Page 14 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
“I do not know about him. I told him I wouldn’t need his services anymore for now,” he answered.
“Why did you do that? I thought you would have him close so that a proper investigation could be more easily done,” Helena said.
The Baron nodded.
“Yes, I did think about that. I decided to stem the possible source of the tide first before investigating. I don’t want anything to go missing anymore. The barony cannot afford it,” the Baron said.
Helena laughed gently as he said that. She looked at her mother.
“You do not speak, Mother,” Helena said.
“I don’t have anything different to say,” her mother replied.
Helena didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to say. Words could not form and become money so why waste them? She walked to her father’s table and picked up a book. She suddenly felt an urge to read, maybe to take her mind away from the disturbing news.
There was a drawing of a European king on it. Helena just didn’t know which one. She put the book under her arm.
“I am going to the garden with this book. Maybe it can clear my head a bit,” Helena said.
Her parents nodded at the same time as she left their room. She first went down to her bathroom, had a bath, and cleaned up. She didn’t need Miss Justina to bring warm water. After the bath, she went down into the garden and sat in her favourite spot under the fir tree that always provided adequate shade. She was there for hours, consuming the pages about the Kings in Europe and other ranking officials. She was just in the middle of the book when a shadow climbed over the page she was at and obscured the writing.
“Good day, Miss Helena,”
Helena looked up at Miss Justina.
“Ma, Miss Lavinia is around. She asks that you see her,” Miss Justina said.
Helena had being expecting her friend to arrive anytime anyway.
“Tell her to come here. I don’t want to leave this area,” Helena replied.
Miss Justina said nothing and turned back. After a few moments, another shadow appeared. She was as loquacious as always and was already talking to Helena before she got to her.
“Book-head,” Lady Lavinia teased.
“Good morning, Lavinia. I take it your cousins are yet to arrive because you should be at home entertaining them,” Helena said, gently closing the book in her palms.
“They are at home, including the handsome young man who’s a friend to the family. He is an enchanting character, that one. I went to see their mother off, so I decided to take a detour here instead of going straight home. I won’t spend too long here,” Lady Lavinia said.
Helena wasn’t perturbed that her friend wasn’t spending long. She wanted some time alone to herself today. She didn’t have the thick skin for verbal jibes since she heard the news from her father. Lady Lavinia sat beside her friend and was quiet for a while.
“My cousins, Alistair and Abigail, are really pining to see you,” Lady Lavinia said.
Helena smiled.
Surely Lavinia had been speaking non-stop about her, which was why they wanted to know the famous Helena.
“I want to see them too but not today. We really need to decide when we are going shopping, the Somerset ball shouldn’t catch us by surprise,” Helena said.
Lady Lavinia nodded her head.
“Drew, the Irish prince, is another matter,” Lady Lavinia said.
Helena raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, is he?” asked Helena.
This is going to be interesting.
