Tea For Two (7 page)

She knew the moment she returned to the manor
with the children nothing in her life would ever be the same again.
Her thoughts were in turmoil. Why was she doing this? Why didn’t
she just take the children and run?

Because she trusted Lord Brendan. It started
there, and grew the more Shannah thought about it. She more than
trusted him—she loved him.

How could she ever do something as foolish as
fall in love with her employer? He was handsome, yes, but he was so
much more than that. He was brave, particularly when facing pirates
while rescuing her. He was compassionate, like how he treated Jayne
when she turned her ankle. He was strong, but he was also tender.
She would never forget how he held her in the forest after her
kidnapping ordeal.

Viscount Brendan Wyndham was, in short, the
ideal man.

If Shannah were prone to cursing, this would
be the time for it. She didn’t know what would make a bad situation
worse than to fall in love with him. Now she would not only lose
Royce, but also her heart.

The carriage slowed and rocked to a stop. She
didn’t wait for the footman but let herself out. Matthew peered at
her through the partially open door. She pushed back her fears and
gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

“It’s all right,” she said.

“What’s going on?” he asked, opening the door
more. “Why are you home in the middle of the day? And why did you
come in the viscount’s carriage?”

“I’ll explain everything to you, I promise.”
Shannah knelt in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders.
“But first we need to get Kora and Royce ready for a little trip.
We’re all going back to the manor. Lord Brendan is expecting
us.”

Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “What would he want
with us?”

Shannah’s composure cracked a little.
“Please, Matt. It’s something we have to do. Will you trust
me?”

He hesitated before nodding. “I’ll get
Royce.”

“Thank you.”

CHAPTER 13

“Come in,” his mother said, and Brendan
pushed open the door. His mother sat before her vanity in a gold
satin dressing gown while her maid, Lucy, tended her hair.

“This is a surprise,” Elspeth said, peering
at his reflection in the mirror. “You haven’t visited me in my
bedroom since you were a little boy and prone to nightmares.”

“I haven’t had occasion,” he replied.
“Mother, can we speak privately? Something rather urgent has come
up?”

“Is it about my headdress?” She waved her
hand at Lucy, and the girl curtsied and left the room.

“No, I’m afraid it’s more serious than
fashion.”

Elspeth chuckled. “Impossible.” She started
to fiddle with the curls Lucy had piled on her head. “My, aren’t
you the image of sobriety. Has someone died?”

Brendan wasn’t sure where to start, so he
plowed ahead. “Do you recall the Marshall family? One of the
daughters currently works for us.”

“I vaguely recall the name,” she responded.
“The man, I believe, worked for your father at one point.”

That had been in Brendan’s childhood. He
nodded. “Yes, and his oldest daughter worked as a housemaid until
she died of the fever, around the same time Father did.”

Her hands hesitated for a brief second. “If
you say so. We have so many servants in and out of this house, it’s
impossible for me to keep track of them all.”

“Christopher was fond of this girl,” he
explained. “I think you would remember her.”

The Viscountess lowered her hands. “Now that
you mention it, I do recall Christopher developing an attraction to
one of the maids. This would have been about three years ago, I
think. His behavior is what prompted your father to declare the
servants off-limits to you boys. It hadn’t been an issue before
then.”

“Yes, that’s right. Her name was
Garnette.”

“If you say so, dear.” She leaned closer to
the mirror to inspect her hair. “Why bring all this up now? Is it
because of that girl who caused such a fuss this morning? Is she
the sister?”

“Yes,” he said. “Her name is Shannah.”

Elspeth waved a hand dismissively. “Did you
need to fire her? I’m sure we can’t have such a disruptive servant
in the household, particularly right before my birthday
banquet.”

Brendan pinched the bridge of his nose. This
conversation was escaping him. “No, I’m not firing Shannah. Being
abducted wasn’t her fault. I wanted to talk to you about her sister
and Christopher. Did her parents come to you while Chris was away
at school?”

“Why would they have done that?” she
asked.

She kept her voice even, but Brendan saw her
hand tremble, and her eyes dart back and forth. She was lying. The
worry he’d carried into the room with him doubled.

