Late the next morning, Reina came by.
“I know I should have waited, but I was too excited,” she told Charles as he met her in the entryway. “Heather came and told us that you and Eris returned from Gretna Green.” She gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to elope that night at the dinner party?”
“It wasn’t planned,” he whispered, glancing at the footman and hoping he was too far to overhear them. He took Reina by the arm and started to lead her to the drawing room. “I was talking to Eris, and the idea just came to me.” It was a lie, but a necessary one.
“Wait! The others need to come in,” Reina said, stopping him before he could take her farther into the townhouse.
“Others?” he asked in surprise.
“Your parents brought me here.”
His eyes grew wide. “My parents came, too?”
She nodded in excitement. “Yes, but they made Bridget and Melanie stay home. They didn’t want to overwhelm Eris. Heather said you didn’t want too many of us to come by.”
That wasn’t exactly what Charles had told Heather. “Didn’t Heather say that I was going to have everyone together for a dinner party in a couple of months?”
“Yes, but that is a dinner party. It’s not a casual meeting in the middle of the day. Everything will be fine. We won’t stay long.”
“You didn’t tell my parents that you helped me get better acquainted with Eris, did you?”
“Of course not! I only told them that I happened to meet her by accident the day I got lost on my way to the market and that you happened to be down there waiting for me. I stuck to our story.”
“Thank you.” The last thing he needed was for anyone to find out he had used Reina to end up marrying Eris. There were bound to be all kinds of questions, and he’d rather not answer them.
“I have a good memory, and I don’t reveal secrets,” Reina said. “You can trust me.”
“I appreciate that.”
The footman opened the front door, and Charles’ mother ran over to hug him while his father took a more leisurely time to reach them.
“When we found out you ran off to elope, we worried something bad might happen while you were gone,” his mother said as she let him go. She put her hand over her heart. “Thank goodness you’re all right.” She patted his cheeks. “One can’t be too careful. Even if you are a gentleman, terrible things can still happen while you’re traveling. Thieves are out there, you know.”
“I know how to be careful,” Charles replied. “Did you really worry that I would get robbed?”
“Only until Heather assured us you were fine,” Charles’ father spoke up. “It was a short time.”
“It seemed like a long time to me,” his mother replied. “My heart nearly stopped.”
“It took two glasses of sherry every day to settle her nerves,” Reina added.
“Well, I’m just glad my little boy is all right,” his mother said and scanned the area. “Where is the lady you married?”
“Upstairs at the moment.” Charles waved for them to go with him to the drawing room, and as they followed, he continued, “She’s taking a bath.”
“I knew we should have requested a visit,” his father said.
“We’re here now,” Reina replied. “We might as well make the best of it.”
After his family removed their coats and gloves, Charles instructed the butler to bring in tea and crumpets. He joined them and sat on the settee across from them.
“I admit that I was happy to hear the news,” his father said. “I was beginning to worry you’d never marry. Then you’d never have a son, and I’d have no grandson to pass my title to.”
“Yes, your father did worry about the future of his title,” his mother agreed as she shifted into a comfortable position in the chair. “You’ve only been a suitor a couple of times, and those ladies ended up marrying someone else.”
“I’ve been busy,” Charles said. “A gentleman’s wealth doesn’t accumulate all by itself. It needs time.”
“So does getting an heir,” his mother insisted with a pointed look. “We’re delighted Heather is giving us grandchildren, but we have a duty to the crown to pass on the title, and she’s unable to do that.”
“Which is why we’re glad you finally married,” his father added. “Although we were a bit disturbed you picked a widow still in mourning. And your friend’s widow at that.”
Yes, this was one of the reasons why Charles hadn’t wanted them to know so soon. He knew the title and his choice in a bride would be two things that they’d mention.
“It’s romantic,” Reina said, saving him from having to find a suitable response. “Eris had hoped for a love match with Jonathan, but he suffered that terrible heart failure before she could get to know him all that well. Then Charles happened to see her and fell in love with her. The two are a perfect match. I think it’s wonderful that two lonely people found each other.”
