Page 39 of Her Scandalous Pursuit

Cornelia gave a little moue of distaste. “Well, what do you have to say? More of her babble about equality?”

“No. I have no interest in interfering in your long-standing disagreement with Mother. But I am asking you not to leave the house in high dudgeon over it.”

Thisbe was certain that her grandmother had no intention of departing; she hadn’t even had her trunks brought down from the attic. A threatened departure happened at least once every visit. Cornelia enjoyed creating a disturbance, blaming Emmeline and being pleaded with to stay. That task had once fallen to Thisbe’s father, but in recent years, Thisbe had taken it off the duke’s shoulders. If her pleas didn’t work, she would send in Theo to cajole their grandmother.

“I am sure my mother had no intention of tossing you out of the house. You know how it will distress Papa. He so dislikes for you and Mother to disagree.”

“Of course he does. He’s a good son. But he is under her control.”

“Mother does not control Papa. But he loves her very much, just as he loves you, and if you leave, it will make him terribly unhappy.”

“I will not have that woman giving me orders.”

“What did Mother say?” Thisbe knew her mother did her best to be pleasant to the dowager duchess, but sometimes her temper got the best of her. “Did she tell you to leave?”

“She told me she would not allow your guests to be insulted in that way,” Cornelia said, indignation rising as she remembered the conversation. “She said she expected me to be polite and not say wicked things to innocent young men.”

“I’m sure what she meant was that she was shocked you said something so untoward, given that she knows you are a very proper woman. One who is always appropriate and courteous.”

“Ha! As if a country squire’s daughter knows more about proper behavior than I. My father—”

“Yes, Grandmother, I know.” Thisbe found her own patience wearing thin. “Your father was a count, and he was a very important man. Your mother’s line was equally highborn. But do you think your mother and father would have approved of your rudeness?”

“I wasn’t rude! I was truthful.”

“Sometimes one cannot be both truthful and polite. As I remember, you told me that when I asked Lady Montgomery why she had killed squirrels to wear on her arms.”

Cornelia chuckled at the memory. “It was a mink, I believe, but that stole was a ghastly mistake. Poor Dorothy had no taste whatsoever, I’m afraid.”

“But she was your friend, and I shouldn’t have spoken so.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Cornelia narrowed her eyes at Thisbe. “But don’t try to cozen me, young lady. It’s not the same thing at all. I am concerned for your safety. There’s no room for manners when my granddaughter is threatened.”

“Grandmother...” Thisbe kneeled by the duchess’s chair, gazing up at her with her most pleading expression. “Mr. Harrison is not a threat to me. He’s a kind, wonderful man, and I’m certain he would never hurt anyone. You should have seen how good he was with the Greats.”

“Those monkeys.” Cornelia’s eyes twinkled and her mouth curved up, belying her words of disapproval.

“Yes, and he had them quiet and interested. He’s very intelligent and educated and—”

“Pshaw!” The duchess waved off Thisbe’s words. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about lineage. He’s not one of us, Thisbe. I could see it at once.”

Thisbe gritted her teeth. “That doesn’t make him a bad man. It doesn’t mean he’s going to kill me.”

“Mmm.” Her grandmother tilted her head to one side, considering. “I didn’t say he would kill you—I didn’t see that. But I saw that you would die because of him. It’s an entirely different thing, but the outcome is the same. You must stay away from this young man.”

“Grandmother...there’s no way you could know that.”

“I know you scoff at my abilities, just like the others. You shouldn’t. Nor should Olivia. Sadly, I don’t believe Kyria has the talent. Most likely it’s that red hair.”

“Red hair! Of all the nonsensical—” Thisbe caught herself. Why was she arguing about the mechanics of something she didn’t believe in?

“You know that I have the power. You’ve witnessed it. Remember the puppy?”

“Yes, I remember the puppy. You said Rajah would die.”

“You see?” Her grandmother leaned back with a self-satisfied smile. “I saw death on him. I saw that gate.”

“But it was a month after you predicted it. And it wasn’t even the same gate. You saw the garden gate and it was the one to the road.”