following what should have been simple instructions.
‘Infatuation, then. But I do not blame you. I know, more than many, of the dangers one treads when following the call of one’s own heart. Only one question remains: what is to be done now?’
Jack seemed to relax a little, once he was sure of the earl’s mood. ‘There is more. The lady, herself, is in distress. She married me, expecting your money to rescue her family from difficulties caused by your brother.’
‘Damn!’ It was the first time she’d seen Spayne act with anything less than aplomb and it startled her. Then his calm returned. ‘I am sorry, my dear. But it upsets me to know that my brother has caused you bother. Henry is a villain and has been so for as long as I can remember. It is bad enough that he gives me trouble, but unforgivable that he hurts others. If you could explain the nature of the problem, I will find a way to rectify it.’
‘But Jack said you could not.’
‘It does not matter what Jack said, or that I have no fortune left to spare. Henry is my brother and my responsibility.’ His words should have encouraged her, but suddenly Spayne looked a little older than he had when she had come into the room. It made her feel bad for burdening him. ‘Please, tell me what he has done now.’
Jack gave an encouraging nod and Thea sighed. ‘He has swindled my father out of a great deal of money. And though I have pleaded with him to relent, he has refused.’
‘He made an offer of protection,’ Jack added.
Spayne made a huffing noise as though he was disgusted, but not particularly surprised.
‘And while I do not doubt her, she has been less than forthcoming of the details of the transaction that has caused all the trouble.’ Jack turned suddenly to her, and it felt as though she were standing trial and guilty of some horrible crime. ‘Just what artefact did your father purchase that could have been worth so much?’
Spayne looked at her expectantly.
‘It is very complicated,’ Thea said, not knowing how best to start.
‘We have time,’ Jack said, folding his arms and settling into a chair. Both men were staring at her now and the silence was nearly as pregnant as it had been when Jack had revealed her lack of funds. It was clear that they were not going to say another word until they had heard her story.
Very well, then. If she must tell it, she had best make a clean breast, start at the beginning and give them every last embarrassing detail. ‘It all began,’ she said, ‘when my father married an actress.’
Spayne laughed.
‘An actress?’ For the first time since she’d met him, Jack was caught flat-footed, unable to respond with more than two words and a gaped-mouth stare.
Thea looked around carefully, to be sure that no servants could hear. It was hardly a secret, but the less said on her mother’s career, the better. ‘Mother has worked very hard in the last twenty years to put it behind her and, for the most part, she has succeeded. The scandal is nearly forgotten. Although, when we are alone, she is more candid about her past than is proper.’
‘Twenty years,’ Jack repeated, as though the passage of time had some added significance. ‘When she performed, was she, by any chance, one Antonia Knowles?’
‘How did you know?’ It had been a long time since someone had recognised her, but it seemed that the past was impossible to bury.
Jack smiled at the memory. ‘Because I saw her perform. She did Ophelia. And I wept buckets when she died.’
‘You saw my mother? On the stage?’
He closed his eyes, his head raised to the ceiling as though giving thanks for an answered prayer. Then, a sigh of ecstasy escaped his lips.
And as she sometimes did, Thea felt an odd prickling annoyance at the attention her mother garnered so effortlessly. It was common, earthy and certainly nothing Thea herself aspired to. But men other than Father seemed to find her near to irresistible when she made an effort to
‘Infatuation, then. But I do not blame you. I know, more than many, of the dangers one treads when following the call of one’s own heart. Only one question remains: what is to be done now?’
Jack seemed to relax a little, once he was sure of the earl’s mood. ‘There is more. The lady, herself, is in distress. She married me, expecting your money to rescue her family from difficulties caused by your brother.’
‘Damn!’ It was the first time she’d seen Spayne act with anything less than aplomb and it startled her. Then his calm returned. ‘I am sorry, my dear. But it upsets me to know that my brother has caused you bother. Henry is a villain and has been so for as long as I can remember. It is bad enough that he gives me trouble, but unforgivable that he hurts others. If you could explain the nature of the problem, I will find a way to rectify it.’
‘But Jack said you could not.’
‘It does not matter what Jack said, or that I have no fortune left to spare. Henry is my brother and my responsibility.’ His words should have encouraged her, but suddenly Spayne looked a little older than he had when she had come into the room. It made her feel bad for burdening him. ‘Please, tell me what he has done now.’
Jack gave an encouraging nod and Thea sighed. ‘He has swindled my father out of a great deal of money. And though I have pleaded with him to relent, he has refused.’
‘He made an offer of protection,’ Jack added.
Spayne made a huffing noise as though he was disgusted, but not particularly surprised.
‘And while I do not doubt her, she has been less than forthcoming of the details of the transaction that has caused all the trouble.’ Jack turned suddenly to her, and it felt as though she were standing trial and guilty of some horrible crime. ‘Just what artefact did your father purchase that could have been worth so much?’
Spayne looked at her expectantly.
‘It is very complicated,’ Thea said, not knowing how best to start.
‘We have time,’ Jack said, folding his arms and settling into a chair. Both men were staring at her now and the silence was nearly as pregnant as it had been when Jack had revealed her lack of funds. It was clear that they were not going to say another word until they had heard her story.
Very well, then. If she must tell it, she had best make a clean breast, start at the beginning and give them every last embarrassing detail. ‘It all began,’ she said, ‘when my father married an actress.’
Spayne laughed.
‘An actress?’ For the first time since she’d met him, Jack was caught flat-footed, unable to respond with more than two words and a gaped-mouth stare.
Thea looked around carefully, to be sure that no servants could hear. It was hardly a secret, but the less said on her mother’s career, the better. ‘Mother has worked very hard in the last twenty years to put it behind her and, for the most part, she has succeeded. The scandal is nearly forgotten. Although, when we are alone, she is more candid about her past than is proper.’
‘Twenty years,’ Jack repeated, as though the passage of time had some added significance. ‘When she performed, was she, by any chance, one Antonia Knowles?’
‘How did you know?’ It had been a long time since someone had recognised her, but it seemed that the past was impossible to bury.
Jack smiled at the memory. ‘Because I saw her perform. She did Ophelia. And I wept buckets when she died.’
‘You saw my mother? On the stage?’
He closed his eyes, his head raised to the ceiling as though giving thanks for an answered prayer. Then, a sigh of ecstasy escaped his lips.
And as she sometimes did, Thea felt an odd prickling annoyance at the attention her mother garnered so effortlessly. It was common, earthy and certainly nothing Thea herself aspired to. But men other than Father seemed to find her near to irresistible when she made an effort to
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