And yet here was something good. He loved these boys. He could freely love them as a father without fear of their futures.
But for how much longer?
His father’s words in the letter haunted him—“I loved! What sweet words! May God have mercy on my soul.”
Thea and Cass were quiet as they walked through the halls to the front door. Dawson opened the door, his expression grave. He, too, apparently waited for Cass Sweetling to leave.
Cass turned to Thea. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, albeit a short visit. I wish you good luck in your future, Lady Lyon.” Cass walked out the door. Dawson started to shut it, but Thea found her voice.
“Wait,” she said. She slipped out the door, catching Cass on the front step. The day wasovercast, the air heavy with the threat of rain. “One moment of your time, please.”
“Of course,” Cass said. A sedan chair waited to carry her away. She nodded to her servants, and they set the chair down.
“Go ahead and close the door,” Thea told Dawson. “I shall be fine here.”
“Are you certain, my lady?”
“I am.” What did he imagine the petite dancer would do to her? Thea took Cass’s arm and walked her toward the corner of the house, where they were away from prying ears. Thea said, “I’m sorry for what happened in there. My husband and his family have—”
Thea stopped, needing to search for the right words while debating whether or not she should even say anything. “There is this curse they believe in—”
“Youshould believe in it as well,” Cass cut in.
Startled, Thea said, “Why do you say that?”
Cass leaned close to her. “Have you had the dream?”
A coldness settled over Thea. “What dream?”
The other woman smirked, pulled back. “Pretending, are you?”
“Pretending about what?”
“You know.”
Thea shook her head. “I don’tknowanything. You are talking in riddles.”
“Oh, I think you understand me very well. Tell me, are you in love with Lyon?”
Thea wasn’t certain she should answer. However, the truth of her love must have shown on her face, because Cass took her hand. “If you love him, then you must accept that this curse exists. People didn’t think I loved my husband. He was older than myself and I was, after all, merely a dancer. Funny how love ignores all class distinctions, petty jealousies, even allegiances, and certainly the barrier of age. He was everything to me. Harold changed how I thought, what I did...” Her voice drifted off as her eyes became misty.
“I’m sorry his children are not kinder.”
Cass shrugged away her apology. “It is what it is. You saw their expressions in there. I had the best of their father. They had a shell of the man.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Harold was very proud of his children and their accomplishments. But he feared showing them any affection. He helped them, saw to their welfare and prodded them when they needed to be pushed, but he wasn’t even necessarily kindabout it. At least that is my observation. I don’t know what impact his letter will have on them.”
“I don’t know either.” Thea crossed her arms. “There is a strangeness here. Neal is very close to his brother and sister. They support each other, but there are walls also.”
“There are always walls when one feels it dangerous to love freely and openly,” Cass answered. “Harold’s first wife was beautiful and wealthy, but cold and uncompromising. She was happy to keep everyone at a distance. Much like I imagine Margaret does.”
Thea thought of that horrible night with Harry. “She is not so strict. She cares deeply ... and perhaps that is what she is afraid of—caring too much.”
“Harry, from all I have heard, is on his way to ruining himself. The women still like him, though. They think he is a bit of a rogue.”
Thea dared not touch that statement. Over the last few weeks, her sons seemed to have brought out a better side of Harry, but that didn’t mean he had changed. “And what do you think of Neal?”