Page 112 of A Devil in Silk
“Exonerated. Mercer advised him to take meaningful work and stop listening to spirits.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Rothley replied. He had spent a decade battling his own ghosts. “I suppose he could always take up a new profession as a parrot trainer.”
“Miss Woolf is now the proud owner of a pair of African greys. Apparently, she wanted the parrots for protection.”
“Protection?” Rothley’s irritation broke through. “From whom?”
“She refused to say.”
Silence ensued, though Bentley could almost hear the dark turn of Rothley’s thoughts. Thankfully, their friend Gentry chose that moment to approach.
“Your wife has a talent for persuasion, Rutland. Sofia and I are helping her arrange an outing tonight. A perfect adventure for daring newlyweds.”
“How many adventures does one man need?” Rothley complained.
Bentley thought of their secret picnic last night and smiled. “Enough to last a lifetime.”
Gentry reached into his coat pocket and handed Rothley a note. “A patient of mine lives out in World’s End, Chelsea. She told me she has a new neighbour. A lady who doesn’t mind living beside a graveyard and who has a taste for morbid poetry.”
Rothley snatched the note as though it might vanish before his eyes. A smug grin curved his lips. “If it’s true, that makes useven, since I allowed you to marry in my chapel. My housekeeper is still wandering about in a romantic daze, and insists on mentioning every wedding in the parish.”
“Mrs Boswell wants you to be happy,” Gentry said.
“She’s taken to scattering volumes of Hemans and Moore about the place, as though a love poem might cure cynicism.”
“And here I thought she knew you well.”
The men laughed, and the teasing soon turned on Rothley. Five years, they reminded him, since he’d let a woman share his bed. He bore the ribbing with his usual cool detachment, though the faint curl of his mouth betrayed amusement more than offence.
Bentley was called away to speak to departing guests, and the hours slipped by in a blur of conversation, farewells and handshakes.
Clara drew him aside, her fingers brushing his, mischief in her smile. “Mrs Gentry is taking me home to change. I’ll see you in an hour, my love, and it cannot come soon enough.”
Bentley caught her hand, bringing it briefly to his lips. “An hour will feel like an eternity. I’m waiting with bated breath. Tell me, will I need a lantern?”
She laughed. “Not tonight. Tonight I need you to myself.”
With that, she slipped away to join Sofia Gentry, leaving him restless with anticipation. He turned then, seeking a quiet moment with his mother.
“Well, Clara’s first introduction was a resounding success.” His mother took another sip of champagne, her mood lighter than he’d seen in years. “After a few minutes, one scarcely notices her injury. Agnes was the same, always strong in the face of adversity.” She paused, a solemn sigh escaping. “I only wish she could have been here to see her daughter marry the most caring son in England.”
Bentley swallowed past a lump in his throat. “All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, Mother. If tonight has given you even a measure of peace, then it’s more than I could hope for.”
Her eyes softened, a weary smile curving her lips. “It has. More than you know. I’m sorry for being blind to your suffering all these years. The thought of losing you, too, was more than I could bear.”
Bentley covered her hand with his. “If you ever need answers, I can arrange a meeting with Silas Scarth. He has a rare gift and can commune with spirits.”
She hesitated, then clasped his hand tightly. “No. You were right. We mustn’t dwell on what cannot be undone. We must look to the future.”
Bentley’s chest eased. For the first time in years, the past no longer bound him, and his thoughts raced to the future and a night spent alone with his wife.
Across the room, Gentry caught his eye and gave the smallest nod. The time had come. “If you’ll excuse me, Mother. Did Clara ask if you’d care to dine with us in Bruton Street tomorrow night?”
She smiled. “She did. That would be wonderful.”
He kissed his mother’s cheek and followed Gentry to the door.
“Do I need to change clothes?” Bentley asked his friend.