Two lonely people? Charles frowned. Was his cousin really insisting he’d been lonely? He most certainly hadn’t been. He’d been plenty busy. He’d barely had time to attend one of his parents’ or Heather’s dinner parties. While courting Eris, he’d had to delay quite a few meetings with gentlemen of notable influence. Such a thing hadn’t been easy to do, but it’d been necessary. For Jonathan’s sake, he had upended his entire life.
“It would have been prudent to let Eris fulfill her period of mourning,” Charles’ father said. “Though, I recall meeting her, and she’s not as young as most ladies. I suppose it was probably best not to wait. Her childbearing years are going to end soon.”
“Love doesn’t go by age,” Reina replied. “Eris has plenty of time to have a child. She isn’t that old. And what can anyone do about it now? Charles has already married her. Nine months from now, there might be an heir.”
“But will that child be yours or Jonathan’s?” Charles’ father asked, directing his attention to Charles. “There’s a reason ladies are expected to wait a year before marrying again.”
Charles couldn’t believe he had to address this, but he should have expected it. “Eris hadn’t been with Jonathan that way. He died before anything happened.”
“You’re certain of that?” his father pressed.
“Yes,” Charles replied. “I was with her. I saw the evidence of her innocence for myself.”
“What evidence is that?” Reina asked.
“You don’t need to know,” Charles’ father told her. “The important thing is that we’ll be assured the child is the heir in our family line. Though, ideally, I suppose it’s best if a little one doesn’t come too soon or else people will wonder.”
His mother nodded. “Yes. There needs to be at least a month to spare so the whispers won’t taint the title.”
“Charles married her a month after Jonathan died,” Reina pointed out.
“That’s true,” his mother replied. “So long as he waited until they were married before doing anything, we should be fine.”
Good grief. “I didn’t do anything until we were married,” Charles reluctantly assured them.
His mother seemed pleased with the news. “In that case, make sure you’re diligent about the heir. The sooner you have a son, the sooner your poor father can be at ease.”
“It’s not easy to wait for your son to have an heir,” his father agreed. “You might find that out someday if your son puts off marriage the same way you did.”
The butler came in, and Charles was overwhelmed with relief. Glad for the distraction, Charles hurried to pour tea into everyone’s cups, including the one Eris would drink from when she came down. This wasn’t ideal. He would have preferred it if his parents had waited until the dinner party to meet Eris, but he supposed they were impatient to meet her. Now he knew where Heather got her impulsiveness from.
“What will you do with your townhouse?” his father asked after the butler left.
“I’ll sell it eventually,” Charles lied.
“It’s unusual that a gentleman moves into his wife’s townhouse,” his mother said. “I can’t think of any other gentleman who does it.”
“I’m sure there have been a couple who have,” Charles replied then took a bite of his crumpet so he was spared having to talk for a brief time.
“I think Charles is right,” Reina said, a thoughtful tone in her voice. “If I remember correctly, Mr. Jasper moved into his wife’s townhouse when he married her. Mr. Jasper is Heather’s husband’s friend’s brother-in-law.”
Charles’ eyes nearly popped out of his head as he struggled to process exactly what she’d just said. He was acquainted with Mr. Jasper since Mr. Jasper excelled at investing, but he didn’t know him well enough to know the people he was related to. Heather’s husband was Gill, and he knew for a fact that Mr. Jasper and Gill were not friends.
Come to think of it, he was barely aware of who Gill associated with. While he and Gill were now related, he didn’t have much to do with him beyond the times the family all got together. Gill seemed more interested in leisurely pursuits and spent his free time with gentlemen who preferred the same. Charles never had use for intended idleness. All things considered, however, he was glad Gill treated his sister well and was a good father to his nephew. So really, all was well.
“I know someone who would like to buy a townhouse,” Charles’ father said. “He’ll give you a good price for yours.”
Charles finished his crumpet and cleared his throat. “I’m in no hurry to sell it. I plan to wait.”
“How long are you going to wait?” his mother asked.
