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“I’m sorry, Silas,” Percy said. “I just wanted something for my own. I’m tired of struggling.”
“You make it very difficult to sympathize, given what you said to Lucy. She was very hurt by it. I don’t care that you were trying to hurt me. But you hurt her most grievously, and for that, I can never forgive you.”
“I’m sorry for that, as well. I know that you planned to marry her. Now, at least, you’re free of that burden.”
“I’m going to marry her. We’ve cleared things between us.”
Percy frowned. “I thought she was the very last woman you would think to marry.”
“That was a lie,” Silas admitted freely. “So that you would leave her alone. Lucy has always been mine. I love her, and even your acid words cannot keep us apart.”
Percy eyed him as though he didn’t know who he was. Clearly, the Silas that he had thought existed wasn’t true. For that, Silas was glad. “Congratulations,” Percy mumbled.
“Thank you. Now, I must be off.” He walked down to the front door, which the butler opened to let him out. Silas turned back to the stairs. Percy stood at the top.
“I doubt I’ll see you again soon,” Silas said.
“Probably for the best,” Percy replied.
Silas walked back towards Lucy’s home, giving himself time to think. Right before his father died, he had been talking about the treasure hunts from when they were children. It had been during luncheon, right before Percy had arrived.
His father had just mentioned it, when he was interrupted. Then, they had all been so busy. And then, the letter, telling him about the fire. And then, he had been killed. A chain of events leading to here, now.
He stopped at the Harley Street Park, sitting down on a bench where he could look over the documents he had retrieved from Percy.
Silas took it out, opening the letter.
Dear Silas, it read.I had hoped to drop clues for you so that you, and only you, would be able to find this. I know that someday, you will receive Thornbridge Manor. However, I have had a house built for you on land nearby. It is my hope that when you have incentive to marry, it would change your mind on settling down.
Oak Ridge needs a mistress, as well as children to fill all of its rooms. It is on good land, which you can do with as you please.
I want for you to take life seriously. To not waste it with fleeting things, but to dig deep and to love with your whole heart. Life is short. You only have so many years before you’re an old man. I want for you to find and experience love like I had with your mother. I want for you to be happy, my son. The years that I had with Amelia were some of the best, and I wouldn’t change that for all of the riches in the world.
All my love,
Your Father
The letter blurred as Silas’ eyes filled with tears. Here was his father’s last letter to him, made all the more poignant because Silashadfound love, just as his father had hoped. He knew that his father would have approved of Lucy, wholeheartedly.
He sat there, in tears. Finally, he wiped them away. He was going to Lucy’s so that she could stop worrying about him. She needed to see this letter.
Silas was now the owner of two houses. He wanted Lucy’s opinion on what to do with one of them. He had a plan, but now all of his decisions needed to be made with her. If they were to wed, then they needed to work as a team.
He thought, though, that she would happily agree with his plan.
