Chapter Three #2
“Oh, well, I feel the same way,” Cora started. “Mama never mentioned any family, except for an uncle who passed away some years ago. It was our brother, Jeremy Atherton, who found out about her family in Scotland.” Cora’s brow creased. “I am curious how he managed to do so though.”
“I might be able to answer that,” Arabella started. “You see, I received a letter from Lord Atherton about two months ago, stating that he was aware that your mother had spent a considerable amount of time in Scotland before she married the former Lord Atherton.”
Jane noticed Arabella’s ears were turning pink as she spoke. What an odd thing to notice, she thought.
“I wonder how he knew,” Cora said, more to herself than to the others. “I doubt Mama confided in him. You see, Jeremy and Mama weren’t the closest of confidants. In fact, they did their utmost to avoid one another.”
“Oh,” Arabella said with a nod. “Well, surely his loss is our gain.”
Jane stared at the two women seated across from her. Their hair was the same warm blonde color, their noses small and sloped. They almost looked like they could be sisters…
Jane nearly smiled. What an impossibly silly notion. To think that Cora and Arabella could be anything more than distant relatives. But the high arch of their eyebrows were nearly identical. In truth, Arabella looked more like their mother than either Cora or Jane did.
She blinked. Then glanced back and forth between her sister and their young hostess.
It really was uncanny how similar they appeared.
Not to mention they were all roughly the same age, give or take a year.
If Jane didn’t know any better, she might have guessed that her mother had a twin sister or something, because really, how else could they be so similar?
It’s not like her mother had been married before meeting Jane’s father.
Right?
Jane felt her pulse quicken at the asinine idea.
No. She was being ridiculous. Of course, her mother hadn’t been married before.
She certainly would have mentioned it. And there would have certainly been some sort of conversation if she had been with child before.
Because if she had been with child before her marriage to Lord Atherton, that would mean…
Oh.
Dear.
God.
A faint buzzing noise sounded in Jane’s ears the instant she realized it. This was not some cousin’s house, this was… This woman sat next to her sister was a closer relation than Jane had originally suspected.
Jane stood up immediately.
“Miss Harris—”
“Arabella, I insist.”
“Very well. Arabella, while my sister and I appreciate your eagerness to, well, meet us, I’m afraid we cannot stay here in good conscience.”
“Jane? What’s wrong?” Cora asked.
“Whyever not?” Arabella interjected.
But Jane glanced at Faith, who was watching her intently.
“I’m afraid the initial letter my brother sent may have left certain details out.”
“Such as?” Faith asked.
“Well, for one thing, he doesn’t expect us to return.”
“He’s removed you permanently?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so.”
“But I knew that,” Arabella said. “He said as much in his letter.”
“He did?”
“He did. And while I will admit, it was naughty of me not to inform the rest of the household,” she said, giving Faith a pained smile, “I had hoped that once you arrived, it would be easier, you see, to tell the rest of them.”
Oh goodness. This couldn’t possibly get any worse. Not only were Arabella’s words curious, but now Jane and Cora were charity cases. Jane shook her head.
“I understand your intentions, Arabella, and while that is very goodhearted of you, we couldn’t possibly stay after finding out…”
“Finding out what?” Cora asked.
“Arabella,” Faith said then, her tone curious. “May I see the letter from Lord Atherton?”
“Er, I don’t believe I still have it, unfortunately.”
With a knowing gaze from Faith, it was obvious that she didn’t believe her sister-in-law.
“Fine. If that’s how you’d like to handle this,” she muttered under her breath as she turned to face Jane. “Miss Atherton, who was your mother?”
“Helen Atherton. Or rather, Helen Harris-Bromley, before she was wed to our father,” she replied. The painful expression on Faith’s face was enough to send Jane’s heart beating erratically. “Who was she to the Harrises?”
But Faith ignored her and spun around to face Arabella.
“What did that letter say, Arabella?”
“Oh, please don’t be upset with me, Faith. I was going to tell you. And Logan and Papa.”
“And when exactly were you planning on doing that?”
She gulped.
“Right… Now?”
Faith began to pace.
“For heaven’s sake, Arabella, of all the wild things to do. Logan’s going to strangle you, I hope you know, and I shouldn’t think about stopping him. Oh dear, he’s going to be furious. And what about your poor father? Hmm? He’ll be gutted.”
“I’m sorry,” Jane said, standing as she began to understand the grievous mistake of coming here. “Perhaps we should leave?”
