Page 70 of A Devious Secret

“She is still your stepmother.”

“In name only.”

Nathaniel’s eyes held compassion. “Would you like me to accompany you to the drawing room?”

“I haven’t agreed to see her yet.”

“But you will.”

Gemma cocked her head. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you are just as curious as to why she is here as I am.”

She had to admit that her cousin did have a point. Why did her stepmother travel here without her father?

Gemma pushed back her chair and rose. “I will speak to her, but I cannot promise that I will be cordial.” She turned towards Balfour. “Is my stepmother in the drawing room?”

“She is, my lady,” Balfour confirmed.

With a sigh, Gemma said, “I best get this over with.”

“That is the spirit,” Nathaniel joked.

Gemma departed from the dining room and crossed the entry hall. She stopped outside of the drawing room and peered in. She saw her stepmother was sitting on the settee, her back rigid. The yellow gown she was wearing was much more conservative than the one she had worn at the ball, but her decolletage was still far too low for an afternoon gown.

As Gemma stepped into the room, her stepmother perked up and smiled. “Gemma,” she greeted. “You are looking well.”

Gemma came to stop in the middle of the room and clasped her hands in front of her. She decided to forgo the pleasantries and asked, “What is it that you want?”

Her stepmother’s smile dimmed. “I heard about Mr. Wycomb’s attack in the Society page and I came to see how you were faring since it mentioned you were present at the museum.”

“I am well.”

“Your father is also very worried—”

Gemma cut her off. “Please do not insult me by sitting there and lying to me. We both know my father does not care a whit about me.”

“That isn’t true,” her stepmother asserted. “Your father does care for you, but he shows it in his own way.”

“By ignoring me?” she asked. “Or does he show that he cares for me by insulting me?”

Rising, her stepmother said, “I know there is some bad blood between you two, but I am here to try to bridge the gap, so to speak.”

“I am grateful for the bridge,” Gemma stated. “There is no reason to attempt to fix something that is broken beyond repair.”

“Surely you do not mean that?”

“I do, wholeheartedly.”

Her stepmother started fidgeting with her hands. “Your father has recently come into some money, and he is in a position to help you,” she said. “He hopes that you will return home and live with us.”

“No, thank you,” she promptly replied. “I am happy where I am.”

Her stepmother glanced around the room. “Your father’s townhouse isn’t as impressive as this one, but it is a stately home.”

“If my father wanted me to come home, why didn’t he come himself?” Gemma demanded.

A sheepish look came to her stepmother’s face. “I’m afraid he doesn’t know I am here.”