Chapter Six
Since he was standing as the ladies left the room, Tobias made to follow them.
He had that report he needed to read and, although it was doubtful he would take in a word until the ladies returned with the artifacts, it was better than pacing up and down the Blue Lounge waiting to see what possessions of Sebastian’s Mrs Wilmott had.
He had barely made it a step before Christopher flung himself in his path.
‘No. Please do not go. There is so much we need to discuss. This revelation is huge. Sebastian’s sister-in-law was just sitting in our room.
We might get to see letters… It is so fantastical, it is as if I am caught up in a dream. ’
Tobias glared at his youngest brother, a look which normally got all his brothers to comply. Not this time.
Christopher shook his head. ‘I have so many… there are so many…’ He glanced at Freddie and Edward, who were behind Tobias. ‘I cannot be the only one.’
Arabella chose that moment to let out a squawk.
‘See,’ said Christopher. ‘Even Arabella agrees that this—’ Christopher swept his arms around ‘—is monumental. We cannot just leave it there as if nothing has happened and return to what we were doing before.’
‘Sebastian’s things,’ said Freddie, awe in his voice. ‘To think we might have them before the afternoon is out.’
‘If it is true,’ Tobias managed to grind out.
Now that he wasn’t arguing with Mrs Wilmott, his words were fading away from him.
How strange that they didn’t get stuck when she was around.
Maybe it was because she kept him in a near constant state of outrage.
He’d longed to speak freely his whole life, but being in this much inner turmoil was unsustainable.
So was having her around all the time. Quite aside from the fact that she was a termagant, she would expect him to talk to her, and that was not going to happen.
‘I think it is true.’ Christopher folded his arms across his chest as if bracing for an argument.
‘I do not see what Mrs Wilmott would gain from lying to us,’ said Edward, and Freddie murmured in agreement.
Tobias was tempted to argue that people always wanted something from him, but he didn’t wish to appear even more of a conceited fool than he had already shown himself to be this afternoon.
‘There is nothing we can do until we see what Mrs Wilmott has. If she produces nothing, or if the writing in these supposed letters is not like Sebastian’s, we will know for sure that she is lying. ’
Edward rubbed his forehead; Tobias noticed he did that when frustrated, but Tobias had said nothing controversial. Mrs Wilmott was a stranger and her claims were outlandish. Still, his brother sounded pained when he said, ‘Why would she lie, Tobias?’
‘We are a wealthy family. Perhaps she wants money.’
His brothers were sending incredulous looks towards one another, as if they thought his words ridiculous.
If that’s the way they wanted to be, that was fine by him.
They would know before the afternoon was out whether or not Mrs Wilmott had told them the truth, or whether her words were a bag of moonshine.
Thankfully, no one asked him which outcome he would prefer as he could not decide in his own mind whether he wanted to be proved right or wrong.
Deciding he’d had enough for now, he edged towards the door, hoping he’d satisfied his brothers for now.
As he’d spoken more in one morning than he normally did in a week, he thought they would not expect more from him.
He had barely made it two steps when Christopher said, ‘I think you are wrong.’ Tobias stopped in his tracks, surprised that his youngest brother was countering him; he didn’t think it had ever happened before. ‘She seemed to be a very genuine lady.’
Edward and Freddie nodded solemnly.
‘Thoughtful and kind.’
Again with the nodding, as if all three of them had become marionettes.
‘Well-spoken, well-educated, well-dressed.’
‘There was something odd though,’ said Edward.
Finally, someone agreed with him that there was something different about her.
She was odd. Or rather she wasn’t but his reaction to her was.
Tobias found it hard to talk to anyone, was always polite and was not typically given to staring at women.
He was the exact opposite on all of those things with Mrs Wilmott.
‘What was that, Edward?’ asked Christopher, which should have alerted Tobias to the fact that they were up to something, but he was too busy contemplating the shape of Mrs Wilmott’s lips, which were notably thinner when she was talking to him, than to others, to recognise that his brothers were plotting a trap.
‘I am glad you asked, Christopher. I found it rather odd that our esteemed brother accused Mrs Wilmott of trying to drown him.’
‘I too found that strange,’ said Freddie. ‘Surely Tobias would have told us before now if he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of a woman half his size.’
‘I would not say she was that small,’ said Christopher, who was still standing between Tobias and the exit. ‘Short, yes, but she probably reaches his armpit.’
‘Tall enough for them to gaze into one another’s eyes while dancing the waltz,’ said Freddie.
Tobias took a step towards Christopher, hoping rather than believing his brother would move to the side and let him past.
‘So, did she?’ asked Christopher. ‘Try and drown you, that is? Because if she did, I have two thoughts.’
Tobias hoped that if he didn’t respond, Christopher wouldn’t elaborate. But, sadly, he was doomed to be disappointed.
‘Firstly, if that outrageous story was true, then it makes her other one more believable, because, I do not know about you two—’ Christopher nodded towards Edward and Freddie, whose grins were now wide and amused ‘—but that sounds less credible to me than her being Sebastian’s sister-in-law, and Tobias brought it up.
Despite not having told us about it prior to this afternoon, it appears our dear brother does believe Mrs Wilmott tried to drown him at some stage. ’
Tobias curled his hands into fists; he would never hit his brothers, but the gesture made him feel slightly better.
‘That is all true, Christopher,’ said Edward. ‘The whole encounter was unusual, but if one peculiar thing is correct, then it stands to reason the other one is as well. So, what is your second thought?’
‘That we invite Mrs Wilmott to come and reside with us while she is in London.’
‘Absolutely not.’
Christopher carried on as if Tobias had not spoken. ‘If it turns out she is not dangerous to Tobias’ person and if it turns out she is telling the truth about her connection to our family, then I think Sebastian would want us to invite her to come and live with his daughter.’
‘It will never happen.’ His brothers once again pretended he hadn’t spoken.
‘I think you are right, Christopher,’ said Edward.
‘Agreed.’
If he didn’t want to punch them all, it would be pleasant to sit back and enjoy a rare moment when the three brothers were in complete accord and were not trying to tease one another to death.
‘Mrs Wilmott will never live under any roof belonging to me,’ Tobias said. ‘And that is the end of the matter. Can you not see that she could be a threat to Charlotte’s safety? We know nothing about her. Nothing.’
‘I hardly think a woman of that size would be a threat to anyone.’
‘She will never live in this house.’
Tobias stepped forward, and when Christopher did not move out of the way, he pushed the chair to one side and strode around him.
He may be willing for his brothers’ growing families to live in his house, but he would not extend the same courtesy to the woman who may very well turn out to be an imposter.
Slamming the door behind him was beneath him, but he did it anyway.