“I think you know.” He deliberately kept his
voice low.

Elspeth turned to face him. “What are you
getting at, exactly? What has that girl been telling you?”

“Nothing, at least not without great
difficulty.” Brendan took a step forward. “But Chris did say
something that confused me. He said he wrote to Garnette often
while at school, but Shannah insisted her sister never received any
of the letters.”

“She’s lying, obviously,” she said with a
shrug. “If Christopher says he sent letter, then I’m sure he
did.”

“But why would Shannah lie about that?” he
asked her. “What would she have to gain from it?”

“Now you’re thinking clearly.” Elspeth rose
and approached him. “What has she asked of you? Does she want
money?”

“She hasn’t asked for anything,” he replied.
“In fact, she’s tried her best to keep her secrets hidden.”

“What secrets?”

“Her sister’s child, for one.”

Elspeth’s eyes widened. “The babe lived?”

Brendan gripped her shoulders. “What do you
know?”

She moved away. “Your father and I wanted to
spare you and Christopher the embarrassment. The dead one,
Garnette, was a grasping creature. She flirted with your brother so
shamefully it’s little wonder he became infatuated. Your father
suggested we send Christopher away to school for his own
protection, but the moment he was gone the girl and her family
claimed that she was pregnant with his child. It was beyond
absurd.”

Brendan let her move around him as he worked
her words through his mind. It didn’t track with what he’d seen of
Shannah, what he remembered of her family, or what Chris had
said.

“They wanted money, of course, but your
father wouldn’t pay,” she went on. “We weren’t sure there even was
a baby. When she died, I assumed it was all over. I only let the
other girl come work here because she hadn’t had anything to do
with her parents’ deceptions.” Elspeth sighed heavily. “But it
seems she’s gone after you. Apparently there’s not a good apple in
the bunch with that family.”

Denial hit him swift and hard. “I don’t
believe you.”

His mother laughed harshly. “Come now,
Brendan. Don’t tell me she has her hooks into you so quickly?
You’re too mature to fall for batting eyes and sauntering hips!
It’s ridiculous.”

But Brendan saw things clearer now, and he
knew that whatever his parents had thought then, Garnette did not
trick Chris into loving her, nor had she lied about the baby. And
there was nothing conniving about Shannah.

“You’re wrong about her,” he said. “She did
all she could to hide from me, and hide the child. I’m the one who
pieced it together.” He glared across the room at her and she
froze, like a deer in a hunter’s sights. “What did you do with the
letters?”

He watched her façade crumble, and then she
balled her hands into fists and stomped her foot. “Fine! You want
to know so badly, then I’ll tell you. I burned them. Every last
one. I didn’t raise my sons among the best in society just to have
one of them fall for an insignificant commoner. Your father paid
mightily to have the post redirected here, and we intercepted not
only her letters, but his as well.”

Brendan recoiled from her anger. “Why?
Because prestige matters more to you than your own child’s
happiness? That’s demented.”

“It’s practical.”

“So you’ve known,” he accused. “All this
time, you’ve known about your grandchild but never said anything to
Chris, or to me.”

“I thought the babe died with her, and don’t
you dare refer to that wench’s offspring as my grandchild! I won’t
have it.”

“I don’t feel as I know you at all,” Brendan
said. “I knew you and Father were proud, but I never thought you’d
stoop to this. Why did you let Millie hire Shannah at all, then? I
would think you’d want any reminders as far away as possible.”

“I had to keep an eye on her, make certain
she didn’t fill your head with a lot of nonsense,” she stated. “The
girl seemed content to keep her mouth shut, and I was content to
let her. How would I know that
you
would start poking into
the past?”

Brendan drew himself up. “I’m glad I did. You
had no right to keep any of this from Chris! If it were up to me,
you wouldn’t be having a birthday banquet this year.”

She laughed at him again. “Now you’re going
to punish me, like I’m some sort of wayward child. I am your
mother, and you would do well to remember that.”

“Yes, to my shame, you are my mother. But you
would do well to remember I hold the purse strings on your
allowance.” Brendan came dangerously close to shouting.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

He shook his head. “No, I know how much you
value money. But rest assured any further birthday celebrations
will not be paid for by me. I would also recommend you decide which
of our other properties you like best, and remove yourself there
with all possible haste.”

