Page 24 of Submitting to the Widow
When Stephen resurfaced, sputtering for air, both Jane and Raj were standing at the edge of the pond with matching murderous looks. Surely they didn’t blame him for the altercation?
James came to help the stranger away while Murray had somehow reappeared and extended a hand to help him out of the pond. Everyone else had headed back toward the house.
Stephen teetered on between anger and puzzlement. “Who the hell is that bastard?”
Murray clucked at the state of Stephen’s sodden clothes and boots like a mother hen and then answered, “You’ve just beat the stuffing out of Baroness Trevellyn’s brother.” He gave his employer another withering look. “But it looks like you got the worst of the battering.”
* * *
Jane could not decidewhich of the tall, belligerent men in her parlor was the cause of the anger coursing through her all the way to her fingertips.
She had James pour a dollop of brandy into her tea while she stared at her brother and her erstwhile lover sizing each other up as if they were two tomcats in one of the stews in London.
While the two of them continued to glare, Jane did the honor of introductions. “Sanjay…this is the barrister, Stephen Forsythe, KC, of London.” She fluttered her glance between the two of them again but could not sense any warming in the atmosphere. “Mr. Forsythe, this is my brother, Sanjay Babar. I would give you our full family name, but it is too long, and incomprehensible to English ears. Sanjay, Mr. Forsythe is with a practice of barristers in London, and Stephen, my brother owns a restaurant in Bath.”
Without preamble, Sanjay turned to Stephen. “If you and my sister are…so…um, close, than perhaps she’s favored you with the whereabouts of the treasure our father left here for me at Trevellyn House.”
Jane stood and walked over to where her brother sat next to Stephen on a settee that was woefully overwhelmed by the two tall men. Both were sipping on glasses of brandy and holding muslin bags of chips of ice from the estate icehouse which they periodically placed over the bruises covering their faces.
She gave Sanjay a sound slap on the face before returning to her chair.
“What wasthatfor?” He gave her a threatening glare.
“That was for being so rude in the presence of a guest.” She carefully smoothed her skirts over her knees and picked up her cup of fortified tea.
Stephen leaned toward the other man and whispered something into his ear. Sanjay gave him a murderous look and half rose from the settee.
“Stephen, you will also please refrain from barbaric behavior in my sitting room.” She took a long sip and put her teacup back down on its saucer on a side table. “And would you be so kind as to repeat what you said to my brother so that we can all hear?”
Stephen gave her a steady green gaze. “I invited him to join me back in the duck pond.”
Raj, who had been sitting in the corner glowering at them like some frightening guard, laughed out loud before standing without a word and leaving the three of them alone.
After her aunt left, Jane turned back toward her brother. “Why do you keep insisting that there’s some sort of treasure buried here?”
“Because Father told me he’d hidden something here for me in case something happened to him.”
Stephen leaned forward. “Did he describe the treasure?”
“Yes. He said it was gold bullion.”
Stephen sat back suddenly. “Where did your father and the major serve?”
“They were at Khadki in seventeen.”
Jane interrupted. “I’m tired of your constant begging. Is your restaurant losing money again?”
Sanjay hung his head. “Yes,” he whispered.
“I don’t understand how you can keep losing money in a popular resort town like Bath.”
Her brother did not answer but kept his head lowered.
“I’ll send word to my solicitor in Bath to send you a draft on my bank, but this is the last time.” Jane couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks as she jumped to her feet and strode from the room.
* * *
Stephen gaveSanjay one last murderous look before following Jane out the door. He didn’t have to guess where she’d be. He made his way through the library and then slipped into the sun-flooded conservatory where Jane sat at her desk overflowing with ancient, crumbling texts and thick research books.