“My God, you look just like her, your sister. We’ve all been so excited to meet with you — your siblings have barely slept a wink in anticipation.” He said, his gaze flitting all over her face.
It was a strange idea, thinking of people she had never met before as her siblings, even more so that they would be so eager to meet her.
“I see. I imagine they are curious, more than anything, to see the child that was discarded by the family now hale and hearty.” She nodded curtly.
“A-And your journey? I imagine it was quite long and tiresome.” Gregory stated, still smiling.
“It was. But I have made the journey before with my parents and siblings, so I know what to expect.”
Gregory nodded, glancing around the room before he stated.
“That is good. I am glad to see you here, in perfect health. That is important to me, and I was worried —”
Isobel was fed up now, frustrated by this feeble attempt at small talk so late after she had only just arrived from a journey that had taken so many hours.
There was no clear regard for her, for the lengths she had gone to honor his request to come as soon as she could, no real concern over her safety, seeing as she made the trip by herself.
“You’re not even going to ask,” she sighed tiredly, quickly realizing that the man before her was nothing like she had hoped he would be. “You do not even care one bit about me — notenough to ask me how I am or how I have been, or even what my family is like. Though I am sure it must come as a bit of a surprise to you, doesn’t it? To know that after you abandoned me when I was but a baby, I was picked up by a good and loving family who gave me everything I could ever need or want. If my father, Fergus, had not found me and raised me, I probably would not have survived, but you don’t care about that. Because you never cared to reach out all those years after that.
“That is not true,” Gregory sputtered. “I did not abandon you because I desired to do so. I had no choice. Our family did not have the resources to raise two daughters at that time. I had to do what I believed was the right choice at that time. And it seems I was right! Whoever raised you seems as though he was capable of caring for ten children if he so desired.”
Anger flared up within Isobel, and no matter how she wished to restrain herself, the words came spilling out before she could stop herself.
“My father loved each and every one of his children, and he would not have traded any of us for the world, much less to ease the financial constraints upon the family. Not even when that seemed to be the only choice he had.”
Isobel had been quite young then, but she could faintly recall a time when Laird Fergus Lennox was in debt and the family was at risk of losing their home. The man he owed had requested the hand of one of Ferguson’s daughters, but he had refused to give any of them up to save the family.
Catherine had ended up offering herself to relieve the family’s burden, and the man they owed was now Isobel’s brother-in-law, who loved her sister with everything in him and adored her immensely.
It was clear that Fergus and Gregory had two different meanings for the word, family.
“Even if that had been the case, you had… my whole lifetime to find me. I hoped you would. But you did not. I thought it was because you did not know where I was, or you simply had forgotten about me. Yet all of a sudden, I received a letter that my sister is getting married, and I was prompted to join the wedding party immediately. I have done you a greater favor than you have ever considered doing for me by answering your summons, but now I believe you owe me an explanation. Why am I here?”
Gregory looked taken aback by her words, and she wondered if she had gone too far with her outburst. Her parents — the ones who raised her, Mary and Fergus Lennox — had always taught her to be as kind as possible to any and everyone she crossed paths with.
But this man… herfatherseemed unworthy of any of the good graces that had been instilled in her.
“Right,” Gregory cleared his throat. “I apologize for the short notice of things. The situation is quite dire, as I will explain to you in a moment, and we were left with no choice but to seek out your assistance.”
He was… apologizing for summoning her out of the blue, but not for leaving her when she was a baby and never looking back.
At that moment, Isobel realized that she never should have expected anything from this man, and she likely never should. All he was going to do was disappoint her.
“I see,” she nodded, tired and withdrawn, waiting to hear what was next.
Gregory’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He pursed his lips for a moment, then he exhaled.
“Your twin sister… Valerie is engaged. As I mentioned in the letter, she is to be married to the Duke of Norwich, Adrian Holbrook, and her wedding is in ten days. Currently, the estate is full of people who are here to celebrate her marriage.” He said carefully.
Her sister was truly getting married.
Isobel tried to smile at the thought, but a flash of pain pierced her heart as she wondered … why Valerie hadn’t invited her? Why did she not receive an official invitation to the festivities, but rather a hasty letter to join them as the celebrations were already underway?
Surely these were her sister’s happiest moments, and she would have loved to share them with her —
Isobel was trying to ward off the hurt she felt in her chest, but before she could get a hold of herself, Gregory continued.
“However, it seems that not all who are here have her best interest in mind, because she was poisoned earlier today.”
