Page 63 of Project Duchess
As he shut the door behind him, she swallowed hard. “This is most inappropriate.”
“I don’t care.” He tossed his hat onto the console table and caught sight of her pistol. “You shoot?”
“Not very well, no,” she admitted, then realized perhaps she should have kept that detail to herself. Though honestly, she couldn’t see herself shooting a duke. Particularly this one. “I keep it there for protection.”
“From whom?”
“People like you who barge into my home without an invitation,” she bit out.
A faint smile crossed his face before he squelched it. He picked up the pistol and turned the handle toward her. “Then go ahead—feel free. Though it won’t help you or your brother advance your aims in the same way that pushing someone off a bridge might have.”
She felt all at sea as she took the pistol and carefully set it back on the table. “Advance our aims? What do you mean?” Then it hit her. “UncleMaurice? Now you suspect my brother of murdering him, too?”
“Your brother,” he said coldly. “Or you.”
“Me!” She burst into laughter. The idea of her killing anyone was ludicrous.
But Grey’s grim expression showed that he didn’t find it so, and at once her amusement vanished.
She stared him down. “Why in God’s name would I murder Uncle Maurice? Ilikedhim!”
“He was planning to sell this house out from under you and your brother.” Grey cast her a triumphant look as if he’d finally unveiled all her secrets.
“Yes, and so was Uncle Armie.”
The triumph in his face vanished. “You’re notdenyingthat you knew about it.”
“Why would I?” This conversation got stranger by the moment. “Everyone in the whole blasted town of Sanforth knew. I daresay half of London knew. Even if I hadn’t heard about it from several people eons ago, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn of it. Since this parcel of the estate isn’t entailed, selling it was one of the few ways left to my uncles to shore up a failing dukedom. Indeed, I assumed that the reason for my come-out lessons was that Sheridan was planning something of the sort himself, so your mother figured she’d best find me a husband and quick.”
Grey looked as if she’d sucked the wind right out of his sails. “So you weren’t concerned about it.”
“Well, yes. But it’s not as if I could do anything.” She cocked her head. “I certainly wouldn’t have tried to murder anyone in a futile attempt to prevent it.” She shook her head. “You actually thought I would . . . kill your stepfather over such a thing.”
“It crossed my mind.” He ran his fingers through his hair distractedly. “But no. Not really.” His gaze shot to her. “Your brother is another matter entirely, however.”
“He would never have murdered Uncle Maurice,” she said stoutly.
“But you’re not so certain about his murdering your uncle Armie.”
So they were back to that, were they? Her hands grew clammy. “H-He wouldn’t have done it overthat, to be sure.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she could have cursed her quick tongue.
Especially when Grey’s eyes focused on her with great intensity. “Not overthat? Then over what, pray tell?”
Her stomach sank. She should have known from his questions this afternoon that he wouldn’t let his suspicions slide. Especially after her parting words in the clearing.
Not sure what to do or say, she headed back toward the kitchen. “My supper is getting cold.”
He followed her, his presence looming behind her like a thundercloud. “By all means, don’t let me keep you from supper. It’s not as if we’re discussing anythingimportant.”
As she entered the kitchen, she asked, “Have you eaten? There’s still some beef stew, and I think—”
“Leave it.” Taking her arm, Grey pulled her around to face him. “This afternoon you said you didn’t know if Joshua killed your uncle Armie. But if he did, what reason doyouthink he’d have for doing it?”
“I’d rather not go into it,” she murmured, though his threatening visage made it clear he wouldn’t let that go. “Why does it matter, anyway? Uncle Armie was an arse and now he’s gone.”
“It matters because Sheridan thinks your brother is after the dukedom—that he killed both your uncles and is plotting to kill Sheridan and Heywood so he can become duke himself.”