“No, no, please. Papa will weather it, I’m sure. And Logan might be a touch, well, annoyed,” Arabella continued, ignoring Faith’s eyeroll. “But I’m sure he’ll see how important this all is.”
“Annoyed?” Faith repeated incredulously. “He’s going to be absolutely furious—”
“Who am I going to be so furious with?” A deep male voice echoed around the room, causing all the ladies present to whip around.
Standing beneath the white arches was a tall, classically handsome gentleman dressed in a tweed suit. On his left stood an elderly highlander, dressed in a kilt and a tam-o-shanter hat, and to his right was a large, long-haired black dog. Both men were red-faced and carrying a slew of fishing gear.
“Logan,” Faith said, though she didn’t move as her husband entered the room.
“Hello,” he said politely with a nod at Jane and Cora, who both curtsied. “Friends of Arabella?”
“Well, not quite,” Jane said, as she looked at the fair-haired man. “I’m sorry, sir, but there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding.”
“Oh? About what?”
“Well—”
“Gads,” the old man said as he headed toward the fire. “Arabella, you and this young woman could be sisters.” He nodded at Cora and then froze as his eyes lit up with recognition. “My, you look familiar.”
“Well, Papa, it’s curious you should say that…”
Then, one by one, like candles being lit in the windows during Christmastime, Arabella’s words settled around them. Faith and Arabella seemed to hold their breath as it dawned on Logan what was being said. He glanced back and forth between all of them.
“What in the world are you suggesting?” he whispered, as Jane’s legs gave way and she dropped to the settee beneath her. “Oh, no.”
“It’s really rather remarkable, if you think about it,” Arabella tried, as she swallowed. “Isn’t that right, Faith?”
But the lady of the house didn’t answer. Instead, she was watching her husband with an intense stare. Jane looked at him as all the color drained from his face.
“Arabella,” Logan said slowly. “What have you done?”
“Nothing that ought not to be done.”
Jane stood up again.
“I think perhaps we should go. I’m so, so sorry for having come here.”
“No, no,” Faith said. “No one is leaving.” Logan turned on his wife, face full of unchecked fury, but she wouldn’t be bullied. She lowered her voice. “It is nighttime, Logan, and they have traveled all the way from London. We will not turn them out.”
But the man was obviously furious. With reddened cheeks and a glowering countenance, he lifted his hand and pointed directly at Jane, though he kept his eyes on his wife.
“Do you know who they are? Who they’re claiming to be and what this means if they are, in fact, that woman’s daughters?” he asked, emphasizing his disgust at the mention of “that woman.”
Faith took a deep breath before answering.
“Yes, Logan, I do.”
“Then you can understand why I want them to leave.”
“I do, really, I do, but it is an impossibility.” She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. “They are staying. At least for the night.”
He took a step toward her, as if to crowd her. Then, he practically growled.
“Faith… Do not test me on this.”
But to Jane’s astonishment, the fearless woman would not budge. Instead, she only stared at him and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Logan. But they’re staying.”
Husband and wife stared at one another for what felt like an entire minute. Then, with one last look about the room, he turned on his heel and left. No one spoke until the sound of his footsteps disappeared in the distance.
“Damn,” Faith said under her breath, before facing Jane once more. “Please excuse my husband. He’s, well, it’s a sore subject for him.”
“I can’t…” Jane shook her head, horrified. “I cannot even begin to imagine what our presence must be doing to him.”
“Arabella,” her father said, himself now as white as a sheet. “Come here.”
Instantly, Arabella was at her father’s side. He reached for her hand as he gazed back and forth between Jane and Cora.
“Tell me, ladies. Who is your mother?”
For some stupid reason, Jane’s eyes began to fill with tears. She tried to blink them away before answering.
“Helen Harris-Bromley,” she said quietly, swallowing her sorrow. “That is to say, she was our mother.”
“Was?” he repeated. “Jay-sus, Mary, and Joseph. She called herself Harris-Bromley, did she?”
“Yes.”
The man appeared stunned. “She switched her maiden name around with her married one.”
Just then, the butler returned to the room with a tray full of food. But no one appeared to have an appetite.
“Evans,” Faith began once he placed the tray on the table. “I believe Mr. Harris might wish to retire for the evening. Please, help him to his room.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
“And see that a tray is brought to both his bedchamber and Sir Logan’s room. The men will not be joining us for dinner tonight.”
That earned a fleeting glimpse from the butler, but he didn’t hesitate to follow the elder Mr. Harris as he walked silently from the room.