Augustus looked to the blue, cloudless sky. “I think not. Though I suppose it is always a possibility—a very unlikely possibility.”
I drew near and placed my hand in the crook of his elbow. “Then let us not delay.” Augustus glanced back to the house, and my gaze followed his. “Do you fear someone at Fairhaven will witness our scandalous meeting and force us into matrimony?” I offered a small laugh to cover my nerves.
His eyes settled back on me. “No. Unfortunately not.”
“Come then, Augustus,” I said, to remind him of our agreement. “Will you not show me one of the footpaths I glimpsed at the edge of the grounds?”
He scanned my features. “If you are certain.”
I stepped off the pebbled walkway, causing him to follow. “I am absolutely certain.”
We did not speak as we sauntered down a narrow footpath, and more than once I thought to release Augustus’s escort so we would not have to walk so close together, but I did not.
“It’s not much further,” Augustus said, pausing to assist me over a lifted root.
I glanced at his profile. “What is not much further?”
“Since the opportunity has arisen, there is something I’ve been wanting to show you.”
As we rounded the next bend, our path met with another, wider one.
He guided us onto it. “This way.”
“I know that look. What are you up to?”
“You will see in just a moment.”
As we continued on, the earth on both sides of the lane rose upward until we were walking entirely below the surface level. An occasional root was visible above, protruding from the wall of dirt and ferns. I paused and released his arm to take in the enchanting scene. When I turned toward him, he was watching me. “This is a holloway, is it not?”
Augustus nodded, a pleased expression on his face.
“You used to speak of them. How they were formed by people travelling the same paths for so long the ground sank under the weight of it.” I glanced around again, riveted by the delightful scene before me. The trees high above covered the path in a protective canopy, allowing only slivers of sunlight to reach us so far below. “It is magnificent.”
“I thought you’d appreciate the experience after having endured my inadequate explanations for so long.”
I smiled up at him. “Very much. Thank you.”
He released a slow exhale. “Are you going to ask me your question now?”
Unprepared for his directness, I dipped my head to conceal my coloring cheeks beneath my bonnet. “How do you know I have something to ask you?”
“Though the old Bella wouldn’t have hesitated at the opportunity to traipse about the woods with me unaccompanied, I’m nearly certain the new one would find such a thing entirely inconsistent with her training—only neglecting such propriety for a greater purpose.”
I opened my mouth, but having no defense to offer, I closed it again.
Augustus took a step nearer, causing my breath to catch. “Come now. Friends must trust one another.”
“Very well.” I drew in a fortifying breath. “Who was it that prevented you from contacting me?”
He gave a slow nod, as though he had expected the question. “I will tell you, as I believe you deserve to know, but you must be aware that I was not only forbidden to speak of it years ago, but I was reminded of my agreement just before your visit. Breaking my word is not a choice I make lightly, especially considering your parents’ willingness to allow you for a visit.”
My chest tightened, and I could not be certain whether it was due to his revelation or the reminder that he knew nothing of Mother’s ignorance regarding my stay at Fairhaven. “So, it was my parents who prevented you?”
“It was your mother who laid out the demand, though your father was present also.”
With his confirmation, my mind filled with a slew of questions, and I wasn’t certain which to ask first. “What threat could my mother possibly have imparted that would keep you from me?”
I was not prepared to encounter the sorrow that overcame Augustus’s features. “I did it for Ruth.”
“For Ruth?”
Augustus ran a hand through his hair. “Your mother threatened to ruin her reputation if I would not comply with her demands.”
His accusation hit me with such force I took a step back to compensate for it. “Surely you misunderstood. Papa adored Ruth. He would never have stood idly by and allowed her to come to harm. And Mother … she is harsh, but even she has limits.” Didn’t she?
His gaze bore into me. “Do you believe I would have given you up for any less of a consequence?”
My heart nearly burst at his declaration, and I moved my hand to cover the ache of it. “But why would they do such a thing?”
Augustus took a cautious step toward me, lifting a beckoning hand. “Bella, you are pale. Let us begin our walk back.”
I gave a slow shake of my head. “I need to know.”
“I would do anything to make amends for the hurt I have caused you. But I fear I cannot offer you more. I only have conjectures myself.”
I swallowed. “They never gave you a reason?”
Augustus shook his head. “Your mother only said that if either Ruth or I were to attempt to contact you, she would make certain we would be made to regret it.”
A rogue tear escaped down my cheek, but I didn’t wipe it away. “Was Ruth there to hear such a thing?”
“No.” He cautiously lifted his hand and wiped my tear with his thumb. His fingers lingered on my cheek. “Your father thankfully spared her that.”
“But surely she knows of it now?”
Augustus shook his head. “I fear I could not bring myself to tell her the truth. Not then … and not now.”
“But what of my letters? Did she not wonder—”
He glanced away, silencing my inquiry.
“You never gave them to her?” My voice sounded quiet and distant in my own ears.
“It was for the best. Ruth was too young to fully understand the consequence. She would have risked anything for your friendship.”
