Page 37 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
The words had just slipped out, easy as could be, and then he’d blushed like a schoolboy, trying to refocus the conversation on settling things between Seraphina and herself.
When she nervously tapped her foot on the ground, he was about to say something, but then he saw Seraphina from across the way, walking up one of the thin country roads towards them. Both he and Arabella breathed out a sigh of relief when they saw she was alone. Her dress was a bit cleaner this time, as was her apron. She carried no basket but wore a simple bonnet and a shawl around her shoulders.
“Good morning,” she said with a curtsy as she approached them.
“Good morning,” he replied, and Arabella reached out to grasp her hand.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you, Seraphina,” she said. “I was so worried you wouldn’t come. Shall we go inside?”
Seraphina had initially stiffened at Arabella’s touch, but at the eager look in her sister’s eyes and the beautiful smile on her lips, she softened just like everybody else. Edward wanted to laugh. It seemed that no one, man or woman, was immune to Arabella’s charm.
“Yes,” Seraphina replied.
Altogether, the three of them entered the church, Edward holding the door for the ladies. Once inside, they made their way to a pew far in the back. It was empty, and the vicar was nowhere to be seen. It was a simple church, but a few candles were lit in prayer, and sunbeams streamed into their lovely windows.
“We can sit here,” Anabella said, patting the pew as she sat down. Seraphina sat next to her, and Edward sat on Arabella’s other side.
This was to be her conversation, but he would be there to support her.
“All right,” Seraphina said, her hands folded in her lap, giving them both a long look. “Please tell me everything that you know. For you’re right, I’ve never felt like this was exactly my life. Not that I was ungrateful or that I felt too simple or common. Something just felt strange about Gregory, about everything. I questioned him about it last night.”
“Goodness,” Arabella said, biting her lip nervously. “What did you say? What did he say?”
“As soon as I asked him if he was my father, he was in the middle of eating, and he dropped his spoon on the table. He looked so shocked and, in fact, angry too. He didn’t say what a father would say right away, brushing aside a daughter’s suspicions and reminding her that, of course, he was her father.
I’m not certain, but there was just something on his face. It told me everything I needed to know. I did not tell him of you or your visit or anything else for that matter. I only asked him that, so I want you to tell me now the truth of everything. I need to hear it all.”
Arabella glanced back at Edward, and he nodded at her in comfort. When she turned back to Seraphina, she sighed. He knew it was difficult for her, but at last, they felt like they were getting somewhere.
“I’m so sorry that you had to see his face and know something was wrong, Seraphina. I suppose I ought to start at the beginning, but there is something I am curious about. We asked around the village for Gregorys, but no one mentioned him. We spoke to all the other Gregorys nearby, but is there a reason why he might not be included in this list?”
Seraphina gave her a knowing nod. “That is one of the things I found odd about him. He had told me his name but that I was never to use it in front of others. That made sense, however, since I would call him Father anyway. But when he introduces himself to others, he prefers to use his surname of Marsh. So, everyone calls him Marsh.”
“Ah, I see.” Arabella breathed out, and Edward could feel her relief; that mystery was solved, at least.
“Well, now let me explain all to you. Unfortunately, our father passed away a few years ago. My brother, now the current earl, is engaged to be married. However, the father of his betrothed received a letter. This letter said it was from Gregory, claiming that his daughter should not marry my brother for too much scandal was in his past.”
“Scandal?” Seraphina asked, and Edward could see that her cheeks had paled a little.
Arabella continued, “Yes, apparently, he believed that my father, the Earl of Montrose, had a dalliance with the housekeeper. The dalliance resulted in a pregnancy, and this Gregory said in his letter that my father kicked her out of the house once the pregnancy was revealed. He waited until she had the child, and then he sold the child or gave it away.”
Tears began to fill Arabella’s eyes as she thought about the rest of Gregory’s terrible letter.
“So, we’ve come on a search for this, Gregory. We knew where the letter was sent from, and we went there, but the man at the post office said that this Gregory came from Kent and was mailing from a different location to throw everyone off where his true location might be.”
Edward could tell that Arabella felt sorry for her young sister and that she had left out the part about the supposed murder. “Do you have the letter?” Seraphina asked.
“Yes, of course.”
Arabella opened her reticule and pulled out the folded letter, which had been read and reread so many times they had lost count. Arabella paused before she handed it over to her.
“But I must tell you, Seraphina, there is more I did not mention. More accusations that I cannot simply bring myself to believe. I can hardly speak them aloud. I will let you read them.”
Quickly, Seraphina opened the letter, and then she put a hand over her mouth as she read. “Yes. That is my father’s handwriting. It is unusual, I’m sure, that he lives here and he can read and write. He has taught me the same. But this is him. He is the one who wrote this letter.”
She finished it, her eyes growing wide with horror before she quickly folded it and handed it back to Arabella, and for a few moments, she pressed a finger to her temple as if she were in pain.
Arabella looked back at Edward. He tried his best to give her an encouraging look, but neither of them said anything. They knew this was a lot of news to give someone at once, and it was something Seraphina needed to deal with on her own.