She gasped. “You’re throwing me out? After
all I’ve done for this family? All I’ve done for you?”

Brendan raised an accusing finger. “You’d
better just be grateful I don’t tell all of your friends about all
the things you’ve done
for
this family! If you are still
here two days after your banquet ends, I will throw you out
myself.”

He spun on one heel and stormed from the
room, ignoring her protests and shouts. The slamming door
effectively cut her off. He hurried down the hall and to the top of
the stairs. Sounds drifted up from the foyer, children’s voices.
Brendan took a deep, cleansing breath as he felt his anger subside.
Shannah was down there, and at last he knew exactly how he felt
about that.

CHAPTER 14

Brendan managed not to run down the
staircase, but it was a near thing. Matthew spotted him first, then
Kora. Shannah was knelt over baby Royce, struggling with something.
He’d almost reached them when she straightened, folding a small
brown coat in her hands. Brendan wanted to smile at her, to welcome
her to his home, but he stole a glance and the baby and understood
why she’d fought so hard to keep him hidden.

Royce had Wyndham eyes—identical to his,
Christopher’s, and their late father’s. Deep set, rich chocolate
brown, and framed by thick, dark eyelashes. No one would doubt his
parentage—no one could.

He tore his gaze away to find Shannah
watching him intently. “Hello, again,” he said, his heart pounding
unexpectedly. “I’m glad you made it back so quickly.”

“We had a time finding Royce’s coat,” she
said. “I didn’t want you to worry that we’d drag our feet.”

“Mister!” Kora tugged at his pant leg.
“Up.”

“Kora!” Shannah reprimanded her. “That’s no
way to talk to Lord Brendan.”

Kora tugged again. “Up, please.”

Brendan laughed, joy filling him. He bent and
lifted the girl into his arms. “Of course, my lady. Will there be
anything else?”

“I hungry,” the little one said.

“Kora!” Shannah looked scandalized.

“We had to leave our stew half done,” Matthew
explained.

“Matthew!”

“It’s a terrible business,” Brendan agreed
with a short bow. “If you will follow me, I’ll show you to the
nursery. I believe there are still some of my brother’s old toys in
there. Then we can send for some sandwiches.”

Shannah looked like she wanted to protest, so
he shook his head at her. With a sigh she picked up Royce and
followed him and Kora and Matthew to the nursery which was upstairs
and—thankfully—in the opposite direction as his mother’s room.
Brendan opened the door to the nursery and was gratified to find
that it was still regularly cleaned. He ushered them inside and
then called one of the upstairs maids over to request sandwiches
from the kitchen.

Shannah sidled over to him as he watched the
children pull toys off the shelves. “You seem awfully happy,” she
said, or rather accused.

“I am,” he replied. He reached over and
tweaked Royce’s nose. The baby laughed. “It’s turning out to be a
good day, indeed. I had my doubts this morning.”

Her blush stated that she knew he referred to
her kidnapping. Royce had begun to struggle in earnest to be let
down, and she finally gave in. “I’m a bundle of nerves, waiting to
see what’s going to happen next, and you’re as happy as a priest
with a full church. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Hello, what’s this?” Christopher poked his
head in the open door. “Are we having company, Bren?”

Brendan noted Shannah had gone still as a
statue. He turned to his brother and gestured him in. “Shannah’s
family is visiting us, Chris. Come in and meet them.”

He didn’t know why he’d said it that way, so
casually, when the next few moments would likely redefine his
brother’s life forever. But instead of holding up the baby and
telling Chris all about Garnette’s secret, it suddenly became
important that Chris figure it out on his own—as he had. So he took
hold of Shannah’s shoulders and anchored her to his side. They
would watch and see whether Chris was as astute as he claimed.

Chris, for his part, seemed a bit confused.
He introduced himself to Matt and Kora easily enough, but Royce
ignored him utterly, completely fascinated by a wooden horse. Chris
glanced at Brendan, who shrugged, and then back at the baby.