the breakfast room in a fit of anger.
That was awful. One of the worst things she’d ever experienced, and Bella’s heart ached for her brother. She had adored him, looked up to him when they were children, he’d comforted her when Mama had left but now… The man who’d fled the breakfast room was a stranger to her, someone she didn’t even recognize.
Less than a moment later, Prissa stepped back into the breakfast room, her face ashen white. “He lied to me,” she whispered.
So she’d heard that entire exchange, had she? Hopefully, no one else had. Bella shook her head. “I don’t think he even knows how to tell the truth anymore.”
Her sister crossed the floor and dropped into a chair across from Bella. “What are we going to do about him?”
If only Bella had an answer for that. “I think we have to talk to Papa.” Because they did have to do something. They couldn’t be complacent where their brother was concerned.
Prissa nodded in agreement. “He’s gone out for the day. Maybe that will give us time to figure out what to say to him.”
“The truth, Priss.” Bella shook her head once more. “There’s no point in saying anything less than the truth. Papa needs to know the extent of what’s happening with Elliott.” It was quite likely, though, that Bella didn’t know the full extent of the truth herself. However, if Greg had been following Elliott – though that still seemed so hard to believe – but if he had been, he might know more than Bella did. She’d have to hurry over to Clayworth House very soon to make their next sitting. As it was, she was going to be late. Hopefully Greg wouldn’t leave before she got there.
“I feel awful,” Prissa said softly.