supposed he would have to spend more time with his family now that he was the head of it. And there was sitting in Parliament and talking to the steward and a good deal of bother like that, but really it seemed that in a month or two things would be almost back to normal.
Amy had seen him out and was standing on her porch wearing nothing but one of his own silk dressing gowns. It was too large for her and had already slipped half off one shoulder. Her eyes were shadowed. “I know you’ll have a lot on your mind for the next while. You’ve got your people to look after now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be here when you want me.”
“I want you now. Or I would, if I didn’t have such a cursed head.” Her curls were tumbling over her freckled shoulders, and he reached out and wrapped one around his finger. “Thanks, Amy. You’re a Trojan.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “Don’t forget it.”
“Are you all right for money?”
She smiled. “Yes, you’re all paid up. I told you, don’t worry about me. I’m sorry about your father.”
He tugged on her yellow curl. “I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”
When he was shown into his mother’s presence, he saw that it would be longer than a month or two before things were back to normal. Lady Bedlow was pale and red-eyed; two furious spots of color burned in her cheeks; and, worst of all, her blonde hair was a bird’s nest.
Louisa sat on the settee beside their mother, looking rather worn herself—but mostly uncomfortable, darting helpless glances at Lady Bedlow and twisting a handkerchief in her hands. When Nev came in, she started up with a grateful look. “Oh, Nate—”
Nev opened his arms and she flew into them.
“Oh, Nate!” Louisa clung fiercely to his lapels. It steadied the pounding in his head, a little. “What took you so long?”
Nev flushed and let go of her. “I came as soon as I was able. Bear up, Louisa, we’ll be all right. I promise.”
She smiled at him.
“You can’t promise it,” Lady Bedlow said in a dull voice. “Nothing will ever be all right again. I could kill your father—if he weren’t already—” Her face contorted, and she controlled herself with an effort. “Did James tell you what happened?”
James had told Amy, actually. Amy had told Nev the details—quietly, to spare his head—when he had awoken from his three hours of rest. “Indeed he did, Mama. You needn’t—”
She ignored him. “Well, your papa was in a duel. A duel! And him with children grown. He would never have done such a thing if he had been sober. He is always excessively foolish when in his cups, though I have never known him to be violent—indeed, he is generally very affectionate at those times—” For a moment Lady Bedlow could not go on.
Louisa made a pleading gesture. “Mama, pray do not distress yourself.”
But Lady Bedlow spoke as if by compulsion. “Well, he quarreled with Lord Chilcote last night, and a meeting was arranged for early this morning, and what happened is Chilcote shot him. I never liked Chilcote. He jilted your Aunt Hareton, you know. Alex’s brains were all over the carriage—and they wouldn’t even tell me what the quarrel was about—”
Louisa’s hand quivered on Nev’s arm.
“Mama, don’t.” He tried to conquer his own rush of nausea.
“It was something about money, I daresay!” she said with sudden energy.
“Money?”
His mother avoided his gaze. “He owed Chilcote money, I gathered. But Chilcote will not dare try to collect it now.”
“Mama—”
“And when Bunbury woke me I knew—I saw her face and I knew it was someone, and I thought, Don’t let it be Nate! Your father’s body lying below with half his face away and I thought ‘Please not Nate’—” Lady Bedlow pressed her fist to her mouth and turned away.
Nev could not help being touched beyond measure. “Mama, don’t torment yourself.” He went to her at last and drew her close. From this angle, the light from the front windows hurt his eyes. “Please.”
“I didn’t want to marry him, you know. But after twenty-five years…” She turned her face up to his, blindly, and smiled a little. “Here, Nate. This is yours now.” She drew his father’s signet ring off her thumb—Nev hadn’t noticed it before—and laid it in his palm and curled his fingers round it. It felt heavy and unfamiliar, and Nev wished like anything he