Read Online Mortal Arts (A Lady Darby Mystery) by AnnaLee Huber - Free Book Online

It was exactly what I needed. Though by no means was I returned to myself when he pulled my arm through his and escorted me from the room.
    The others were already gathered in the drawing room when we entered, seeming to have drawn up flanks. Lady Hollingsworth had settled on a pale blue and white damask settee between her two children. Damien appeared as fierce as his mother, but Caroline was plainly miserable, torn between her mother and brother and the man she loved seated across the room. Michael sat in a rather ornate golden chair between his sister and Lord Keswick on one side and Miss Remmington on the other. Obviously having chosen to play the mediator, Philip took up a position off to the side, behind where Alana rested on an indigo-patterned settee, glancing worriedly between the two opposing factions.
    Gage guided me over to them. I sat next to Alana, who promptly took hold of my hand. While the others continued to square off in silent accusation, I seemed to be the only one who noticed when Gage crossed the room to take up what I knew to be his customary position before the fireplace mantel. One arm rested negligently against the shelf of wood, somehow avoiding the delicate porcelain figurines littering its surface, as he crossed one ankle over the other and slouched against the wall. He seemed to be settling in to watch a show, which I resented. Shouldn’t he be offering his friend Michael his support, or at least helping to arbitrate matters, rather than distancing himself from the gathering as if he were a spectator?
    “Now, then,” Philip said. “Dalmay, I think we deserve an explanation.”
    Michael’s gaze shifted from the occupants of the settee across from him to look first at Philip and then at Alana and me. He sighed and reached up to rub his temples with one hand. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. But first I must apologize to Lady Darby. I did not know that you believed Will was dead. Or that no one had given you at least some idea of the matters that called your brother-in-law here.” His eyes darted toward Lady Hollingsworth and back. “Otherwise I would never have broken the news in such a thoughtless manner. Please accept my sincere regret.”
    I nodded.
    “What about the rest of us?” Lady Hollingsworth demanded. “Do we not deserve an apology? First you court my daughter under false pretenses. And then you invite us under the same roof as a madman!” She nearly shrieked the last. “I have never been so ill-treated in all my life.”
    “I apologize for not informing you of his presence immediately, but surely you can understand the matter is delicate. No one knows where William has been.” Michael made a sweeping gesture to include all of us. “No one besides those of you who are here. And I want it to remain that way.” He glared at Lady Hollingsworth. “When my brother is ready to reenter society, we will develop a fiction about his whereabouts for the last ten years.”
    The feathers in Lady Hollingsworth’s hair quivered in indignation. “Reenter society? Are you as daft as your brother? He’s a madman! No one will be safe if he’s let loose.”
    “My brother is
not
a madman! And he’s
certainly
no danger to others. He just needs more time to . . . readjust before he enters the world again.”
    “Surely if Lord Dalmay had him locked up, he deserved to be there,” Lord Damien said, trying to sound reasonable.
    “Father didn’t know what he was doing,” Laura replied heatedly, bright color staining her cheeks. “Will didn’t
do
anything wrong.” Her gaze dropped to her lap, where she plucked at the embroidery on her goldenrod skirts. “It’s not a crime to be sad. Or to have nightmares.”
    I wondered how much Laura remembered of her oldest brother. She had been twelve when he . . . disappeared. Had she been told the truth of William’s whereabouts? The thought horrified me. At that age Laura would never have been able to understand.
    Lady Hollingsworth sniffed.