and be a man about it. I was a man, all right. I was convinced that my father had killed her.'
'A bit gruesome for a child. Why did you think so?'
'Because he used to beat her.' I did not like to think about her cries, stifled because they'd make my father angrier. 'Not until I came home between terms did I learn that she died of a fever. Even so, I'm certain my father sped her into the grave. He had no patience with her, thought she was too weak, thought she was overly fond of me.'
Donata looked surprised. 'You were her son. Why shouldn't she be fond of you?'
' Overly fond. The poor woman wanted to speak to me at least once a day, and my father was certain this would make me weak. He tried to forbid it, so my mother and I began to meet in secret. My father's greatest fear was that his son would not grow up to be strong.'
Lady Breckenridge roved her gaze up and down my six-foot and more height. 'He had no need to worry in that regard.' I could not tell whether she meant it as a compliment. 'My husband never forbade me to see Peter, but then, Breckenridge could rarely be bothered to remember he had a son.'
Another strike against Lord Breckenridge in my book.
'The result is that I do not know much about my mother,' I said. 'I know she loved this room, that she found sanctuary here from my father. He had no patience with feminine frippery, and so he never came here. I used to creep up the back stairs and slip inside when he was busy. At least I have those memories.'
Whether Lady Breckenridge would have expressed sympathy for this I was not to know, because at the moment, Bartholomew entered the room with a thin blanket over his arm. A well-trained servant, he simply came in without knocking, not drawing attention to himself. Lady Breckenridge rose. 'Thank you, Bartholomew.'
She took the blanket from him, laid it on the chaise, and very carefully slid the gown onto blanket. More of the gauze fell in on itself, but Lady Breckenridge folded the blanket over the rest of the dress and lifted the bundle.
'Carry this back down to the carriage, please,' she said, holding it out to Bartholomew. 'Over your arms, exactly like that.'
Bartholomew looked bursting with curiosity, but he managed to keep it to himself as he took the blanket- wrapped garment. When he opened the door again, the man who'd been tearing up the bottom staircase came in with his hammer.
'We're to start on the upstairs, guv,' he said. 'You and her ladyship might want to go somewhere less dusty.'
I was in front of him before he could take a step into the room. 'Not in here.'
The man was a bit shorter than me but wide of shoulder, and he carried a large hammer, but I did not care.
'Mr. Cooper's orders, sir,' he said.
'Mr. Cooper does not own the house. I do. This room is not to be touched. Tear up the rest of the house, but not this room.'
The man did not look intimidated. 'Mr. Cooper says the whole house must be searched, sir, before Mr. Denis arrives.'
'I will deal with Mr. Cooper. And Mr. Denis. The chance that Easton hid anything here is remote.'
He remained stubbornly fixed. I'd seen these lackeys obey Denis's slightest whim without question. Their devotion was admirable, but at the moment, their devotion was irritating me.
'What is that, then?' The man jerked his chin at the blanket Bartholomew held in his arms.
'Not a priceless painting,' I said.
'I'll just have a look, shall I, guv?'
I got in front of him again. 'You will not have a look, and you will leave this room. I give you my word that Bartholomew is not spiriting away anything you are looking for. It is another matter entirely.'
The bloody man didn't move. 'I need to ask Mr. Cooper, sir.'
'You need to leave this room before I thrash you.'
'Really, guv, you should stand aside.'
The man kept his voice cool, an emotionless automaton used to carrying out James Denis's orders.
I on the other hand, lost my temper with a vengeance. 'This is my house,' I shouted at him. 'In it, you do not work for Denis or Cooper or anyone else. You obey my orders and mine alone. Do you understand?
'
The most hardened soldiers had slammed to attention when I'd roared at them thus, and I saw this man's spine straighten in spite of himself. He looked me up and down, his eyes as blank as ever, but they flickered when they met mine.
'Yes, sir,' he said.
'Tell Cooper to come and talk to me,' I said. 'Now, if you please.'
'Yes, guv.' The man backed his way out the door. I hadn't cowed him, I could see, but he'd decided he did not get paid enough to deal with me.
Bartholomew chuckled as the man clattered down the stairs. 'That was a fine thing.'
'Bartholomew,' I said, still out of temper.
'Right, sir.' Bartholomew hastened out room with the dress, and I returned to the window.
I was still tight with anger. Ever since I'd seen my daughter back to France this summer, I'd experienced something like peace, no more rages or melancholia. But seeing one of Denis's brutes ready to tear up my mother's sitting room with his heavy hammer made my simmering anger boil up with nightmare force.
Lady Breckenridge had said nothing during the entire exchange, listening with her cool air of observation.
'You will have to replace the carpet,' she said after a time.
I turned around. 'What?'
'You will have to replace the carpet if this room is to be used again. The vermin have been at it. The wallpaper too, I am afraid. I understand why you do not wish Mr. Denis's pugilist to wreck it, but do not seek to make the room a shrine, Gabriel. That is always a bad idea.'
She looked in no way dismayed at my outburst. Instead, she stood before me, quietly logical, giving me sound advice.
'Not a shrine,' I said. 'My father forbade anyone in here after she died. Not the same thing, but also a bad idea.'
'Quite right,' Lady Breckenridge said, looking around. 'This will make a pleasant little sitting room. Keep the pictures and things she liked, but redo the rest. She would have wanted it to be used, I think.'
Lady Breckenridge had compassion without sentimentality. I liked that very much about her.
I went to her. 'I apologize for my temper.'
'No, indeed. You were quite right. They should not run tame in your house.' Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. 'But what on earth did you mean about a priceless painting?'
Grenville chose that moment to come in. 'An excellent question. What about it, Lacey? Why are James Denis's pugilists sinking hammer and claw into your house?'
'Where is Cooper?' I asked.
'I believe the other two are looking for him,' Grenville said. 'Tell us, Lacey. Your brief tale about Easton has whetted my appetite for more.'
Without further hesitation, I related all to them. The smuggled artwork was Denis's business, but he'd involved me in it. His own fault if I spread the knowledge.
I knew, even as I spoke, that Denis did not fear what I would say. He was expert at winding his nets around those he wanted to control, and he would not have chosen me for this errand had he wanted to keep its true nature secret. That meant he was not in the least worried about me or who I'd tell.
'Good heavens,' Lady Breckenridge said when I'd finished. 'As I have observed before, Gabriel, your acquaintance is interesting.'
'And as I have observed, you need to have a care with James Denis,' Grenville said. 'He is a dangerous man, with dangerous men in his employ.'
'I know that,' I said, 'Though, truth be told, I could become grateful to him for some of the things he's done. He found my wife and daughter. When my daughter was in danger, he made every effort on her behalf. I cannot hate him for that, no matter what his motives.'
