Page 66 of A Sense of Turmoil
Flora smiled at him. ‘I am glad you are in less pain. Shall you stay to dine? We keep country hours so it will be ready soon. Besides, Beatrice will probably relish the opportunity to demonstrate her skills to a man of your stature.’
‘I should be delighted,’ Archie replied, smiling that intimate smile of his that invariably caused her thoughts to take a sensual detour.
Flora rang the bell and asked Polly to tell Beatrice there would be two for dinner.
*
Luke saw the wisdom in Paul’s recommendation for caution, and once he had recovered from the initial shock dealt to him by the contents of Sam’s cable he decided against visiting Fleming and demanding an explanation. He needed time to reflect upon the ramifications of his discovery, but remained distracted and short-tempered with everyone while he did so.
Three days after the arrival of the telegram that could potentially change the course of his life, Luke visited Denby Lodge in a dour yet much calmer frame of mind. Ottilie received him with unbridled joy, clearly supposing that he had called with the express intention of seeing her. He spent ten minutes in her company, answering her questions regarding the health of his family. He even managed to speak of Flora’s permanent departure from Beranger Court without showing any outward sign of emotion. Ottilie, on the other hand, looked disproportionately pleased to hear it, hard as she tried to pretend otherwise. Since they were engaged to be married and Ottilie was unaware that that situation could change over the next half-hour, Luke wondered at her insecurity.
‘Luke, I just heard you were here.’ George bounded into the sitting room—the only sitting room in this small house—hand outstretched, a disarming smile gracing his features. ‘Ottilie and I were just wondering this morning when we could hope to see you again. I realise how difficult it must be for you to have lost the old lady but still, life must go on, especially for a man with your responsibilities.’
‘If by the old lady,’ Luke replied stiffly, ‘you are referring to my beloved grandmother, then I very much doubt if you have any idea how I feel.’
‘My apologies.’ George held out both hands, palms forward. ‘I meant no offence.’ He fell into a chair beside the fire. ‘Have you ordered tea, Ott?’
‘Luke doesn’t want refreshments.’ She frowned. ‘He is here to talk to you.’
‘Me?’ Luke noticed a look pass between them. ‘What about?’
Luke glanced significantly at Ottilie but she showed no inclination to leave the room. A moment’s reflection convinced him that it might be better if she stayed. If there were discrepancies in the Bostonian accounts, and Luke was convinced that there must be—Sam would not have sent that cable unless he was sure—then it remained to be established whether Ottilie was aware of the embezzlement. If she was, then any further connection between them would be impossible and Luke would have a justifiable reason to break off the engagement.
‘I heard from Sam a few days ago,’ Luke said, and this time there was no mistaking the fear in George’s expression as he glanced at his sister. ‘And I found what he had to tell me most disturbing.’
‘Nothing too taxing for him, I hope.’ George sounded overly-cheerful. ‘I dare say one or two outlets are attempting to gull him, given that he’s new to the trade.’
‘I refer, as I think you are aware, to the discrepancies in the accounts going back to the time your father took over.’
‘I say, careful with the unfounded accusations,’ George said, giving a less than convincing display of outrage. ‘You examined the books yourself and found nothing to alarm you.’
‘I clearly didn’t delve deeply enough.’ Luke fixed George with an implacable look. ‘I trust Sam’s findings and came to give you an opportunity to explain yourself.’
A tense silence followed, which Luke didn’t have the slightest intention of breaking. He thought it telling but not surprising when Ottilie didn’t express a word—no shock, surprise or denial. She simply remained frozen in her chair, looking deathly pale.
‘Ah well, I suppose the game’s up.’ George threw up his hands and, to Luke’s utter astonishment, tossed back his head and roared with laughter. ‘I should have listened to your advice, Ott, and given up the business a while back. You kept warning me that it would end in tears, but it was so damned lucrative, and so intensively satisfying to get revenge in such a fashion.’
‘You knew about this?’ Luke turned to look at Ottilie and shook his head, deeply disappointed. And yes, relieved too.
‘I was not…I—’ She couldn’t find the words to excuse her complicity and glanced down at her hands.
‘Ott isn’t to blame. She knew nothing of the affair until very recently. If you had not come to Boston yourself, Luke. If she hadn’t seen you and fallen in love. If your grandmother hadn’t died when she did, you two would be married by now and…well, we would have got away with it. I would have told you, of course, since I knew it would come to light as soon as you told me that Sam was a mathematical genius. I would have enjoyed your knowing but being tied by marriage to my family. You would be too honourable to do anything about it, and my revenge would have been complete indeed.’
‘Got away with what? I know how much has been embezzled over the years, but you don’t seem to have much left to show for it.’ Luke gave the shabby room a scathing glance. ‘No wonder you were so keen to accept my invitation to stay at Beranger Court.’
‘Ah well, I have expensive tastes. So did my father before me. And I had no idea how expensive it would be to kit Ottilie out in English style so that she could impress you.’
‘Have the goodness to explain to me why you felt the need to revenge yourself upon a family that’s been so good to you.’
‘Good?’ George blew air through his teeth and stood, his amiable expression giving way to a deep frown. ‘My father’s heart was broken when my mother died in childbirth.’
Luke frowned also, wondering what that had to do with anything. ‘Childbirth is fraught with danger,’ he said, a percipient feeling stalking his thoughts.
‘The pater knew that, and worried when Mama conceived so many years after Ottilie’s birth. He thought that her child-bearing days were beyond her and was glad of it. His family was complete.’ George, Luke could see, was struggling to hold on to his temper. ‘What he didn’t know was that the woman he adored more than life itself was not giving birth to his child.’ A cold feeling ripped through Luke as he absorbed the fury behind George’s glower. ‘It was your saintly father who had impregnated her.’
Chapter Nineteen
‘Excuse me while I go and change.’ Flora glanced down at the old gown she had been wearing to deal with the herb garden and thought it very charitable of Archie not to point out what a sight she must look. ‘I shall not be long, but dare say you would appreciate something stronger than tea whilst you wait. I think we have whisky, but I cannot guarantee its quality.’
