It was telling that the two people he claimed to like best, myself and Marianne, were the two people who did not stand in awe of his power. Both of us, coming from very different walks of life, had seen too much and experienced too much to fear Grenville's scorn. He found us baffling, and therefore, fascinating.

But that assessment was unjust. Grenville did have a generous heart and truly wished to help, although he could be heavy-handed about it. He did not know how not to be.

"You need to tell him," I said gently. "Give him a chance."

"I came to ask you to tell him, while I am away in Berkshire. And then send me word whether to bother to come home or not."

"It is no business of mine," I said quickly. Ever since Grenville had taken Marianne to live with him, I had strived to stay out of their lives, but in vain. Both of them liked to confide their frustrations about the other to me-at length.

"I have considered this well, you know," Marianne said. "If I tell him before I go, he will try to prevent me. If I am in Berkshire when he finds out, and he reacts as I predict, I can simply stay there with David. I do not want his disapprobation to keep me from my son. I have saved enough of the money he's given me, plus the bits of jewelry he's given me, to live on for a good while. Unless he sets the magistrates on me… Although I do not think he would. Too embarrassing for him."

While I agreed with her assessment of Grenville's character, I could not let her simply run off and try to live on Grenville's gifts. "Tell him, for God's sake. I can be present when you do, and do my best to stop him disrupting David's life."