I gave an empty nod. With so many emotions circulating within me, I was uncertain which to give priority. I was livid that Augustus had allowed Ruth to believe she was forgotten, as I felt I had been. Yet I was relieved that Augustus had a reason for staying away, a reason I could not blame him for. Then there was the shame I felt at my parents’ actions, and the betrayal for the years they had spent convincing me that Ruth and Augustus had moved on with their lives without me.
“Come, Bella.” Augustus took hold of my arm, and this time I allowed him to lead me forward.
As we walked back in the direction we had come, my thoughts continued to whirl through my head. What would ever have caused Mother to be so severe, especially to someone as dear as Ruth? And how would she go about marring Ruth’s reputation anyway? Even if Mother had not liked her parents, as Papa had mentioned, it was not reason enough to see her ruined. “What are your conjectures?” I whispered, uncertain I wished to know.
Augustus’s gaze flitted to me. “Precisely that—conjectures.”
“Please, Augustus.”
He rubbed at his jawline with his free hand before looking down at me. “Are you aware of your father’s connection to my aunt?”
I clasped the pearl necklace at my throat. “Only that they were neighbors all their lives.”
“Perhaps I should not be the one to relay such—”
“If you refuse me, I shall likely never know.” Any other time I would have been mortified to hear the desperation in my voice, but in this moment I hardly cared.
After a moment, Augustus gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, apparently seeing the reality of my statement. “They were once set to be married.”
My eyes widened. “Mrs. Seton and my father were engaged?”
“Not engaged. Sort of intended for one another from a young age. Though I am not aware of all the particulars, I understand
that it was your grandfather who sought to end the arrangement. Your mother’s fortune, when presented as an option, was hard to refuse in the financial straits he’d managed to get himself into. Your father merely obeyed and married her instead.”
I glanced up at him. “How do you know all of this?”
“My parents informed me of the complicated history when Ruth came to live with us.”
The more he revealed, the more questions arose. “But what does that have to do with my mother threatening to ruin Ruth?”
Augustus hesitated. “It seems that your father did not lose his fondness for my aunt after he married, nor did my aunt lose her fondness for him. They were always dear friends. Your mother, I believe, grew to despise both my aunt, and eventually Ruth, because of the attachment.”
My gaze shot to Augustus, but I could not bring myself to inquire as to his meaning.
There was discernment in his eyes. “I don’t know what their relationship was, but I like to think that they were both people of strong morals and maintained nothing more than a friendship.”
It felt a strange thing to consider, Papa and Mrs. Seton as dearest friends, but the moment I allowed for it, a faded memory surfaced—Ruth and I playing as children, while Mrs. Seton and Papa laughed together at our make-believe game. The sound echoed in my heart, bringing a smile to my lips. “Papa and I used to meet Ruth and her mother at the stream between our properties. On occasion, we would picnic there.” I furrowed my brow, attempting to recall when it had all ended. “But all the recent memories I have of Mrs. Seton were of a different person entirely. She grew reclusive and quiet.”
Augustus’s arm tensed beneath my hand, and his hand clenched into a fist. “Yes.”
I did not speak, allowing him to fill the silence when he was ready.
“My uncle was much esteemed, but it turned out his kindness and generosity were nothing but a facade.” Augustus shook his head. “And I was as foolish as anyone in thinking him honorable, of overlooking his concealed cruelty that slowly suffocated the life from my aunt.” He paused. “I should have recognized his malice; then I might have prevented her death.”
“But you were so young.” I tightened my grip on Augustus’s arm. “And surely you did not know they were to be murdered.”
His eyes locked with mine, and he came to a stop, forcing me to do likewise. “My aunt’s death was ruled a murder by the coroner’s court, but my uncle’s …” He paused, indecision evident in his features. “Bella, my uncle’s death was ruled felo de se … self-murder. It appears he took his own life after taking my aunt’s.”
My throat constricted as I tried to form words. “I was told that they were poisoned. That the perpetrator had not been apprehended.”
“I’m not certain we will ever know precisely what occurred. And though the evidence the coroner’s court presented was condemning for my uncle, it also cannot go unnoticed that the Crown benefits from such rulings.”
My legs swayed beneath me, and I blinked, attempting not to let the darkness at the edges of my vision engulf me. “I think I must sit.”
Augustus’s hand came to my waist in support, and I managed a few disoriented steps.
“Here,” he said, aiding me onto the stump of a tree.
I closed my eyes and took several long, slow breaths, before opening them to find Augustus kneeling at my side. “How could Ruth bear it? To lose her mother at the hand of her own father, then to have him … do such a thing. It must have destroyed her.” I covered my face, the tears I had been withholding for far too long flowing onto my cheeks. “And I was not even there to give her comfort.”
“That was not your fault.”
The warmth of Augustus’s hand moving across my back could not prevent the anger from boiling within me, and I shot to my feet. “No, it was not. My parents are to blame for that.” Surrendering to the anger pulsing through my veins, I lifted my skirts and made for the path toward Fairhaven.
It only took a moment for Augustus to draw up alongside me. “Bella, what is it you intend to do?”
