The Rebellious Rake (The Notorious Nightingales #4)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

“ Y es, and even his father could not stop the villagers from turning on him. I believe he was sent here until things settle down.”

Flora shuddered. “I hope our paths do not cross.”

“Set our cousins on him. Lockwood will never be the same again.”

“There is that, except I have yet to tell them about him.”

“Really? Why?”

Flora shrugged, unsure of her reasons. Perhaps because she hated anyone thinking her a fool, and Julian had certainly made her that.

“I was an idiot to believe he was someone I could love.”

“Yes, you were, and I did try to tell you,” Charles said with that smugness only an older brother could have.

Flora had fallen in love with Lord Lockwood soon after he’d started showing interest in her. Julian had lured her into believing that love had been returned. It had not.

“So the locals are now thinking you are well rid of him, Flora,” Charles continued. “They are, in fact, praising you for your actions. ”

“They were the ones who forced me from the village because they took his side!”

Charles snorted. “Well, that seems to have certainly changed. I heard old Mrs. Downs saying, ‘That sweet Flora Thomas had the right of it by leaving him. I always liked that girl. She has common sense.’”

“Well, that’s something, then, seeing as their sympathy was for Mother because her daughter was such an unfeeling child to walk away from a wonderful man like Julian.” She tried to keep the hurt from her voice, but it was there. She’d needed her mother to love her enough to take her side, but instead she’d told Flora she was a fool for believing any man could be faithful, and that was simply a woman’s lot in life.

“I have just delivered Mother for a long stay with her sister.”

“Really?” Flora looked at Charles, wide-eyed. “She’d vowed never to leave Willow Hill.”

“Apparently it was the lure of large, elegant rooms, servants, and plentiful food that did it. Personally, I doubt she’ll return to Willow Hill. That small place we rented for her will pale into insignificance when faced with where her sister lives.”

“I can’t say I’m unhappy about that.”

“She is well-meaning but old-fashioned, Flora. She knows no better, same as many women. It is only you who believe you are a man’s equal.”

“I know you’re trying to annoy me, but it will not work. Besides, we both know I am a great deal more intelligent than you.”

“There is that,” he mocked her.

“I’m too tired to battle wits with you because I had to walk through a stinky sewer tonight. Small and cramped, it was hideous.” She shuddered .

“And you hate small, enclosed spaces. I’m glad you are all right, little sister,” he said.

“Thank you. What other reason had you arriving?” Flora asked her brother.

“Brace yourself, Flora.” His smile fell away again. “We felt betrayed by father misinforming us about the family finances constantly, but this is a great deal worse.”

“What?” she whispered.

“There really is no easy way for me to tell you this, so I’m just going to get it out. Father was having an affair.”

“No!” She couldn’t believe that too of her father. He’d never want to hurt them that way. He’d loved Mother. Hadn’t he?

“I’m sorry, Flora,” Charles said, eyes solemn, “but we have a brother.”

“No. It can’t be true.” She closed her eyes briefly. “The money I had come to believe that perhaps he misled us through shame, but this…”

“He is ten, and he and his mother live an hour from Willow Hill. It seems Father has been supporting them. Here.” He grabbed the paper he’d put on the bedside table and held it out to her. “This explains it all and will be just as much a shock to you as it was for me and Madeline.”

Taking the paper with unsteady fingers, Flora raised it to the lamplight and began to read.

My children, it started in her father’s looping handwriting which made a sharp pain stab Flora hard in the chest. If you are reading this, I am no longer with you, but of course I will always be so. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for what it is I must tell you.

I met Jenny fifteen years ago and fell deeply in love. We fought the attraction, of course, as I was a man of God and it was a sin to covet another while wed to your mother. But with Jenny I had a love I’d never believed possible. I tried to walk away but couldn’t, and then we had Benjamin, and everything changed.

I have preached to you and others all your life to be honest and true. To never hurt another but offer love and the hand of friendship. In this I failed you all. I hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me.