Charles shrugged. “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far.”
“I see no reason why you should wait when you’re married and living here,” his mother replied. “It makes no sense.”
“Everything happened so suddenly,” Charles said. “I’m waiting for things to go back to normal.”
“Everything is happening suddenly because you wanted to rush into marriage,” his mother pointed out. “Why didn’t you take time to let Eris go through the mourning period if you wished to take things slow?”
Reina chuckled. “He was in love. You can’t expect someone so completely in love to wait. It’d be cruel.”
“It also seems cruel to delay selling a perfectly good townhouse that isn’t being lived in,” his mother said.
“I agree with your aunt,” Charles’ father told Reina. “The person I know could use a townhouse right away. He could pay for the townhouse today if Charles would just agree to sell it.”
Charles silently cursed Heather for telling his parents that he had returned to London. This was all her fault. Since she couldn’t wait, he was being put into a very uncomfortable spot. He could not, under any circumstance, let them know the truth until he had the proof he needed. If he rushed to tell them without proof, they’d accuse him of being foolish like they had the time when he tracked Heather down after Heather eloped.
Reina jumped to her feet and ran to the doorway so she could hug Eris who had just entered the room. “We couldn’t wait to welcome you to the family,” Reina told her. “Tell us how Charles convinced you to run off with him to Gretna Green. I want to hear every detail!”
Charles set the cup on the table and went over to them before his cousin could overwhelm Eris. “There’s plenty of time to go into all of that,” he quietly told Reina so his parents didn’t overhear. The less they knew, the better. “You should wait until you and Eris are alone. We don’t have to do it while my parents are here.”
“Oh, you’re right,” Reina said. “They’d rather get better acquainted with Eris anyway.” Without waiting for Charles to take Eris’ arm, she grabbed Eris’ hand and took her to the settee. “You can sit with your husband.”
Charles released his breath and returned to his spot on the settee. “I had no idea my family would be so anxious to meet you,” he told Eris as he offered her some tea.
As Eris accepted it, Charles’ father asked, “How are you doing, my dear?”
“I’m fine,” Eris replied. “I hope no one is upset that Charles and I married so soon after Jonathan’s death. I know I haven’t been through the proper length of mourning.”
“All things considered, marrying as fast as you did is understandable,” his father said.
Charles held his breath. His father wasn’t going to start asking her about her ability to have children right away, was he?
“We are sorry, of course, that your marriage with Jonathan came to a swift and tragic end,” his father continued. “Some things are out of our control, and the time of one’s death is one of them. This marriage might be what you both need. You two were close to Jonathan. I’m sure it gives you comfort to be together.”
Charles’ mother smiled in approval. “That’s well said. Sometimes grief can bring two people together.”
“It was more than grief,” Reina interrupted. “It was love. And I, for one, think love is worth pursuing regardless of what else is going on.”
Charles’ mother chuckled. “You are quite the romantic, Reina. In some ways, you remind me of Heather. But maybe there’s a bit of Charles there, too.” She turned her gaze to Charles and added, “I would never have thought you capable of eloping. I was sure you were going to wait for a long courtship then have the banns read. Ever since you were a child, you took your time with everything. You liked to have everything planned out so there were no surprises.”
“That’s all well and good until one falls in love,” Reina insisted. “Why wait to marry someone if you know they are the one you want to share the rest of your life with?”
“I hope you don’t elope, too,” Charles’ father told her. “I’d like to have at least one family member who will get married the proper way.”
“We’re not saying we disapprove of your marriage,” Charles’ mother hurried to tell Eris. “We heartily approve. We’re glad Charles finally found a wife. We have a title in the family that will need to be passed down the line.”
“That’s enough, Mother,” Charles said. “We don’t need to go into all of that. I thought you wanted to learn about Eris.”
“Yes, we do.” His mother paused. “We weren’t here for the wedding, but we did come here for the funeral. Of course, there were so many people that it was impossible to talk to everyone. Why is it we are more likely to gather everyone together for a funeral but not a wedding?”
