though part of him had been ripped away to leave weeping raw flesh. As if his retreat had broken a spell, Thea backed up too, her face scarlet.
And just in time.
Almeria walked in, a letter in her hand.
‘Richard! Have you heard? Did Max write to you—oh!’ She saw the letter on the table. ‘You know already.’
Richard smiled. ‘Yes. Wonderful news, is it not?’
Almeria cleared her throat. ‘Naturally one must be glad that Max’s wife has come through the ordeal, and write a letter of congratulations,’ she said stiffly. ‘Very obliging of Max to inform me.’ She sniffed. ‘If it can be called a letter! I could scarcely read it!’
Richard laughed. ‘Yes, mine is a trifle incoherent as well. I’m not sure if it mentions the baby’s name. If it doesn’t no doubt he’ll tell me when I see him.’
‘See him? Will you be going to Blakeney?’ asked Almeria.
He hesitated. He didn’t want to leave town right now, but—
‘You should go, Richard,’ said Thea gently.
Almeria frowned. ‘Of course you will have to go down, Richard. Whatever his failings …’ she sniffed ‘ … Blakehurst is your brother. I am sure that Dorothea and I can manage for a day or two.’ She turned to Thea. ‘I thought to visit Bond Street this morning, my dear, and would like you to accompany me.’
‘Of course, ma’am, if you wish it,’ said Thea.
Refolding her letter, Lady Arnsworth tucked it away in a pocket.
‘Almeria, Max mentions in his letter that he has asked you to stand as godmother to the baby,’ said Richard.
Lady Arnsworth flushed. ‘Yes, his letter to me mentions something of the sort, but of course I cannot accept. Impossible to leave town at the moment with Dorothea to chaperon. It would be most remiss of me. No, I am afraid it is not to be thought of. I shall write to Blakehurst presently and inform him. Although I doubt that he can really want me to attend!’
Turning to Thea, she said, ‘I shall be ready to go out in half an hour, dear.’ And sailed from the room, leaving a thunderous silence behind her. It held for a moment and then detonated as Richard said several things that Thea had never heard before. Given the shaking fury in his voice, she rather thought she ought to be blushing.
‘Damn it!’ he went on, slightly more moderately. ‘She knows quite well what the gossip will be like if she doesn’t attend the christening!’
‘But why should there be gossip?’
Richard sighed. ‘Because, to put it mildly, there was quite a bit of scandal attached to Max’s marriage one way or another. The most popular version was that Verity trapped him. Almeria has even openly wondered if the child is his.’ His jaw seemed to turn into solid stone.
‘But—’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said shortly. ‘It is. Verity … well, you’ll understand when you meet her.’ His face softened. ‘She is the best thing that could possibly have happened to Max. And she suffered enough with her own family. Max will never overlook a slight to her from Almeria.’
‘I’m sorry—’
He stared. ‘Why should you apologise? Oh. That nonsense about being your chaperon? No. That was an excuse so that I could not rip up at her. Nothing to do with you.’
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