The Apothecary's Poison (Glass and Steele #3)(35)

"I'm glad you've got visitors," Payne said, his thin mouth stretching into a thinner smile. "I want them to hear about your thieving family back home."

"This is my family," Matt said, almost sounding amused. "And they already know about my American side. Believe me, they're quite disgusted by my past. Nothing you say will make it worse."

A sheen of sweat broke out on Payne's high forehead beneath his hat brim. Matt's nonchalance was getting to him. "You sure about that? They know the particulars?" The more he spoke, the thicker his American accent became and the less confident he sounded.

"You're angry at me for speaking to Munro," Matt said, the steeliness back in his voice. "I understand. It's frustrating being thwarted at every turn."

"I ain't thwarted, Glass. Not in the least." Payne snickered. His eyes flashed and he planted his feet a little apart, as if settling himself in for a long stay. "Want me to tell them something they don't know?"

"Duke, Cyclops, help Bristow show Sheriff Payne to the door."

"Sheriff?" Lord Rycroft's bellow startled Miss Glass. He squared up to Matt, getting between him and Payne, although they taller and easily peered over his head. "Matthew, I demand to know what's going on."

"Shut it," Willie snapped. "This ain't your affair."

Rycroft's jowls wobbled in indignation, proving that he couldn't entirely ignore Willie and the others, no matter how much he pretended to.

"I'll see you swing, Glass," Payne snarled. "Be it here or back home, makes no difference to me."

Miss Glass gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. One of the Glass girls whimpered while their mother flapped a handkerchief in front of her face.

"Do something, Richard," she begged her husband. But Lord Rycroft merely glared down his nose at Payne with righteous indignation and said nothing.

Duke and Cyclops grabbed Payne by the arms and hauled him backward, dragging his heels on the carpet. His feet scrabbled for purchase and he tried to struggle free, but could not. His hat fell off and Bristow picked it up. They got him to the door when the clock on the mantel chimed. Payne glanced at it and blinked.

Then, as if the chime triggered something, his anger vanished. His brittle, harsh chuckle filled the silence. "I know your secret," he blurted out as they dragged him from the room. "I know you need your watch. I know what it does."

Oh no.

"How do you know?" Willie snapped.

Matt's hand whipped out and grasped her arm. He must have squeezed hard because she winced.

Payne's protests finally quieted, and the front door opened and closed. A strained silence followed in which no one seemed to know what to do or say. Lord Rycroft finally broke it.

"Come, Beatrice, we're leaving."

"No," Matt said. "Stay. He's gone now. You have nothing to fear, Uncle."

"Afraid of some crackpot American?" He snorted and puffed out his chest. "Hardly. Beatrice, the choice is yours."

Lady Rycroft blinked back tears and looked at each of her daughters, although her gaze settled longest on Hope.

"Let's stay, Mama," Hope said. "I'm sure he won't come back now he's said his piece."

That settled it, and there was no more discussion of leaving. Lady Abbington arrived seven minutes later, blissfully unaware of the drama that preceded her. She sailed into the drawing room with all the serenity and grace that Miss Glass claimed she possessed. I quickly learned that she had not overstated Lady Abbington's charms or beauty. Her fair hair had been elegantly arranged with a string of pearls woven through it, and her deep violet gown showed off a tiny waist and creamy skin at her throat.

But it was the confidence with which she held herself that caught my attention. After introductions, she easily fell into conversation with both of Matt's aunts and his uncle, none of whom mentioned Payne's visit. Matt stood with them, part of the conversation yet not contributing, and hardly glancing Lady Abbington's way. His mind was elsewhere. On Payne, no doubt. He absently touched his breast pocket where he kept the watch, proving my point.

I could tell from Willie, Duke and Cyclops's silences that they thought about Payne too. I wished we could all discuss his accusation, but that would have to wait. For now, I was left with troubled thoughts flitting through my head. Surely Payne couldn't possibly know about Matt's watch—not for certain. He must have been guessing, based on what he'd witnessed a few weeks ago when he'd spied Matt using his watch in the carriage, early one evening. Whether he knew magic was involved, I couldn't be sure, but he did seem to presume the watch was important to Matt.

The dinner gong finally sounded, and we headed into the dining room. Miss Glass blamed the odd numbers and balance of genders on her nieces being present, something which made her sister-in-law bristle and Hope dismiss with laughter.

She stopped laughing, however, when she saw that she was seated at one end of the dining table and Matt at the other. Her mother pursed her lips and looked as if she would protest the arrangement when Charity piped up.

"Do swap seats with me, Hope," she said from where she sat on Matt's side. "You know I can't abide being so near the fireplace."

"The fire has been extinguished," Miss Glass told her.