Chapter 9Having held back from taking action until he received Edward’s reply, once it came, Ben went straight to Percy’s lodgings on Mount Street. Expecting chaos, Ben encountered an unexpectedly charming domestic scene. Percy was in his usual place on the sofa but somewhat encumbered by a small girl almost sitting in his lap. He was engaged in supervising her progress as he guided her small hand with the scissors over what must be a book of fashion plates. The child’s tongue poked out between her teeth in dogged concentration.
To one side of the sofa, Jo was sprawled on the floor with a younger, if stockier infant. Both of them were appraising a wooden puzzle, caught in the act of attempting to force a piece into a space it did not quite fit.
The serene tableau froze as William announc
