Chapter 24 Prudence, Answers & （more） Questions
PRUDENCE, ANSWERS at least she was living the truth there.
She had always known exactly where she stood with Rhiannon.
With her father? Twenty-eight years and she didn’t have an idea.
Who was he? All she seemed to know about him was that he wasted his life on hate and fear and now his chickens had all come home to roost. When she didn’t respond, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers and lowered his eyes. Then he spoke.
“I am withdrawing from the mayoral race. The support group will elect someone else to stand for me, but I cannot in good conscience run again—”
“Good conscience? Do you even have one at all, not to mention good?” Deryn let her words fly and made a move to come closer to him. Seren reached and drew her back by one of the belt loops on her skinny ripped-up jeans.
He didn’t answer, just nodded and kept his gaze down.
“I am stepping aside because I would like to not bring pain and discomfort to Prudence.”
“You mean more? More pain and discomfort?”
Victoria leaned back against the cushions of the luscious couch and gave him the stinkiest of eyes.
“Yes, more.” He didn’t argue, and his tone didn’t change. He just let the slaps come and kept talking. Pru wanted to say she was impressed, but she sensed an ulterior motive.
“You see, if my marital situation is to come to light, it would embarrass and hurt to everyone involved.”
Pru rolled her eyes. Of course. Consequences. Victoria scoffed. Deryn’s face was a picture of disgust.
It was Ceridwen who broke the silence.
“You’re here to ask us to keep your dirty little secret?”
“Yes.”
Well, at least he’s honest.
“And I’m here to say thank you. To Rhiannon. For saving my daughter. I also won’t be challenging Margaux’s will.”
“Are you scared that we will report you?” Seren was the epitome of calm.
“No. You can report me, even after all is said and done, but the chances of me being prosecuted are nonexistent. My bigamy is not current. And I’m both a widower and a divorcé.
Still, I wouldn’t want to give Paloma Allende more ammunition.
She will no doubt feast on my connection to the factions wanting to swing the mayoralty and the town’s council further toward our natural roots. ”
He kept his tone neutral, but Pru wanted to gag at his implication and his confidence of impunity.
“Natural roots?” She tried to speak quietly but felt the anger and the power in her rise to the bait. If it was bait, she could no longer recognize her own father.
“I’m not here to debate God’s world order, Prudence.
The book bans will continue; all that filth will be removed from the shelves.
You can’t stop the will of the people. The council will do its job with or without me.
However, I’m here to say thank you to Rhiannon.
To apologize for everything that happened.
Look, I’m grateful to her. If she cannot find it in her to forgive me for Margaux, then so be it. ”
He turned to go, but Pru couldn’t stop herself.
“Just for Margaux? What about the dead crow? The ugly note, the bloody picture… What about the harassment she had to endure at your hands for the past two months?”
Her father’s face contorted in a grimace. His mouth went slack, and his eyebrows rose almost comically.
Ceridwen was the one who stepped forward, her voice low and dangerous.
“That’s quite an expression of shock there, Fowler.
Are you going to tell us you had nothing to do with any of that?
That you didn’t mean to drive Rhiannon out of the Atelier earlier than the terms of Margaux’s will established, thus being the next man up to inherit once you present your still valid marriage certificate? ”
He gaped like a fish pulled out of the water.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about—”
“Bullshit!” Deryn shook off her twin’s hand and nearly got in his face.
It was almost farcical, the entire scene out of some badly written novel, and yet Pru could see the truth in his wide, horrified eyes.
“I don’t think he’s lying. Why would he? He confessed to worse things. Margaux, the Atelier, the radicalization of the Council...”
The Crowharts all turned to her at the same time, and she wanted to laugh.
“Prudence?” Ceridwen sounded incredulous. “Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Her father extended his hand. “If you don’t believe me, I can prove I hadn’t done what you’re accusing me of. Give me the dates and the times. I worked almost around the clock these past months. I can prove I came nowhere near Rhiannon—”
“Or the Atelier? Did you know about the conditions of the will?”