The Watchmaker's Daughter (Glass and Steele #1)(59)

"What are people saying about me? Go on," I said when she hesitated. "I can take a little criticism on the chin."

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Mr. Lawson is saying that you've become wicked since your father passed."

"Wicked? Because I'm living in Mr. Glass's house?"

Mrs. Mason sipped her tea loudly. It would seem she wasn't going to disagree with me. Perhaps because she wasn't prepared to offer me a bed here.

Catherine winced. "I suppose so. Eddie has chosen not to defend your honor, too. Can you believe it? What a horrid man he turned out to be, and yet he was so nice in the beginning. So, your Mr. Glass, is he as lovely as he seems?"

"He's…quite well mannered." Except when he was stroking the underside of my bare breast after opening my corset. And when he was flirting with me for reasons I couldn’t fathom. "He's been kind to me. His aunt too, and his cousin, Willemina." It was worth reminding them about the females living in Mr. Glass's household. I may not have been able to stop the gossip, but I could reassure my friends. "Neither Eddie's nor Mr. Lawson's opinions matter to me now. Did Mr. Lawson tell you that I called on him recently as part of our search for Mr. Glass's mysterious watchmaker?"

"No, but perhaps he told Papa. They were alone for some time last night in the workshop." Catherine's gaze slid to her mother's. She bit her lip then sipped her tea.

I forged on. "Apparently Mr. Lawson knew the whereabouts of a Mr. Mirth, a watchmaker who closed his shop some years ago and traveled overseas. Do you know Mirth, Mrs. Mason?"

She frowned into her teacup. "The name does ring some bells, but I can't picture him. He couldn't have been one of our close circle or I would know."

I believed her. She wasn't a liar. "Hopefully he'll turn up," I said. "Mr. Glass is quite keen to find him."

"Your Mr. Glass if a very determined man," Catherine said with a sly smile. "What will he do if he can't find Mirth?"

"Continue to question the other London watchmakers I suppose, although he has to speak to them on his own while I remain in the carriage." Although I looked at Catherine, I watched her mother out of the corner of my eye. She held herself quite still. "Many of them seem wary of me."

"Wary?" Catherine repeated. "How so?"

"Almost as if they're afraid of me. It's quite odd."

"Why would they be afraid of you? Do you think it's because Mr. Abercrombie has accused you of stealing?"

"I don't think so. Mr. Abercrombie's accusation seemed to be a product of his wariness, not the other way round. Speaking of which, have he or the police come here asking after me?"

"No," Catherine said. "I do hope that means he retracted the accusation. Horrid man. I never liked him."

"He has retracted it," Mrs. Mason said. "So your father told me last night."

"He has?" I felt faint with relief. "Thank goodness." So Mr. Glass had taken care of it, like he'd promised. It only remained to be discovered how he managed to get Abercrombie to do an about-face. "Do you know why he changed his mind, Mrs. Mason?"

"No."

Her coolness toward me was beginning to grate on my nerves as well as worry me. I decided to confront her on it. "I do hope you don't believe the rumors Mr. Lawson, Eddie and the others are spreading about Mr. Glass and me. I can assure you, our arrangement is decent and correct." I just thought of something that might get her to think differently. "He's the nephew of Lord Rycroft."

"He's a lord!" Catherine half rose out of her seat in excitement.

"No, just a mister. His uncle is the current baron."

Both Mrs. Mason and Catherine pressed their hands to their chests, as if trying to still rapid heartbeats. "He's a gentleman of quality then," Mrs. Mason said, her face lifting. "How kind that he's taken you in, India."

My smile tightened. "Very kind."

"Don't allow your head to be turned, though," she warned. "Nobility is all well and good, but he's a man underneath it all. Mark my words, India, high born men are not very different from low born men when it comes to it."

"Mama! You're frightening her."

I laughed. "Not at all. Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Mason, but I am in no danger from Mr. Glass." It was time to change the subject. Being lectured wasn't something I was used to, or liked. Father had never been one to do so after my mother died. "Mr. Glass had other errands to run today, but we hope to resume our search for Mirth and the watchmaker tomorrow and discover if they are one and the same."

"On a Sunday?" Mrs. Mason said. "The shops will be closed, and I don't recommend you visit anyone at home."

"Why not?" Most watchmakers lived above their shops or nearby. I knew where to find many of their homes.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Mr. Glass leaves on Tuesday, so we need to use all the time left to us."

"Tuesday? Good."

"Why?" both Catherine and I asked.

Mrs. Mason shrugged and glanced at the door. She looked like she wanted to escape but didn't want to leave either. Perhaps she didn't want to leave me alone with Catherine. She was afraid of me too.