Cambermere informed me that after his conversation with Mr Rand last night, the young man left the house without any indication as to where he was going or when he might return. Apparently he was in a state of considerable distress.’
He saw her eyes briefly close. ‘Did he admit to…what you accused him of?’
Barrington wished he could have said otherwise, but he wouldn’t lie. Not even when he knew the boy had. ‘No.’
With a soft cry, Lady Annabelle sank into a chair. ‘I knew it! I
knew
he was innocent.’ When Barrington made no response, she raised her head, her eyes narrowing at the expression on his face. ‘You don’t believe him.’
‘It takes more than a man
saying
he didn’t do something for me to believe him innocent when the evidence speaks so clearly of his guilt.’
‘But why would he lie?’ she protested.
Barrington gave a non-committal shrug. ‘Why does anyonelie? To protect themselves or to protect someone else. I’m sure you’ve had dealings with young women who told you one thing, yet did another.’
‘Yes, because they had no wish for their misdemeanours to become public.’
‘Exactly. Mr Rand is likely embarrassed by what he’s done and hopes to convince others that he is not at fault.’
He saw her stiffen. ‘Peregrine has
never
lied to me.’
‘Perhaps there has not been enough at stake for him to do so,’ Barrington said quietly. ‘Now there is.’
The door opened again and Sam walked in, carrying a silver tea service. At a nod from his employer, he set the tray on the small table beside the desk and then quietly withdrew. Barrington crossed to the table and picked up the milk jug. ‘Milk and sugar?’
‘Just milk, thank you.’
He poured a drop into one of the cups, then filled both cups with hot tea. Accepting hers, Lady Annabelle said, ‘I still think you’re wrong, Sir Barrington. If Peregrine said he is not involved with Lady Yew, he is not. Why can you not accept that as truth?’
‘Because the rest of his behaviour leads me to believe otherwise. How do you explain the fact that he chose not to stay home last night?’
‘I suspect he was deeply embarrassed by my father believing him capable of such reprehensible conduct. Would
you
not wish to avoid someone who had accused you of doing something you had not?’
‘Maybe. But I also like to think I would be mature enough to admit my mistakes, if I were so foolish as to make them.’
‘And I repeat, I do not believe Peregrine has made a mistake.’
He heard the quiet certainty in her voice and was moved tosmile. He, too, had once been so trusting; so willing to believe in the goodness of others. When had he lost that
naïveté?
‘The attraction between a man and a woman is one of the most powerful forces on earth, Lady Annabelle,’ he said. ‘You have no idea how many crimes are committed, and how many lies are told, in the name of that attraction.’
‘Not perhaps as well as you do,’ Lady Annabelle agreed, ‘but we are talking about Peregrine’s character and of that I believe I
can
speak with authority. If he told my father he is not having an affair with Lady Yew, he is not.’
‘Then it would seem we have reached an impasse,’ Barrington said. ‘There is nothing more to say.’
She looked somewhat taken aback by his easy acceptance of her statement, but, equally willing to accept it at face value, she finished her tea and then set the china cup and saucer back on the table. ‘What will you tell Lord Yew?’
‘I don’t know,’ Barrington said honestly. ‘But I have between now and two o’clock to work it out.’
‘Then I shall leave you to your deliberations.’ She stood up and offered him her hand. ‘Thank you for seeing me, Sir Barrington.’
‘My pleasure.’ Barrington felt the softness of the glove in his hand, the slenderness of the fingers within. ‘I’m sorry that circumstances are such that you leave believing the worst of me. Again.’
‘Actually, I
He saw her eyes briefly close. ‘Did he admit to…what you accused him of?’
Barrington wished he could have said otherwise, but he wouldn’t lie. Not even when he knew the boy had. ‘No.’
With a soft cry, Lady Annabelle sank into a chair. ‘I knew it! I
knew
he was innocent.’ When Barrington made no response, she raised her head, her eyes narrowing at the expression on his face. ‘You don’t believe him.’
‘It takes more than a man
saying
he didn’t do something for me to believe him innocent when the evidence speaks so clearly of his guilt.’
‘But why would he lie?’ she protested.
Barrington gave a non-committal shrug. ‘Why does anyonelie? To protect themselves or to protect someone else. I’m sure you’ve had dealings with young women who told you one thing, yet did another.’
‘Yes, because they had no wish for their misdemeanours to become public.’
‘Exactly. Mr Rand is likely embarrassed by what he’s done and hopes to convince others that he is not at fault.’
He saw her stiffen. ‘Peregrine has
never
lied to me.’
‘Perhaps there has not been enough at stake for him to do so,’ Barrington said quietly. ‘Now there is.’
The door opened again and Sam walked in, carrying a silver tea service. At a nod from his employer, he set the tray on the small table beside the desk and then quietly withdrew. Barrington crossed to the table and picked up the milk jug. ‘Milk and sugar?’
‘Just milk, thank you.’
He poured a drop into one of the cups, then filled both cups with hot tea. Accepting hers, Lady Annabelle said, ‘I still think you’re wrong, Sir Barrington. If Peregrine said he is not involved with Lady Yew, he is not. Why can you not accept that as truth?’
‘Because the rest of his behaviour leads me to believe otherwise. How do you explain the fact that he chose not to stay home last night?’
‘I suspect he was deeply embarrassed by my father believing him capable of such reprehensible conduct. Would
you
not wish to avoid someone who had accused you of doing something you had not?’
‘Maybe. But I also like to think I would be mature enough to admit my mistakes, if I were so foolish as to make them.’
‘And I repeat, I do not believe Peregrine has made a mistake.’
He heard the quiet certainty in her voice and was moved tosmile. He, too, had once been so trusting; so willing to believe in the goodness of others. When had he lost that
naïveté?
‘The attraction between a man and a woman is one of the most powerful forces on earth, Lady Annabelle,’ he said. ‘You have no idea how many crimes are committed, and how many lies are told, in the name of that attraction.’
‘Not perhaps as well as you do,’ Lady Annabelle agreed, ‘but we are talking about Peregrine’s character and of that I believe I
can
speak with authority. If he told my father he is not having an affair with Lady Yew, he is not.’
‘Then it would seem we have reached an impasse,’ Barrington said. ‘There is nothing more to say.’
She looked somewhat taken aback by his easy acceptance of her statement, but, equally willing to accept it at face value, she finished her tea and then set the china cup and saucer back on the table. ‘What will you tell Lord Yew?’
‘I don’t know,’ Barrington said honestly. ‘But I have between now and two o’clock to work it out.’
‘Then I shall leave you to your deliberations.’ She stood up and offered him her hand. ‘Thank you for seeing me, Sir Barrington.’
‘My pleasure.’ Barrington felt the softness of the glove in his hand, the slenderness of the fingers within. ‘I’m sorry that circumstances are such that you leave believing the worst of me. Again.’
‘Actually, I
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