I wasn’t certain of anything, except the need to confront my parents for the wrongs they had caused. “I will write to my parents and demand they tell me all.”
Augustus grabbed my arm, spinning me toward him. “Bella, you must not.” He held me tight and close.
“They lied to me, Augustus. They forced you both from my life, and I shall never forgive them. I had no one when you were gone.” The words caught in my throat. “No one.”
His expression softened, taking in every inch of my face. “But think of Ruth. If your parents were to discover what I have shared, it will be Ruth who pays the price.” He paused, and his head tilted to the side. “They would remove you from Fairhaven.”
A quivering breath fell from my lips, and I dropped my head in defeat. He was right. Unburying the awful truth now would only serve to ruin my present happiness and—if I handled it thoughtlessly—Ruth’s future prospects as well.
I could sense Augustus watching me, and he stepped closer. “Do not allow their deceit to ruin this chance you’ve been offered. You deserve it and so does Ruth.”
Though my body trembled, I lifted my gaze to his. “As do you.”
He reached for my hand and lifted it to his lips. His kiss upon my palm penetrated my glove and warmed my entire body. “As do I.”
How strange it was, that only moments before, my entire world seemed to have shattered beneath me, yet as Augustus took my hand and placed it on his arm, I somehow felt restored. If only for a brief moment.
Chapter Eleven
Augustus and I sauntered up the pathway from the rose garden in thoughtful silence.
As we approached the house, a part of our previous conversation lodged itself in my mind, unwilling to be overlooked. I glanced at Augustus. “What incentive would the Crown have to have a case ruled as a self-murder?”
“They receive everything, Bella.”
I pulled on his arm, delaying us just before we reached the back door. “Everything?”
“The law states that if someone takes their own life, then all their property and holdings are forfeited to the Crown.”
“But what if they were mistaken?”
“The few suspects in the case all had alibis, and once my uncle’s true nature was brought to light—as well as his poor treatment of my aunt—it seemed the most reasonable cause.”
“So, because of her father’s actions, Ruth is left with nothing?”
“The Court of Chancery must still review the decision. My father put in an appeal directly after my aunt’s and uncle’s deaths. His hope was to attain my aunt’s dowry for Ruth, as that was not my uncle’s property.”
“But it has been eight years. They have not made a ruling yet?”
“It seems the Court has years’ worth of backlogged cases they are just now ruling on. But in one way we are grateful for the delay—Owen, now being a barrister, is able to argue the case before the Chancery. He will attempt to recover the dowry, but he also hopes to make a case for lunacy or melancholy which would overturn the felo de se judgment and allow Ruth to regain her entire inheritance. It isn’t likely they will rule in our favor, but he insists it won’t do any harm to try.”
“So that is why Owen is in London?”
Augustus nodded. “And helping to ready the case was my purpose for visiting.” He paused.
That is why he didn’t speak of his brother, nor his business in London. “And is Owen having any luck gathering evidence for such a thing?”
“Not enough. It seems my uncle’s behavior was not much altered in the days leading up to his death.”
“I’m certain he shall find something. For even a sane man who is intent on such a horrific crime would have altered his behavior.”
Augustus’s gaze grew distant. “Even a sane man,” he repeated, though I could not be certain why.
“Is Ruth aware of it all?”
His focus returned to me. “She knows the case
will soon come to trial, but that is all. I know I should not attempt to conceal everything from her, but she has already endured so much. I can’t bear to make her relive even a moment if it is not necessary.”
It was I who stepped closer this time, and I looked up at him. “Despite your dubious beginning, Augustus Brundage, I am quite impressed with the man you have become.”
The smile he returned ignited the internal battle within me with such intensity, I yearned to surrender. Desiring another moment before acknowledging how unsuitable our current proximity was, I reached up and removed my bonnet.
The door swung open, and I stepped away from Augustus.
“There you two are.” Ruth looked between us, and an odd desire to embrace my dear friend consumed me. Yet I had no intention of cueing her to what Augustus had entrusted me with, so I offered a smile in its place. “I saw you walking up the path from the drawing room window and came to retrieve you. Where have the two of you been?”
Augustus and I shared an uncertain glance.
“This is one of your assessments, isn’t it? The two of you walking alone together?” I nodded slowly, and Ruth’s face lit up. “I knew it. I told Sarah that had likely been your intention, considering no one was told where you had gone, but she thought the two of you simply desired to be alone.” She paused and her smile grew. “Or is she correct?”
Augustus laughed, and I shot him a corrective glance. “Not in the least.”
Ruth stepped back to allow us inside. “Well, we shall have to remember to inform Sarah I was correct after our guests leave, for it does not happen often and I should like to bask in it.”
“Did you say there are guests?” I asked, following her inside.
Ruth nodded, taking hold of my arm and leading me forward. “The Whitmores have returned to Safford Park just this morning and have called on us to pay a visit. They have already waited nearly a half hour for the two of you to return from … wherever you were.”
A Well-Trained Lady (Seasons of Change Book 4) Page 11