Her smile was gentle and kind. Aiden imagined she might have looked at him that way when he was a lad and got into a scrape—had he been allowed to remain in her life. “Weary. But I have my sons to look after me. We shall persevere in the face of this tragedy.”

Two things struck Aiden. That she didn’t view this turn of events as a tragedy at all. And that she was referencing him as her son.

Graves must have concluded to whom she was referring or perhaps she’d confessed to him while he was tending her, but in either case he shifted his gaze between Wyeth and Aiden before rising to his feet. “Then I leave you in their care. Send for me if you have a need.”

She rose gracefully to her feet. “Thank you, Doctor. Johnny, will you be good enough to see him out?”

“I can see myself out. Thank you, my lady.” He gave a brisk nod. “Gentlemen.”

Then he strode from the room. No one moved until the front door made a hushed thunk as it was closed, no doubt as a result of the physician’s effort not to disturb them further.

Without a word, Lord Wyeth went to the decanters and poured his mother a sherry. Then he offered Aiden and Finn each a glass of scotch. “Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen.”

They seated themselves while Wyeth took a glass of scotch for himself before dropping down into a chair with a gust of a sigh. “Well, that’s that, then.”

“You’ll need to take over all your father’s duties,” the countess said.

Wyeth lifted a slender shoulder. “That won’t be much of a bother. I’ve been taking on more responsibilities of late anyway.” He studied Aiden. “Are you the bastard who was paying my father a princely sum each month?”

Most people spat the term bastard as though it left a foul taste in their mouths, but Wyeth wove a semblance of respect around it as though it reflected a badge of honor.

“Until Finn here visited him a few months back and put an end to it.”

He nodded with what appeared to be admiration at Finn. “Are you, then, the bastard who broke his arm?”

“I am.”

“Did he cry out?”

“Screamed like a baby.”

The viscount grinned. “I imagine he did.” He brought his attention back to Aiden. “How did he manage to extort you?”

“Finn was arrested for stealing a horse he didn’t steal. They were going to transport him to Australia. I knew the earl had influence. So I asked for his help, wrongly believing he would care that his blood was being sent halfway around the world. He’d only do it if I paid him a portion of the earnings from my gambling establishment.”

“So Finn went free for a fee.”