“Aside from going out alone, no. You went to shops very close to here and in the day. It should have been safe or, well, as safe as this city can ever be. Daniel told me that it was a woman who had told the men to hurt you and that it was surely my mother as they kept saying, ‘m’lady’ told them to do it. That she wanted her son to be alone.”
“Aye, they said that. I am sorry. What I would like to know is how she found out that I cannot ignore an animal in need. Someone has been finding out all they can about me. It appears we are not the only ones doing some spying.”
“I cannot think how she found out about you at all.”
“There are always ones watching in the city. It has been clear to us for a while that she is very skilled in gathering information.”
“I was so angry,” he murmured as he stroked her bruised face lightly, needing to touch her yet worried about adding to the pain she had to feel. “I went to see her. Stormed in and threatened her. Told her she is to leave you alone. Reminded her that she is only allowed to call that house hers on my sufferance, that now that I know about my father’s bastards I will see to their care and that could well mean she gets a smaller allowance from me each quarter. A few other things as well, but that is the gist of it. Not a wise move at all.”
“Considering all she has done and how she probably knows we are hunting her down, I do not think it such a bad thing,” Olympia said and quickly smothered a yawn. “She was certain to find out about us and maybe even guess at our plans for her sooner or later.”
“You were right.”
“Then you must tell me what I was right about before I go to sleep. It should make for a few pleasant dreams. It is not often any man tells a woman she is right.” She grinned when he just grunted.
“About the coldness in her. Both you and Artemis noticed it. I should have for she had no interest in us, her own children. It runs deep and I believe it has always been there. Not that I try to make apologies for her actions, just that I feel a bit of a fool for never seeing it at all. Simply believed she was not one who cared much for children but had done her duty to our father.” He sat up straight and said firmly, “And now you see why you must never go anywhere alone. Not only has she turned her attention to you but she is more than willing to kill you simply for helping me.”
“I will be most careful from now on. Did Andras have good news?”
“Not really but he is eagerly working on it.” He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. “Sleep. You are yawning so fiercely there is a chance you could accidentally swallow your little companion.”
He was pleased to see her close her eyes. Barely a heartbeat later she was sleeping soundly. Brant felt the sharp stab of guilt. He had failed to keep her safe. Each bruise on her fair skin was a slap in the face, a sharp reminder that he was failing her as he had failed so many others. For a brief while, after they had become lovers, he had thought he might be able to have all he had ever wanted in life, but the attack on Olympia had shown him that he was not a good protector. It was best if he remained alone. When that thought hurt more than he thought it ought to, he hurriedly left the room.
Chapter 12
“There is no need to follow me around as if you expect me to swoon at any moment,” Olympia said as she entered the room where breakfast was being served, her nephews close at her heels. “I am fully recovered from my injuries after a full week of being kept captive in my bedchamber.”
Brant stood up and held a chair out for Olympia, fighting a smile at the way she glared at Artemis and Stefan. He was surprised she had remained in her bedchamber for as long as she had, but it had been far from some sort of imprisonment. Olympia had used the time needed to recover from the battering she had suffered carefully finding safe places for the last of the children from Dobbin House and gathering every tiny whisper of information that the boys, Brant, and many another collected for her. She had spent more time at her writing desk than in her bed and had enlisted the aid of her vast family in the search for information on his mother.
“You are still quite colorful,” he murmured as he watched her fill her plate with food, fleetingly touching the fading yellowish bruise on her face.
“And shall be for a while longer, I suspect, but nothing hurts now,” she replied as she poured herself some tea. “But, I begin to feel uncomfortably caged.”
“Despite the veritable river of visitors coming to see you?”
She laughed. “True. There were a lot. Ask a Wherlocke to dig up anyone’s secrets and they gleefully leap at the chance.” Olympia looked at him and added quietly, “It should not be long now.”