That Helene stated she now wished to kill him.
It seemed to Lisette that everything that had happened these past few months—the kidnapping of Lord Maystone’s grandson, Helene’s anger at Lisette’s...friendship with Christian—a friendship Lisette had almost certainly put in jeopardy with her reckless behaviour—her own abduction earlier today—had all been leading to this face-to-face meeting between Helene Rousseau and Lord Maystone.
Because of some past wrong Helene believed he had done to her.
The shooting of Helene’s brother André, perhaps?
Not personally, of course; Lisette had learned from one of the other serving girls at the tavern that her uncle André had been gunned down outside the tavern in a street brawl. But perhaps a brawl that had been arranged by Lord Maystone?
That did not make any sense when André Rousseau had met his end only months ago, and Helene’s grudge against Lord Maystone appeared to be one of long standing.
And if it was of such long standing, why had Helene not sought vengeance before now?
What had happened in Helene’s life in the past few months to bring about this sudden need for vengeance—?
Lisette stilled, eyes widening as she turned to look at the woman who had come to the Duprées’ farm and claimed to be her mother less than three months ago.
The advent into Helene’s life of Lisette, her illegitimate daughter, was what had changed for Helene Rousseau in these past months.
She was the reason Helene was here seeking vengeance against Lord Maystone.
If that was true, then Lisette could think of only one reason for it being so.
‘If you will excuse my sudden movement, Helene?’ Lord Maystone remarked conversationally as he stepped forward. ‘But I do believe our daughter is about to faint.’ He gathered Lisette into his arms as she began to sink gracefully to the ground.
Chapter Fourteen
‘You should have told me you were with child.’
‘You had made it clear to me that you were returning to England to your wife and family!’
‘Which I duly did. But that still did not prevent you from informing me that you were expecting my child. I could have made provision for you—and her—’
‘I did not want your charity—’
‘And what about her? Did she not deserve better?’
‘I did the best for her that I could, ensured she was placed with a loving couple—’
‘Would the two of you please be silent?’ Christian cut icily through the argument that had been going on for some time now. Without any pistols in evidence, thank goodness; he could not be answerable for not placing a bullet in both Maystone and Helene Rousseau himself if he had to listen to too much more of their to-and-fro bickering.
And all the time the object of their argument lay recumbent upon the chaise in Christian’s drawing room, covered with the blanket he had demanded from Evans as he carried Lisette into the house, and still unconscious from her faint at Westminster Bridge.
Christian had wasted no time in putting his pistol away and relieving Maystone of the burden of Lisette, ushering her back across the bridge towards his carriage, uncaring whet
her Maystone and the woman who was his ex-lover followed him or not. His only concern had been for Lisette.
It still was.
She had remained unconscious for the whole of the carriage ride back to Sutherland House, no doubt from fatigue and the relief of knowing she was free as much as anything else. Even Lisette, with her indomitable will, must have been traumatised by her abduction and imprisonment goodness knew where.
Having subsequently realised, as he was sure she had, that Lord Aubrey Maystone was her father must have been the final straw that had broken that indomitable will.
Christian had to admit to being more than a little surprised at that disclosure himself. How on earth had Lord Aubrey Maystone, a man who worked in the shadows for the government and Crown, even met a woman like Helene Rousseau, let alone—let alone— The idea of the two of them having engaged in an affair twenty years ago was astounding—
‘I did try to explain earlier that I was once very like you, Christian.’ Maystone gently interrupted his thoughts. ‘Twenty-five years ago I was also an agent for the Crown, as you are now. My duties often took me to France, and it was during one of these...forays twenty years ago, for information, that I chanced to meet Helene.’
Christian grimaced. ‘It would seem that you did more than “meet” her!’