It had been a very confusing day.
Peg had gone from the wild optimism of waiting for her first real kiss to the crushing disappointment of learning David Castell’s true mission. And from there, she had found a place somewhere in between, understanding his motives, but unsure whether she liked or trusted him.
He seemed genuinely concerned about her safety, just as he had on the first day. She could not help the warm, comforted feelings that rose when she thought of his promise to put her safety ahead of his desire for the truth. Since she was in no danger, the point was moot, but it was nice to hear, all the same.
There was also the fact that he seemed to grow more attractive each time she saw him. Now that he had given up pretending that he was a dancing master, it was easier to see the flashes of intelligence in his dark eyes. His smile, which had been cartoonishly broad at first, had settled into an expression that was warm and inviting and she could hardly resist smiling in response. Though his clothing was still ridiculously tight, it only encouraged her to admire his physique. And, as if he had known what she’d been thinking, he had forgone the hair oil he had used on his first visits, revealing a tangle of curls that made her fingers itch to touch them.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight, as if it was possible to hide from the images in her mind by shutting out the light of day. She had to remember that he might be handsome, but he was a handsome villain. It was a risk to her family to have such warm thoughts about an enemy. She must remember where her loyalties lied. Family came first. If not for them, she had nothing.
She needed wise counsel and she could certainly not ask Hugh what was to be done about the man. Her sister, however, was likely to offer advice whether she asked for it or not. She had returned from her visit with Alister with the same smug smile she had worn on the last few escapes. It was clear her version of their dancing lessons suited her well.
And now, as they took their afternoon tea in the sitting room, she was eager to hear that Peg’s day had been just as satisfying. ‘How goes it with your friend, Mr Castell?’ she said, her smile hidden by her raised cup.
‘He is not my friend,’ Peg said quickly. ‘At least, I do not think he is.’
‘Then he has either taken too many liberties, or not enough,’ Liv replied.
‘We did not kiss today, if that is what you mean,’ Peg said, surprised to feel lingering regret over the fact.
‘No kisses.’ Liv tutted in disapproval. ‘Then tell me all. What has he done to displease you? Trod on your toes as you danced?’
‘We did not dance, either,’ Peg admitted. ‘We talked.’
Liv rolled her eyes. ‘You are never going to get anywhere until you stop doing that. What was the topic that upset you?’
‘Mr Castell thinks that Hugh killed Father,’ she blurted, relieved that it was finally out in the open. Then she laughed, to show how ridiculous she thought the whole thing was.
But Liv did not laugh in response. Nor did she offer the hasty denial that Peg had been expecting. Instead, she remained silent, as if waiting for more.
‘And Hugh is not helping matters at all,’ Peg added. ‘He threatened to kill Mr Castell if he touched either of us.’
‘Then it is a wonder you got the little kiss that you did,’ Liv said. ‘Mr Castell must be a very brave man.’
‘You do not believe the rumours, do you?’ Peg prompted, still waiting for her sister’s denial.
But Liv’s face was blank, showing none of the shock and outrage Peg had expected. ‘I do not know what to believe,’ Liv said at last. ‘But it is the most logical answer, isn’t it?’
‘Logical?’ Peg said, shocked. ‘You are speaking of Hugh. Our brother,’ she added, for emphasis.
‘The Duke of Scofield is a different person from the boy we played with in the nursery,’ Liv said gently.
‘But still...’ Peg shook her head ‘...you are talking about cold-blooded murder.’
‘Hot-blooded, I should think,’ Liv corrected. ‘Do you remember how they used to argue when Father was alive? There were threats made on both sides.’
‘But I did not think they were serious,’ Peg said, stunned. ‘Hugh learned to argue from Father who, though he was constantly wanting to kill someone or other, never did.’
‘To the best of our knowledge,’ her sister added.
‘Surely we’d have heard something,’ Peg said, embarrassed that she would even consider her father capable of violence. ‘They were only words.’
‘Loose talk is all well and good, until the body is found,’ Liv reminded her. ‘Then things are very different, indeed.’
‘But do you think Hugh could have done such a thing? To his own father?’ she asked, the last words in a whisper, as if saying them out loud might make them real.
‘He was home when it happened,’ Liv replied. ‘He had the most to gain by Father’s death. And I can think of no one else who might have done it.’
If what she said was true, Liv had not trusted their brother for two years, yet she had said nothing to indicate the fact. ‘But that means that we are in the power of a murderer.’
‘A murderer who is still our brother,’ Liv reminded her. ‘If he is guilty, what are we to do about it? What action could we take that would not make matters far worse than they already are?’
Peg paused to consider and found that she was unable to give an answer. What her sister was saying sounded too much like what Mr Castell had said earlier.
