AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Only today, there was a tinge of regret.He was doing it with the best of intentions: to protect Rose’s and her children’s reputation.Once Rose had spilled her secrets—some or all, he did not know—it became imperative to take all the correspondence between Rose and her sister.He’d previously seen three of her letters.How many of the others revealed additional truths?Anything that had been written since Edmond’s death, he guessed.
For now, his wife couldn’t know.She believed her relationship to Rachel was inviolable.Matthew’s calling was higher still.In time, she would learn all there was to know about him.And about all those things he had done and would do.
Here at Sturry Park, he did have a vague plan in place.This morning, he had watched from his door and had a good count on the number of servants and in which room Rose’s sister slept.The library and her bedroom were the two likeliest places to secure letters.He wouldn’t have to look any further, he knew.And he’d been given explicit permission to use the library.The battle was half won.
He made a show of being in the library, requesting paper and ink.Oh, and could he have a tea tray around nine-thirty.Once the footman shut the door, Matthew removed his boots and began the methodical search.
Desk drawers were quietly opened.Papers shuffled and ignored.A ledger.He did have a quick glance to confirm Rose’s sister and her husband were not carrying any particular financial burdens.
Matthew checked the inside panels for any secret compartments.He found a key for the cash box and opened it quick.A few legal papers and about seventy pounds in cash.Checking on Rachel and Lewis wasn’t part of his plan, but it was one less worry.
He walked the room, looking for odd spaces or out of place books or knickknacks.Another short walk around the desk, checking the floorboards.All that within forty minutes.
The desk chair squeaked a bit.He splashed some writing on a piece of paper along with a few numbers, in case anyone bothered to look, then he left the room with his boots on.
He caught a footman.“I’m expecting tea.Just have it put in the room.I need to collect my wax and seal.”
“Certainly, Mr.Hardy.”
He and Rose were in the rooms to the left; the children above them.With only twelve rooms on this floor, there weren’t a lot of servants around to get in the way.He walked along the corridor, then pressed his ear to the wooden entrance.The viscountess would have a boudoir and there would be a desk with several cubbyholes.
Inside, he removed his boots again.Her bed was made up, so he didn’t think he’d have a scheduled interruption.There was an adjoining door to Lewis’ room.The Isis Diamonds might be there, but not any correspondence.Part of Rose’s visit was to collect the diamonds and he would leave that task to her.
And there was the desk.
People were creatures of habit, and he could envision Rachel sitting at this desk as she dutifully penned her daily letters.The escritoire had two front drawer pulls, a green writing pad and nine drawers, all too small to hold a cadre of private letters.He opened the two biggest drawers to discover a key, small mementos, stacked paper with her initials and other gewgaws sentimental people collected.
Next, he glanced up to see the hatboxes on top of her armoire.He grabbed a chair and carried it across the room.The first box had scores of letters and notes, neatly tied in bundles.
Ah.He stepped to the floor, sat down and rifled through them.Naturally, the most recent letters were on top, and it was only a matter of checking the top and bottom letters to assure he got the right bundles.He ended up with three stacks, practically the entire hat box.
There would be an unavoidable problem.He did check another hat box to see it also contained letters and he moved one of those bundles to the one he’d just emptied.
Chair returned, boots on, wax and seal in pocket.
He listened at the door again, then made his way to his room, secreting the letters in a place where they wouldn’t be easily found.When they returned home, he would read them and destroy them.At first, he thought he’d allow Rose to do it, but ultimately, he would retain his innocence in deniability.And there was a good chance they would never be missed.A damnable way to build trust.
Boldness had always worked for him.Confidence.Accuse before he was accused.Advance when others retreated.
He clutched his wax and seal, hurried from the room and clopped down the stairs to find his tea had cooled just enough to swallow a healthy gulp and still wait thirty minutes before it was time to depart.
He jotted off two real letters, sealed and waxed them.The other thing to always remember was that questions got asked at the most inopportune time and it was best to have the right answers.“My day?Oh, I inked a couple of letters, had tea and scones.Delicious.No, no.The children were no problem at all.”
He heard the happy screams thereafter and proceeded to the front door where the wagon and horses waited for the crew.Matthew was expecting something other than a sturdy phaeton.The children acted as though they had been released from prison.Servants were loading picnic baskets, along with a couple of jugs of ale, blankets, and other utensils and strapping it all down in the back.
Ava screamed as she ran around the wagon.“Hallo, Papa!”
“Everyone aboard.”Matthew hadn’t learned all the children’s names yet but understood the names would be yelled many times over the next hour.The three older children and the youngest, Ava, were in the back.Matthew was sandwiched with two of the viscountess’ girls.
“Tally ho!”Benjamin yelled.
Listening to them, Matthew was transported to his childhood.After Welliver went away, their life had changed, not that he was aware of anything except cold feet, a hungry belly and a crying mother.Feast or famine, as his mother oft reminded him.Playing for days, then work.Backbreaking work.Mr.Snell came into his mother’s life at some point in Matthew’s youth.He had been quite impressed with the solicitor.Mother had too.She took him to her bed during the time they pressed a suit against the duke.And the little sneaky, educated man had been very effective.Matthew learned many things from him, too.After he died, Jezzy was inconsolable.Matthew realized he’d had his first father figure and he might never get another.
The children started a round of songs and Matthew kept the horses clicking along toward the ocean, listening to real innocence and trying to remember if he’d ever had such joy.
At the round of a hill, the ocean came into view and the children were delighted.Rose, Rachel and Lewis had tied off their horses.Rose was in the water, her skirts hiked to her knees.Rachel and Lewis were settled on a blanket, shoulder-to-shoulder.
Matthew hoisted Ava to the ground, but the other children escaped in flying leaps, then took off running toward the adults.“Benjamin!”Matthew hollered.The sullen boy came back and carried blankets and baskets toward the water.Matthew carried the rest.
