“Good Lord,” the Duchess of Wesley muttered.
Quin frowned. “So Mrs. Burke—Wait, she had to marry later, then?”
“Yes, she married an older tradesman, but she never had another child. And the sisters became estranged after the whole sordid mess.”
“I’m not sure what to think of this,” Catherine murmured.
“Me either,” the Duchess of Wesley commented. “And I’ve heard some strange things. I think this is the winner.”
“So you’ll see why I was hesitant to have her in my home.” Lady Greatheart shifted as if the thought made her uncomfortable. “But enough of that! I mean it this time. We have happy news to discuss!” She clapped enthusiastically.
Quin turned to Lady Greatheart. “Indeed, and we will tell you as soon as we have a date selected.” He needed to talk to Catherine, but he didn’t want to alarm her grandmother. This revelation was astounding. “We don’t wish to tire you, so we’ll take our leave and come back once we know more. Thank you for your blessing.”And so much more, Quin added in his thoughts as he bowed to Lady Greatheart.
“You’re welcome. Take care of her. She’s the best out there.”
“I will, and I agree.” Quin smiled at Catherine.
Catherine turned to her grandmother. “I’ll be back later, Grammy.” She kissed her grandmother’s cheek.
The Duchess of Wesley bid her goodbye as well, and they all moved into the hall. Quin exchanged a wide-eyed expression with Catherine and then his mother, but by silent agreement, they didn’t speak but all took the stairs to the parlor where Catherine closed the doors behind them.
“Never would I ever—”
“Nor I,” the Duchess of Wesley added, shivering slightly.
“But we do have some understanding… Now we need one thing.”
Catherine regarded Quin, her intelligent eyes flashing. “Motive. And that’s exactly what I’m going to find in Cambridge.”
Quin nodded. “Unless we find it sooner. I’m not a gambling man, but I’d wager on this…” He paused briefly. “Lord Bircham has no idea.”
Thirty-four
Bad news travels faster than good.
—Catherine the Great
Catherine was impressed by the speed with which the Duchess of Wesley had flown into action after their startling revelation. Lady Joan and Lord Penderdale—Morgan—were quickly contacted and agreed to accompany Catherine to Cambridge. It had all been decided in less than a day, and before she had a moment to do anything but give a quick affectionate hand squeeze to Quin given their audience, he helped her into the carriage, gave his friend a nod, and then stepped back, disappearing from view as they departed for Cambridge.
“What do you expect to find?” Morgan asked, comfortably swaying with the movement of the carriage.
The Duchess of Wesley had informed them of the current situation, and Catherine was curious what perception Morgan had. “I have no idea, but there has to be a reason. Don’t you think?”
Lady Joan gave an indelicate lament.
Her brother studied her, and she gave a shrug and answered, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this one’s escapades with the War Office—”
“Which I constantly regret sharing any details about,” her brother interrupted.
“Hush, you didn’t tell me anything sensitive,” she scolded, then turned back to Catherine. “As I was saying…” She shot a glare to her brother, then turned brightly to Catherine. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about human nature, it’s that a reason isn’t always necessary for action. It’s common but not required. People often don’t know their own hearts anyway. There may be motive, but she might not even be able to articulate it.”
Catherine nodded.
“Besides,” Morgan added, “motive is helpful but doesn’t excuse her past actions. The goal… Let us focus on the goal.”
“To have her set the record straight but also make sure she doesn’t have further plans to wreak havoc on my family,” Catherine stated, turning her attention to the window.
And honestly, the last part was more concerning than the first. With Mrs. Burke gone, the gossip could be managed without her recanting, if necessary, but if she were malignant enough to want to undermine Catherine’s reputation, she might try something else. And Catherine wasn’t about to live with that threat over her head.