"Lady—" Mr. Beaumont began, but his wife quickly squeezed his arm.
"Gerald, please," Mrs. Beaumont cut in smoothly, smiling apologetically at me. "You must forgive my husband. Age is catching up with him these days."
I blinked, confused by the sudden tension in the air. Mr. Beaumont's intense stare made me uncomfortable, like he was seeing a ghost instead of me.
"It's quite alright," I said cautiously. "Is everything okay?"
Mrs. Beaumont nodded too quickly. "Of course, dear. We were just surprised to see Mr. Sterling here." She turned to Arthur with practiced ease. "How is your grandmother doing?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly. I could feel his suspicion even without looking at him. "She's well, thank you. We're actually here visiting someone else."
"I see." Mrs. Beaumont tugged at her husband's arm. "Well, we shouldn't keep you."
Mr. Beaumont finally seemed to collect himself. "Yes, yes. My apologies, Mrs. Sterling. You just... reminded me of someone I once knew."
