Page 118 of The Heir
Jane sat stupefied. Slowly, her mouth began to move. She wiped her hand across it, as if seeking to wipe some stain away.
“What day was it?” Jane asked suddenly.
“I don’t understand.”
“The day, what day of the week was it when we found Dr. Maton?”
“It was Thursday afternoon,” said Lehzen. Lehzen, of course, had been listening. She had heard everything and had said nothing. Until now.
Jane’s face twisted up tight. Her mouth moved again, but it was a long moment before any sound emerged.
“The card luncheon,” Jane said.
“I don’t—”
“My mother attends a weekly card luncheon. The ladies there play very deep, and Mother wins a great deal. So, on Thursday afternoons she always has money, and she is alone in the house. Dr. Maton could walk over then and receive his payment.”
“And she would serve tea,” said Victoria.
“But . . . she had no secret,” stammered Jane. “I mean, the one she did have, it wasn’t real, and it seems that everybody knew that, anyway.”
Victoria shook her head. “No. Don’t you see? The real secret was that she wasnotmy father’s natural daughter. She wasnotrelated to my family. That was what she needed to keep from your father.”
Because Sir John valued his status and his consequence. Sir John would not forgive anyone who took that away from him.
And he most certainly would not forgive anyone who had spent years successfully deceiving him.
“But we can’t know,” Jane whispered urgently. “We’ve said all this time we have toknow. We have to have proof! What proof is there? No one saw! Liza was paying calls, and Susan said she wasn’t even there.”
“Someone saw,” said Victoria. “It is not possible your mother was truly alone. There was someone there—” She stopped. She blinked. She shifted herself so that she faced Jane fully.
“Jane,” she said. “Where’s Betty?”
Chapter 55
“Mother?”
Jane stood on the threshold of the blue parlor. Mother sat on her sofa, a magazine spread out on her lap and a cup of tea cooling on the table beside her.
She didn’t even look up. “Jane? Good Lord, what is it this time? Another quarrel?” She turned a page.
“Mother . . . I’ve brought a guest home.”
“And what has that to do with me?”
“Good afternoon, Lady Conroy,” said the princess.
Mother looked up. Mother gaped. Jane realized it was one of the few times she’d ever seen her mother lose her countenance.
Mother rose and dropped into a curtsy. “Your Highness! Well, well. Such an honor!”
“Thank you.” Victoria walked into the room as if she owned it. Which, Jane supposed, she did in a way. “May we sit down?” she inquired rather pointedly.
“Oh, yes, ma’am. Please.” Mother was glowering at Jane. Jane found she could not muster the strength to care. Victoria sat first, of course, and Jane took the chair beside hers.
“Let me ring for tea.” Mother moved to the bellpull.
“There is no need,” said Victoria. “I was hoping to speak with you in private.”