When she did not respond, Liv continued. ‘He is our guardian. If, for some reason, he would be prosecuted for a crime, what would become of us?’
It would be complete and utter ruin. They would be out in the street, with no other family to take them in.
‘I suspect the rumours about him have done enough damage to our reputations,’ Liv reminded her. ‘It is a shame that Hugh will not give you a Season, since it would be the quickest way to reveal who is for us and who is against.’
‘There is still that much ill feeling?’ Peg said, shocked.
‘We will not know for sure until we socialise, which is probably why Hugh will not allow it,’ Liv replied. ‘He is still a duke and that overcomes much. At least Alister is not overly bothered by the stories about him. But if they were to arrest him and take the title from him, I doubt even Alister’s patience would hold. No one would have us then.’
‘Hugh will not allow anyone to have us now,’ Peg reminded her. ‘We are as close to prisoners in this house as it is possible to be.’
‘Because he does not want you talking to people like Mr Castell, who will fill your head with unpleasant facts,’ Liv added.
‘Rumours,’ Peg corrected. ‘No one saw the crime happen. We cannot possibly be sure.’
‘Perhaps we will never know the truth,’ Liv agreed. ‘But that does not change the mess we are in. When I marry Alister, I mean for you to come live with us. Once you are no longer under Hugh’s control, we will find a proper suitor for you. We will get through this.’ Liv reached out and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.
‘Hugh will not allow you to marry Alister,’ Peg reminded her. ‘He has already refused the offer.’
Liv took a deep breath, as if steadying her nerves. ‘I am still trying to persuade him. But if he will not come around, there is always Gretna Green.’ She said this with a resignation that held none of the excitement a romantic elopement should.
‘Or you do not have to marry him at all,’ Peg reminded her. ‘If you do not want him, then wait for another suitor, or remain single.’
‘But he has been waiting so patiently for me, it hardly seems fair to cast him off now,’ Liv said with a smile. ‘And it has been very exciting to carry on an illicit liaison. But sometimes I fear that things will be different when we do not need to sneak around and can express our love openly.’
‘They will change for the better, I hope,’ Peg said. ‘If they do not, I will not allow you to marry him just to get me away from this house. I do not need you martyring yourself for my sake.’
‘It is not martyrdom to marry a fine gentleman like Alister,’ her sister insisted, though she still sounded too calculated to be a woman in the throes of passion. ‘And if I do not help you, who will? It is not as if Hugh will allow you out of the house to meet any men on your own.’
‘Perhaps he will change his mind, once you are married,’ Peg replied. ‘He will be used to the idea of losing his little sisters after one of us has gone. I suspect, once he thinks about it, he will be glad to get me off his hands.’
‘We can hope,’ Liv replied. ‘I have no idea why he is so set against us marrying in the first place. I do not think it is just Alister he dislikes. When I speak to him, I get the distinct impression that no man is good enough for us.’
‘If the rest of London is as convinced of his guilt as Mr Castell is, then I do not hold much hope of our chances. Beggars cannot be choosers, can they?’
She was trying to lighten the mood, but her sister gave a sombre nod in response to this. ‘He may be trying to hide the fact by isolating us, but his infamy has ruined our reputations.’
When the conversation had begun, Peg had never expected that her sister’s views would align so closely with those of Mr Castell. Was she really the only one who believed that Hugh might be innocent? ‘Perhaps some facts will come to light that prove him guiltless,’ she said, all the more convinced that she would find something to exonerate him.
Liv shrugged in response, as if she could not even pretend to consider the possibility. ‘Anything is possible, I suppose. But whether you come to live with me after marriage or not, when you come of age, you would do well to stay as far away from our brother as you are able. Associating with him will make your future more difficult, not less.’
If Hugh was truly a murderer, the suggestion was a good one. Yet, even if he was not, at what point did loyalty to family yield to self-preservation? If Hugh did not mean to see her properly married and out of his house, she might have to leave on her own.
A thought occurred to her. ‘Suppose he keeps us close because he needs us?’ she asked. ‘This must be hard for him, as well.’
‘Since we’ve been grown, when has he ever given a hint of brotherly affection?’ Liv asked, disgusted. ‘He treated us as an inconvenience long before Father died. And since?’ She shuddered. ‘He has been so distant as to seem a stranger to me and not a brother at all.’
‘Perhaps if you made an effort to talk to him,’ Peg said. But even she had to admit that the majority of interactions she had with Hugh did not extend beyond companionable silence at breakfast.
Liv shook her head. ‘I want to believe the best of him, Peg. He is our brother, after all. But he does not give me a reason to trust in him. You may play nice with him and try to understand. I will continue as I am doing and try to find a path out of this house for the pair of us. If we do not find some way to separate ourselves from Hugh, in the end, he will ruin us all.’