Page 91 of A Whisper and a Curse

“These are unscrupulous people, Mama,” Hadrian said. “I am trying to protect you from them.”

“I have already paid for tonight’s séance.” Her tone held a note of hauteur. “I have seen and heard enough to believe that these mediums channel spirits. You can’t explain how they know things that they should not.”

He fleetingly considered telling his mother about Mallory’s ability without revealing he had it too. But he was afraid of her reaction. What if she laughed or was horrified? In the end, he said, “Trust me when I say they employ trickery to make it seem as though they can speak to the dead.”

“Can you prove that?”

“Not yet.” Hadrian suspected that Tilda would encourage him to be honest with his mother about his power. Perhaps he should …

“Well, until you can, I am going to continue to try to communicate with Gabriel.” She gave Hadrian a stern look. “I need to do this tonight. I may not have another chance. You don’t understand why this is important to me.” She looked away from him.

“I suppose I don’t. It won’t bring him back.”

“I know that,” she said crossly. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she focused on Hadrian once more and seemed to have released some of her frustration. “I miss him. I want him to know how much I love him. I need to know that he is all right.”

Gabriel was dead, not across the world in India as he had been. Did his mother not understand the difference? Or was it easier for her to believe that in death, Gabriel wasn’t so far away. Perhaps not even as far as India. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to go tonight,” he said softly.

She clasped her hands in her lap and pursed her lips at him. “This is why I didn’t invite you. I know you don’t support this endeavor.”

“It isn’t that.” At least it wasn’t entirely. “I don’t think you should attend a séance where the last medium to hold one there was murdered.”

His mother’s eyes rounded, and her jaw dropped. “I had not considered that.” She lifted one hand to her chest. “Oh, dear. Should I not go? What if you come with me?”

“It doesn’t bother you to go where someone was killed?”

“You don’t have to keep saying that,” she said with a look of distress.

“Mama, if it bothers you to hear this, think how you will feel when you walk into the house this evening.”

She fell silent, her gaze dropping to the table as her features creased with contemplation. Hadrian hoped he hadn’t upset her. That had not been his intent.

At last, she lifted her gaze to his. Her eyes were surprisingly clear. “I must go. Before I no longer have the chance to speak with Gabriel. You must come with me. Please, Hadrian.”

Hadrian could not ignore the desperation in her plea, nor the sense that she was trying to grasp something that was lost. If she believed she’d spoken with Gabriel, perhaps she could finally put this behind her. Against his better judgment, he nodded. “All right.”

“You should invite Miss Wren so that the numbers are even. Or Tilda, I suppose.” She arched her brows at him.

Oh, hell. Why was she using Tilda’s given name?

His mother took another sip of tea. As she set the cup back in its saucer, she asked, “What is between the two of you? I have the sense you’ve grown close, and now you’re calling her by her given name. And not even the full, formal one. Isn’t she Matilda?”

Hadrian swallowed. He realized hehadcalled her Tilda a few moments ago. “Yes. We are friends, and yes, we call each other by our given names. It’s … easier.”

“I’m glad to hear you are only friends.”

Only friends. Hadrian wasn’t glad about that at all. He thought of Tilda’s concern the day before and how she’d put him at ease. He realized he still longed for something more, for the chance, at least, to determine if they might be romantically suited. Could he ever persuade her to try?

His mother added, “Whilst I admire Miss Wren, she is not someone you should becometoofamiliar with. Certainly, you couldn’t ever court her. I trust you will take a bride someday.” She sighed. “She must be capable of becoming the Countess of Ravenhurst. Miss Wren would not be up to the challenge. I wasn’t sure Beryl would be either when you were betrothed, but she at least had a viscount or something somewhere in her family.”

The dowager countess sipped her tea as if she hadn’t just insulted Tilda. Hadrian couldn’t think of anyone who wasmorecapable of becoming the Countess of Ravenhurst. Tilda was brilliant, beautiful, and a master of many skills that would benefit his household, including running a household of her own.

But Tilda wasn’t going to be the Countess of Ravenhurst. She had no desire to wed. Hence, Hadrian wouldn’t consider the possibility.

“Mama, I’m sure you don’t mean to denigrate Miss Wren.” He made a point of using a more formal address.

“Not at all. She’s a lovely young woman. She just isn’t someone you should marry, not that you were even considering that. I can’t imagine she’d be interested in marrying you either. She would undoubtedly prefer someone from her own class. I could see her marrying an inspector, actually.”

Hadrian now had the idea of Tilda marrying a detective inspector lodged in his mind. He did not care for it.