Page 116 of A Whisper and a Curse

“Can you wed her?”

Mallory’s question jerked Hadrian from his reverie as he’d watched Tilda descend the stairs, her gray skirts moving about her ankles.

“What?” Hadrian asked, blinking.

The medium sat on the floor with his father’s head and shoulders cradled in his lap. He’d removed his stock and held it to the wound on the captain’s side. The captain’s eyes were closed.

“You and Miss Wren appear to care deeply for one another,” Mallory observed. “You hail from completely different classes. Are you able to wed her?”

Able.As if there were something that would forbid Hadrian from doing so. “I can do as I bloody well please.”

Mallory laughed softly, his lip curling as he finished. “Of course you can. You’re an earl. I shall congratulate you now then.”

“We are not betrothed, nor do we have plans to be.” Hadrian wondered if the medium had seen the memory of him and Tilda kissing. He could have seen that when he’d touched Tilda’shand last week. “What have you seen?” His tone was skeptical, bordering on accusing, but he didn’t care.

“Nothing between you. It doesn’t take someone with our ability to see the connection between you and Miss Wren.” Mallory smirked. “Though now I’m going to ponder what has happened.”

“Leave him be,” the captain croaked without opening his eyes.

Mallory’s brow creased. “Yes, Papa. Try not to exert yourself. The doctor will be here soon.”

“Talking is hardly exerting myself.”

“Perhaps not,” Hadrian said. “But managing to climb the stairs in your wounded state was most taxing. You must rest. Thank you for coming when you did.” Hadrian didn’t want to think of what might have happened if Captain Vale had not launched himself at Crocker at that precise moment.

The captain opened his eyes and looked up at Hadrian. “Thank you for rescuing my son. I know he’s done wrong, but I told you he’s not a killer.”

“No, Papa,” Mallory said softly. “Nor will I continue as I have.”

“Truly?” the captain asked.

Mallory nodded. “There has been enough harm.”

Captain Vale looked at his son with love. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Our ability was never meant to be used as you employed it.”

“About that,” Hadrian said hesitantly. He didn’t particularly want to discuss it with Mallory, but he wanted to make sure his secret would be safe. “You haven’t told anyone that we are … alike, have you?”

“No,” Mallory replied quickly. “I would never. And I would ask that you do the same. No one at the society knows precisely what I am able to do.”

“But some of them knew that you disguised yourself as Montrose, Parr, and Mrs. Sullivan,” Hadrian noted. “Did they not know you were doing so in order to experience the memories of the person next to you in order to assist the medium?”

“They did not know what I was doing, only that I was able to give them information that would be helpful to them during the séance.”

Hadrian thought of Tilda’s suggestion that he tell his mother about Mallory’s ability. “I need to explain to my mother how Mrs. Griswold knew about a memory of hers from when I was young. I don’t want my mother trying to see another medium, so I need her to understand that none of what you were selling was real.”

“That is why you and Miss Wren were sticking your nose into the society?” Mallory asked. “To investigate what we were doing?”

Hadrian inclined his head. “My mother hired Tilda to determine Mrs. Frost’s authenticity.”

“I see.” Mallory’s expression turned pensive.

“Tell Lady Ravenhurst you provided the memory to give her what she sought,” Captain Vale suggested. “Then apologize for deceiving her.”

It wasn’t a terrible idea, but his mother likely wouldn’t believe him, given his lack of encouragement for her endeavors to speak with Gabriel. “I would do that except she saw quite clearly that I did not support her efforts to speak with my brother, nor did I think it was even possible.”

“You can explain that you saw how much it meant to her, so you arranged for the medium to ‘speak’ with your brother.” Captain Vale gave him a gentle smile. “And you are telling her the truth now because you feel guilty about everything. All you want is for her to be happy.”

“That is the truth,” Hadrian said simply. “Thank you.”