“And then you are going to—what?—demand they give him back?” She looked him up and down. “In your condition?”
He fashioned his jaw into a determined position. This was not how he had pictured spending his Christmas, but it didn’t matter. “I’ll do whatever needs to be done,” he told her.
Chapter Nine
“Are we to be some sort of investigative society now like our cousins?” Lilly folded her arms and threw herself onto the sofa next to her twin.
Ivy made a little noise of annoyance when her sister’s elbow dug into her side. “Lilly!”
Lilly flung her arms around Ivy and gave her several noisy kisses on the cheek whilst her sister batted away the attention with a smile and roll of her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ivy!” She kissed her again. “Whatever can I do to make it better?”
“You can cease kissing me for two minutes!” Ivy said with a laugh.
Violet remained standing by the fireplace, the warmth a welcome relief from the biting cold outside. She’d practically had to drag Lilly inside from working with the horses, despite the frost on the ground.
At least Ivy could be counted on for doing something civilized. She’d found her little sister stringing together dried berries to be hung about the house. How her twin sisters were such different characters, she did not know. Whilst Ivy looked more like Violet, Lily was dark-haired and lean which contrasted her twin’s curvaceous form and soft features. Despite their differences, their closeness never waned.
The door to the drawing room flung open and Clementine shuffled into the room, her copper curls a little mussed. Violet folded her arms and eyed her. “I called a sister meeting ten minutes ago.”
Clementine’s cheeks warmed, making her freckles darken. “Yes, sorry. I got, um...distracted.”
“No doubt Roman was the one doing the distracting,” Lilly declared.
“If it’s a sister meeting, can I not join in then?” Aunt Sarah shuffled into the room.
She forewent any sort of cap or turban today and reams of long gray hair flowed behind her as she moved into the room. They were used to Aunt Sarah’s informality at this point even with guests staying though Violet was certain their aunt did it as some sort of antidote to the expectations put upon women. Violet rather hoped that when she became the spinster aunt, she would follow suit if Clementine had daughters.
“We are discussing an investigation,” Violet told her. “We need all the help we can get.”
Aunt Sarah sat on the armchair to Violet’s right whilst Clementine sat on the other side of Ivy.
“You didn’t approve when I was investigating on behalf of Roman’s aunt,” Clementine pointed out. “Why has that changed?”
Violet pinched the bridge of her nose. She should have known Clementine would not let her forget the disapproval she’d expressed at the idea of her younger sister getting entangled in some sort of potentially dangerous investigation. She’d been right too really. Clementine had been put in harm’s way, however, she’d also solved the mystery and ensured Roman’s aunt remained safe. She couldn’t deny their cousins’ investigative society was more necessary than she’d realized.
“The Daventrys set up the Duchess’s Investigative Society to help people in need. Now we have someone in need.” And Violet was going to help Duke no matter what he said. She could hardly sit around knowing Duke’s father was in danger now, could she?
“You mean the lovely Duke do you not?” Aunt Sarah said. “Even with all those bruises, he really has the most delect—”
“I do,” Violet said quickly.
Ivy lifted a hand. “But is the society not set up to aidwomenin need? I hesitate to point it out, but Duke is a man.”
“He is most certainly a man,” Aunt Sarah agreed with a grin. “A fine specimen of one too.”
Violet glanced at the marginally open door and caught a glimpse of the footman waiting patiently outside. She moved to the door and closed it fully. “He needs our help whether he wants to admit it or not.”
“We’re to find those who attacked him then?” Lilly asked.
“In a manner of speaking.” Violet exhaled slowly. She’d read more on the case of John Doyle and even the details in the newspapers were enough to make one shudder. “We simply need to find his father.”
“Find his father?” Lilly straightened. “Was he not meant to be joining us for Christmas?”
Ivy looked to the ceiling. “He was meant to be here yesterday, Lil.”
“Well I cannot be expected to remember everything.” Lilly folded her arms and sank deeper into the chair. “It’s a busy time of year and—”
“He’s been taken by the same people who hurt Duke,” Violet blurted, aware that as much as her twin sisters adored each other they could also be counted upon to argue to the death and they did not need the distraction at present.