It is a lot I ask of you, but as my children, whom I have loved and will always be proud of, I know you’ll do what is right. Please support Jenny and Benjamin. Help them as I have. This is my final request of you. Don’t let them suffer because the sin is mine.

Your mother has no knowledge of this, and I would ask you to keep it that way.

Know that I have always loved you.

Your father.

Flora lowered the letter to her lap and stared at Charles. “I can’t believe this.”

“That was my reaction.”

“What a horridly selfish thing to do!” The words exploded from Flora. “He said we had money, and then left us penniless, and now to find out he had an affair, and no one knew!”

“It is not easy to take, I know.” Charles looked at her grim faced.

“The jolly father who we and everyone loved was living a double life. We lived a lie, Charlie. All those trips away he said was church business weren’t real, were they? He wasn’t going to London to learn or teach; he was going to them!”

“Shh, we don’t want to wake anyone,” Charles hissed.

“And now he wants us to support her… them? The cheek of the man.”

“Calm down,” Charles said, as he had many times over the years.

“Calm down? Everything I knew, thought I believed about the man I adored was a lie!”

“I have good news too,” Charles said quickly .

“I don’t want good news. I want to drag my father from that grave?—”

“Flora.” Charles sighed. “You need to calm down. Nothing can come of you flying into a ranting rage. He is dead, we cannot change what has happened.”

“This hasn’t hurt you?”

Charles looked down at the paper she waved at him. “Deeply,” he said solemnly. “I loved Father as you did. My memories of him feel tainted now too. All the sermons and family prayers we said together hold no meaning.”

“Yes… I feel betrayed, Charlie.”

Her brother leaned in to hug her hard. “But we’ll get through it together.”

“What did Madeline say?” Flora sniffed back the tears when he released her.

“She threw that horrid, vile snot-green vase Father gave her when she got married into the fireplace. It smashed satisfyingly into small pieces.”

Flora snorted over that. “She was always the most demonstrative of us.”

“But I do have good news too.”

“I doubt anything could be good after what I’ve just learned.” Flora’s stomach ached, which had always been her body’s reaction to bad news or shock.

“I received a letter stating the investors are to meet with Mr. Huntington here in London to discuss another opportunity. There would also be a dividend paid out to us.”

“That is good news, at least,” Flora said, attempting to sound positive.

“I know you are hurting, Flora. Know that like me, you are trying to make sense of the life we’ve always lived, but this is good for us,” he said. “We need the money now more than ever, if you will not wed our cousin Herbert?—”

“Not funny, Charlie. ”

He sighed. “This business with Mr. Huntington could further our journey to live the life we want, Flora. But I’ll temper that by saying we shall know more tomorrow.”

“Are we going to honor Father’s wishes?” She raised the note clutched in her hand. His eyes held hers and this time Flora sighed. “We will, because for all he was a cheating husband and a perfidious liar about our finances, we will do this for him… or, at the very least, for the man we believed he was. The one who loved us.”

“Yes. And now I am for bed. I am pleased to see you, little sister, and so very sorry I had to give you this news.” He leaned over to hug her again. “Now sleep, and tomorrow we can talk more, and you can show me around this smelly city you love.”

“Good night, Charlie, and thank you for being my big brother. I love you,” Flora said with a sniff.

“It will be all right, Flora.”

“If you say so.”

He touched her cheek. “Sleep, and I will speak to you in the morning.”

After he’d left, she lay on her back with the covers tucked to her chin. The night was a cold one, but she was warm in her bed; however, she doubted her heart would ever thaw. Everything inside her body felt like it had been taken out, rolled in the snow, and replaced. The memories of her life with her father were now tarnished. Her entire life had been a lie.

Flora had another brother. She felt so many emotions, she couldn’t name them all. But betrayal was the strongest.

I have another brother?

The tears began to fall, and for the first time since she’d been old enough to do this small ritual each night, she didn’t send love to her father along with the rest of her family. Instead, she curled into a ball and wept .

She’d woken that morning sure in the knowledge that the day would follow the same pattern as yesterday, and then Ramsey had been kidnapped. Flora had thought that would be the worst thing to happen; it turned out she was wrong.