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He ran a hand through his hair. “I have about half a dozen other siblings. Do you want to know about them all?”

“Yes!” she cried. “Especially if you visit them on a regular basis, have suppers with them, and are building them a house!”

William stilled. “Did Caroline tell you all that?”

“Yes,” she bit out.

“Well, then she should know why I am doing this, should she not?”

Victoria chewed her lip. “She didn’t tell me.”

“Then I will tell you.” William crossed his arms over his chest. “Because after finding out that I was impersonating Erebus, Wolverstone went on a rampage in his goal to find me. He stalked anyone who had any proximity to me just to hurt me. He burned my house and the houses of people whom I cared about even a little, including Melissa’s. She had to move with her son to this tiny hole she calls home because of me! And I might not be an exemplary brother, but I was not going to let her and my nephew suffer because of my actions.”

Tumultuous thoughts tumbled one after the other in Victoria’s mind, not finding purchase. She finally asked, “But why didn’t you tell me?”

He waved a hand toward the bedroom door, indicating the room on the other side. “Because of the company you keep.”

“So, you don’t trust me?”

“You brought a Shadow into her home!” William raised his voice for the first time since they’d met, and Victoria reared back.

Her voice small, the only thing she could retort was, “Technically, she brought me.”

“And technically, I am not a Shadow,” Caroline called from another room.

William turned to the closed door. “Would you mind not butting into a private conversation?”

“Then you shouldn’t argue so loudly!” she cried back. “You’re frightening Neville.”

William ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.

Victoria stepped closer, whispering furiously. “I only felt compelled to follow you because of the secrets you keep!”

“Because you don’t trust me,” William reiterated.

Victoria scoffed. “Obviously, you do not trust me, either. So, we’re even.”

* * *

“Stay here a moment, I shall go and check if your arrival alerted any other intruders to our location,” William said as he and Victoria walked into the kitchen.

Victoria felt slightly dizzy and disoriented. The past twenty-four hours had been a storm of emotions. Melissa and Caroline turned toward them, studying them with open curiosity.

“If I am not back in twenty minutes,” William said as he reached the door. “I am dead.”

“William!” Melissa chided, tilting her head toward the innocent child playing on the floor. However, the boy, having inherited his uncle’s dark sense of humor, just laughed.

“Go in peace,” Caroline said with an impish smile.

William tipped his hat and left the cottage, leaving the women and the boy on their own.

“Would you like some tea?” Melissa asked.

Victoria beamed her an artificial smile that she hoped with all her heart looked genuine. Her heart still ached from the argument with William, but she didn’t want to be rude to his sister. She walked toward the table and settled in a chair beside Caroline.

“I apologize for being abrupt with you earlier,” she said as Melissa handed her a cup of tea. “I was just surprised.”

“No need.” Melissa waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not your fault, Your Highness. William can be quite… difficult at times.”