Page 9 of The Gentleman Was Right
“Are they?” he asked.
“Perhaps.” She squinted at his trunk in the corner of the room. “We did not realize you were coming for a visit. If we had known, we would have been better prepared.”
If they’d known, they probably would have left before he arrived.
Thatwould have been a tragedy.
“If I had required a welcoming party, I would have sent word.” He paused, enjoying the way her eyes narrowed the slightest bit as she waited for him to continue. “In all honesty, I wanted my arrival to be unexpected. You see, somewhere around six months ago the expense reports increased for no obvious reason. My brother intended to send his secretary to investigate, but a more pressing crisis arose, and I volunteered to come instead.”
“Ah.” Violet exhaled quietly. “I hadn’t considered that our presence would be noticed by Lord Greydon whether he was here or not. I suppose I should have realized.”
She sounded almost forlorn, and he rushed to assure her. “There isn’t much that escapes Sebastian’s notice. He’s highly organized, and he takes his obligations too seriously to allow his properties to be unsupervised. He might not visit, but he is not unaware of what happens here. Except in this, I suppose. Neither of us thought that my investigation would conclude as soon as I arrived, but we also didn’t consider that there might be such a simple explanation. Rather uninspired of us, wasn’t it?”
He shrugged and then smiled in an attempt to put her at ease.
She didn’t react in any way.
Why was she so inscrutable? And what on earth could she be hiding?
“How can you be sure we are uninvited?” she asked, as if she had not already admitted that they were.
She would lead him in circles if he allowed it.
“I have come at my brother’s behest, and as I said, there’s no chance that he invited you to stay here alone and then sent me to investigate the bookkeeping. He would not have forgotten you were here.”
Her eyes closed briefly, and her face twisted with discomfort.
Catching a glimpse of her distress, he wished his tone had been gentler. He didn’t want to upset her, and hedefinitelydid not mean to accuse her of anything. He simply wanted an honest explanation of her actions. “I was not implying—will you please tell me why you’re here? What reason do you have for pretending? For lying about your identity?”
She did not react outwardly, but when she spoke her words were measured and almost too calm. “We shan’t bother you further. If you’ll allow it, we will pack our things and be on our way by morning.”
He was undeniably frustrated by the lack of details she was willing to provide. It was not possible for him to be more accommodating or understanding, and she didn’t seem to have a scrap of appreciation for his patience. “No. I won’t allow it. Not without an explanation.”
Her eyes flashed in warning. “I do notoweyouan explanation.”
“Maybe not. However, this cottage does not belong to you, nor do you have permission to be here.”
She visibly deflated, and even though he wanted an explanation, he redirected the conversation and asked, “Do you wish to leave?”
“That is hardly relevant. We cannot stay now thatyouare here.”
Her tone implied that he ought not be here, and once again he couldn’t help admiring her nerve. He glanced at her sister, who still had not spoken. It was clear from the expression on Isabelle’s face that she was not going to tell him anything, so he turned back to Violet.
“Do you wish to leave?” he repeated. “Because if you want to stay, I cannot see any reason whymy cousinsand I cannot remain here together.” In truth, there were probably dozens of reasons, but none of them seemed particularly important at the moment.
Violet sighed. “We arenotyour cousins.”
The truth.
He grinned encouragingly, but she did not continue. Conversing with her was like pulling teeth. “I know you aren’t my cousins. And you know you aren’t my cousins, but correct me if I’m wrong, everyone else believes we are related. We can continue to perpetuate the lie. You do not need to worry. I did not come here to oust you, nor do I intend to reveal your deception. You will remain safe as long as you are here.”
“That is unequivocally untrue. You came to unravel a deception. Wearethe deception.”
The flashes of anger he kept glimpsing intrigued him as much as everything else, and he made a snap decision. “I suppose that is true, but I’m not heartless. I came to uncover the reason, not to remove it. Now that I know you are here, I want to help. I will protect you from whatever you are running from, and if I cannot, you may remain as long as you wish. I would never allow young ladies to venture forth without proper protection. I am a gentleman.”
Honor would compel him to protect them regardless of their reasons. It might not be his cottage, but he would convince Sebastian to allow them to stay.
Her hands found her hips. “The only thing you know about us is that we lied about being your cousins and lived in your brother’s cottage for months without an invitation.” She bit her lip. “Why would you offer us your assistance?”