His father’s eyebrows furrowed. “I suppose it’s because we know we’ll never see the person again.”
“But we’re burying them,” his mother replied. “They don’t know who is there and who isn’t.”
“That’s true. Perhaps funerals are more for the living than the dead,” his father said. “I think people need others more when they’re grieving. When you’re celebrating, you’re stronger in the heart.”
Charles didn’t want this conversation going in this direction. He and Eris were already wearing their mourning clothes, and he was here on behalf of his friend. His parents and Reina wore a black armband to show their condolences. He didn’t feel like going down the morbid path of death. But he couldn’t very well ignore what his parents were saying, either.
Inspired, Charles said, “Now you can see why Eris and I chose to go to Gretna Green. We both decided it was best to quietly marry, given the circumstances.”
His parents glanced at each other again, and after a moment, they gave a nod of agreement.
“A wise decision,” his mother said. “Once a person overcomes their shock, it makes the most sense. We don’t need to draw any more attention to the marriage than necessary.”
“You won’t go to any balls or other social engagements any time soon, will you?” his father asked.
“No,” Charles and Eris said at the same time.
“At least they’re in agreement on that,” his father told his mother. “That will make the Ton quiet down much sooner with the gossip.”
“I did worry about what people would say,” Eris said.
“She barely knew Jonathan,” Reina inserted for her. “The marriage was arranged. It wasn’t like they loved each other. I don’t see why two people in love should have to wait an entire year before getting married.”
“We’re well aware of how you feel, Reina,” Charles’ father said. “You’ve made yourself very clear several times.”
“I don’t blame people for not agreeing with what we did,” Eris spoke up after a long moment of silence. “I know how bad things appear. People will assume I didn’t care anything about Jonathan. That’s not true. I liked him. He seemed like a good person. He was kind and gentle, much like Charles is. It’s just that I didn’t get to know him long enough for anything more than a casual fondness to develop.”
Charles stared at her. The tone of her voice and expression in her face indicated sincerity. There was nothing there that would lead anyone to think she was even capable of hurting his friend. It really did seem as if she had truly meant to be a good and faithful wife to Jonathan.
Charles blinked the thoughts away. What was wrong with him? He knew better. Jonathan had been murdered. He hadn’t died because his heart suddenly decided to stop working. Something about his death was wrong. He knew it. Deep down, he was certain of this very fact.
So how could he reconcile that with how he’d just felt when Eris had talked about his friend just now?
“Sometimes God offers us a second chance,” Charles’ mother said, bringing him out of his thoughts. “No one can know the future. We have to make the best of our situation.”
“Have you and Charles thought of any children’s names?” Charles’ father asked Eris.
Charles couldn’t believe it. Did his father really have to ask something so personal?
Eris blushed but answered, “No, we haven’t yet. I’m sure we will.”
“Make sure you do,” his father said. “Charles has been reluctant in giving proper thought to the future. He seems to think he has all the time in the world to have a child. Coming up with a few names before you need them shows proper diligence.”
“There’s no need to say anything else, Father,” Charles told him. “Things like names can wait until there’s a child on the way. Now,” he hurried to add before they could continue on with this topic, “I thought you wanted to find out more about Eris.”
“Yes,” his mother said. “Tell us about yourself Eris. What interests do you have? What was life like for you while growing up? Who’s in your family?”
While he was sure that was a lot of questions for Eris to absorb all at once, Charles didn’t mind. His mother would remember the questions and keep asking them. She’d done the same with Gill after he married Heather. By the time the poor man was done, Charles knew way more about him than he thought was reasonable.
Charles picked up another crumpet and took a bite. If his mother made Eris uncomfortable, he would find a way to stop the questions.
He caught the enthusiastic smile on Reina’s face and thought his cousin was more excited about the marriage than even Eris was. That could possibly be bad. If Eris was guilty of murder, he couldn’t let her get away with it. He had a duty to expose her. But if Eris was innocent, if it turned out he’d been wrong…
Then what?
Then he’d have to find out who really did it.