He felt better for having told Daniel his concerns. Now his friend could help Simon to find out what was going on with Claire and why she had been in that lane. He just hoped that whatever it turned out to be, they could find a way to resolve it for her. Because he could not bear the thought of Claire Belmont suffering with either a broken heart or body.
CHAPTER SIX
Claire looked out her bedroom window at the grey skies over London. She had not left the house for two days and nights and the rain had steadily fallen, with no appearance of letting up. It wasn’t overly cold, yet she had a shawl over her shoulders, and a permanent chill seemed to have taken up residence in her body. Looking at her bed, she contemplated lying down–just closing her eyes to seek some relief from the thoughts inside her head, if only for a while. Exhaustion had long since passed, and now Claire was beyond simple tiredness. Rubbing her eyes, she took a deep, steadying breath. Becoming weepy helped no one, least of all the child who now needed her.
“Who is it?” Claire said as a knock sounded at the door.
“Mathew.”
“Go away.” Claire’s voice had not risen. It was flat and raw, yet she knew her brother had heard her words, even though he’d chosen to ignore them. She hurried to the window seat and sat as the handle turned and he entered. “I believe I asked you to go away.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them close to her chest.
“What you did the other day was irresponsible and could easily have turned out badly, Claire. You should have come to me the instant you received that note, not gone to that lane alone. I want your word you will not contemplate anything as foolish again.”
Her brother looked like hell. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair stood on end, and his skin was pale, yet she felt no sympathy for him; what she felt was anger. “Don’t lecture me on responsibilities, brother, when you are failing in yours.”
“I am not failing in mine,” he ground out. “In fact, just the opposite. Why will you not see reason on this, Claire? Mother is on my side.”
“Reason!” Claire was amazed she could still find the strength to raise her voice. “Is it not reasonable to expect that we depart immediately for Liverpool to inquire if the child the note spoke of is our brother’s? The brother we both loved, Mathew? Furthermore, do not use Mother to strengthen your cause–she would never go against your wishes.”
His teeth snapped together briefly, and the anger between them seemed to fill every corner in her room. “The note that I intercepted was for you, Claire, and it stated you must come alone to collect Anthony’s illegitimate child. If there is, indeed, a child, why would it matter which one of us went to retrieve it? Surely you are not silly enough to believe this ruse?”
“What if it’s not, Mathew? What if Anthony’s child is left alone and helpless because you will do nothing?”
“And what if someone has targeted you, wants to abduct you to obtain money? Surely you can see I must protect us from that? It was you who was lured into Tuttle Lane, not me, and it is you whom they want in Liverpool. Open your eyes and see what is happening here!”
Claire ignored his words. She believed there was a child and would do whatever she could to save it.
“We do not have long, Mathew. The note said they had Anthony’s child, and they asked for me specifically because Anthony had given them my name. They will hold the child for seven days, and if after that we have not come, then he or she will be abandoned.” Claire clenched her fingers together. She did not want her brother to see them trembling. Her heart started thumping again at the prospect of her niece or nephew being left cold and alone on the streets of Liverpool. “Our blood, Mathew– yours and mine.”
“A bastard and more than likely a French bastard, at that, not that I believe it exists!”
The words were roared at her and hung in the air between them as they glared at each other. They had never spoken to each other this way before. Usually their conversations were polite and distant. But she would not be frightened by his anger, as she was angry, too.
“There is no child, Claire. No niece or nephew carrying your beloved brother’s blood. Surely, you can see this is some kind of lure to get money from us?”
Claire wouldn’t see it because she believed otherwise. There was a child. “You say you want to protect me, but what you really fear is that there will be a child, Mathew, and it will bring shame to your name.”
“If there was a child,” Mathew spat his words out in an angry volley, “I would of course acknowledge it in some way, however, there is no child, therefore, I refuse to discuss this further.”