Shock coursed through Eliza like a wave.
If she were being honest, she’d wished for Uncle Malcolm’s death on several occasions. But to hear the words out loud, she ached for her cousin. Her father was the only family Avery had. Besides Aunt Mildred, of course.
Eliza cringed as she looked back at Bash. With the imposter Aunt Mildred here in London, Bash would have no choice but to move Avery into the house.
In that moment, she actually felt sorry for Bash. She felt even more sorry for Uncle Malcolm, though the man had made his own bed, cavorting with thieves.
“Avery,” she said, holding the other woman tighter. Whatever she felt on the inside, Avery deserved her empathy now. “I am so very sorry.”
Avery gasped. “He was cruel. I know that. And he wasn’t a particularly good father or husband. But after mother died,” Avery hiccupped in the pause. “He was all I had.”
“I know,” Eliza shushed her softly, rubbing her back with her hand.
“Forgive my interruption,” Bash said behind her. “But this is…”
“The Honorable Avery Winston,” Eliza still held her cousin as she gave Bash a look that half pleaded and half grimaced. “The Baron of Pennington’s daughter.”
Bash let out a soft groan as he ran a hand through his hair.
Dylan looked on silently, his own features having gone hard as stone.
Eliza swallowed a lump.
He’d made an awful mistake going off like that. He should have told her. Included her. She’d been completely clear on that front.
But he’d been clear too.
He always made the wrong choice, or he thought he did. It had been her job to teach him that he made exactly as many wrong choices as everyone else. And she’d failed him too. Gone and berated him when she should have supported.
She’d been as wrong as he’d been.
Drat.
And now she held an absolute mess in her arms so she couldn’t tell Dylan so.
In fact, just before Avery had arrived, she’d ended their engagement.
Double drat. She’d like to use a few words far stronger than that, but she broke enough social rules as it were.
Her cousin sobbed in her arms.
“Avery,” she softly said as she continued to pat. “Let’s go sit and then you can explain everything.”
Avery nodded into her shoulder as they made their way into the library.
Eliza settled her cousin in a chair as she dabbed at her eyes. “There isn’t much to tell. A Bow Street Runner arrived at the house an hour ago to say they’d found him with a knife in his back in the Thames.” Avery continued to cry more quietly. “That’s all he said. He didn’t have any leads and said these sorts of cases were difficult to solve.”
Eliza looked up to see Dylan and Bash exchanging a glance. “Bash,” Eliza said as she straightened. “Would you get my sisters, please? And Aunt Mildred too. This is a conversation they should be part of.”
Avery continued to sniffle as she turned to Dylan. “And if you would please—”
“I’m not leaving.” He stood straighter. “Engagement or not, I said I would help, and I will.”
She melted at those words. “I’m glad you’re going to stay. Thank you.”
He cocked his head to the side, assessing her as Bash left the room.
She couldn’t say what she wanted to, and she needed to comfort Avery, but she also needed…well, she had to apologize.