Page 58 of Witchbane

I hated to see them at odds, and as the person who had brought this about, I felt compelled to speak.

‘His Lordship is here not only to mend bridges between you and him,’ I said hurriedly before they could interrupt.

‘No?’ Rue asked, irritated.

I was desperate for her to listen. ‘He is here because I believe he could be the only person with the power to save you.’

The change in atmosphere was instant. The women swapped questioning glances.

‘From your father.’ Rue narrowed her eyes. ‘And from your investigation of me?’

She was angry but I didn’t miss the look of hope that flashed across her face for an instant.

Glad to have a chance to answer, I quickly responded. ‘I had presumed him to be the only person able to vouch for your mother not practising sorcery.’

Ophelia pressed her hands to her cheeks and laughed. ‘I beg your pardon? What sort of nonsense is this?’

Rue glanced at her grandmother. ‘Please, Grandmama, let him speak. I am intrigued. We have waited this long for answers and if we can also find a way to prove my innocence then I’m willing to listen.’ She caught my eye. ‘Then we can send him and Theo Le Cerf away for good.’

I looked at Rue, surprised by her blatant animosity. Then again, she had endured so much and watched her grandmother and aunt take over the running of the estate at an age when Ophelia would most likely have been expecting to slow down and take things easier. I wondered whether Ophelia might have been too busy caring for everyone around her to have time to come to terms with her own grief for her eldest daughter. Probably not.

‘Rue is right, Mother,’ Sorrel said wearily. ‘We have nothing else to do today and little left to lose, so what’s the harm in spending a few minutes hearing his excuses?’

I saw something pass between the women but could not decipher what it meant.

‘Thank you,’ Lord Thistlebury said, his voice filled with relief. ‘May I be so bold as to ask for a seat? These old legs aren’t what they were, and the ride here was longer than I’m used to.’

Rue indicated an armchair opposite the three of them, then, looking at me, said, ‘You may as well sit too.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

RUE

Ihad forgotten myself in the instant I caused Theo pain, and hoped my aunt and grandmother hadn’t noticed. If they had seen me use my powers against anyone so blatantly, let alone the Witchfinder’s assistant, they would have been furious, and rightly so. The compulsion to hurt him had overwhelmed me and I had reacted before I had time to think. Anyway, I reasoned, I was only paying him back for what he had done to me.

What was it about Theo that tormented me so much? On the one hand, I wished I could repeat the kiss between us that I constantly struggled to banish from my thoughts. On the other, I wasn’t even sure my hatred of him didn’t surpass what I felt for his father. It didn’t make sense, but it was true. Theo Le Cerf, for all his good looks and melodic voice, was the man I despised most in this world.

I glanced at my grandmother and was relieved that she was still glaring at my father so would not have noticed my lack of self-control. She hadn’t seen how I had played into Theo’s hands by causing him physical pain, giving him exactly the evidence he needed, nor could she know how delighted his father would be to have this information added to his arsenal of weapons against me. I looked in Theo’s direction again. He was still watching me and I tried to find shock or satisfaction in his eyes to show that he suspected me of being the one to cause his pain.

I didn’t see anything to concern me and hoped he wasn’t just hiding his reaction to this new information about me.

‘I related my regret to Theo,’ my father said, still explaining his whereabouts and reasons behind his decision to become estranged from us.

Tension emanated from my aunt and grandmother, and more than likely from me too, as we sat and listened to his lengthy explanation.

He stopped talking for a moment. I saw him look around the room – at the peeling paint and the bare walls where once landscapes had hung – and frown.

My grandmother stiffened and I realised she had noticed his look of disdain. ‘Don’t you dare act as if you didn’t play some part in the dilapidation of this house.’

Blood rushed to his cheeks. ‘I don’t mean to, Ophelia, but I can’t help wondering what became of all the money I sent to you for the house and Rue’s care over the years?’

Surprised at the question, I turned to my grandmother. ‘What money? We didn’t receive any, did we?’ I said backing her.

She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully.

‘What is it, Grandmama?’ Had I not known about my father’s help?

She smiled at me. ‘You were young and this wouldn’t have been something your aunt or I discussed with you.’