AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER22
"This is the place," Edward said, as he opened the carriage door and helped Leah out. They jumped down onto the pavement and stared at the small, shabby looking house, with one of the seven windows broken and the paint completely peeled off of the side of the wet walls. "If I lived here, I would also want to find any means of escaping it."
Leah turned to him. Perhaps he had crossed the line with this comment. Sometimes, he was too blunt. He knew this. He had been guilty of this transgression many times before. It was simply who he was. He believed that he was free to tell the truth, and he saw no reason to make it pretty in order to spare anyone's feelings. The truth was as it was, usually not very pretty. However, with Leah, he found himself wanting to choose his words, to at least soften the blow of the truth. He did not want to hurt her with either the truth or his words.
"My mother helped people like this," she said, almost as if she did not hear what he said, or if she did, she chose to ignore it, for which he was grateful. "People who needed a second chance at life, or people who were simply unable to make ends meet."
"It is no wonder then that my parents knew your mother," he said softly when they gazes met once more. "They served the same higher purpose. They wanted to help people."
"Yes," she smiled. Then, a dark cloud washed over her. "And they were punished for it. It seems that good deeds can only be punished in this world."
"No, no," he endeavored to assure her. "Without good deeds this world would be a horrible place, without people like my parents and your mother as well. Now, it is up to us to find out what happened to them."
Leah still seemed sad, so he embraced her gently, kissing her forehead. He knew that was highly inappropriate, to do so in broad daylight, in the middle of the street, with all those passersby, but he did not care one bit about any of them. All he cared about was making his wife feel better. When he released her from his embrace, he could tell that he managed to do exactly that.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Yes," she smiled more confidently this time.
Hand in hand, they headed toward the door. Edward knocked. A few seconds had passed and there was no response.
"Perhaps no one is home," Leah suggested, gazing at the door almost as if she could see right through it. Just when she said that, there was the sound of the doors being unlocked, then a woman appeared, wearing a dirty, ragged dress and an apron that was once white, but was now a mere shadow of that color.
"Yes?" she looked at them. The moment she realized they were a lord and a lady, she quickly pulled up the hem of her apron and wiped her hands on it. Edward could see that her hands were rough. They belonged to someone who worked hard for their bread. He could respect that and that was why his gaze did not dwell on her hands at all, but rather on her eyes.
"I apologize for appearing unannounced, but we were hoping to speak to the family of the deceased Harry O'Riley," Edward explained their reason for visit.
"Why?" she asked, sounding incredulous.
"I am the Duke of Repington," Edward continued. "Harry was–"
"Employed with your parents," she finished his intended statement. Edward was trying to figure out if the lady had any desire to speak to them, but still standing in the doorway made it seem unlikely. "What is it you wish to speak to us about?"
"Well... Harry," Edward told her plainly. "We want to know about his past."
The moment he mentioned that, he could see the woman's left eye twitch barely noticeably. She probably knew exactly what he was referring to.
"Why would you want to dig up a dead man's past anyway?" she asked, her eyes turning to two little slits on her face, questioning and judging the people standing in front of her. Edward had to say that he didn't like this woman at all. He was certain that Leah shared his conviction, although she was yet to say something.
"Because it might help someone who is still alive," Leah spoke, surprising both the woman and Edward.
The woman hesitated for a moment, then stood aside, allowing them in. She closed the door behind them a little too noisily and once again, Edward wondered if that was done on purpose, to further show them how unwelcome they truly were. Edward could feel it in the air, but he knew that he had to ask his questions. After all, that was why they were there.
Silently, the woman beckoned them to follow her into the only room on the first floor, which served as both a kitchen, a dining room and a living room. Edward could see a staircase at the farthest end of the room, which led upstairs to what he could only assume were the bedrooms. The whole place smelled of fish and cabbage, a combination which was not particularly pleasing to the nose.
The woman stopped in the middle of the room, looking at them. Only then did Edward notice a man seated in the armchair. His entire body pose was akin to a man who had just been woken up from an afternoon nap and wasn't too happy about it. He eyed them as curiously as they eyed him, with the exception that they were in his house and not the other way around. Then, his gaze darted at his wife.
"These people are here to talk about Harry," she informed him officially, obviously without any intention of offering their guests to sit down or have some tea. Not that Edward was in the mood for any tea. In fact, he wanted to ask his questions as quickly as possible, see how hastily he could get any replies and then leave this place never to return.
"Harry?" the man grumbled disapprovingly. "Harry's dead. Whaddya want with 'im?"
"As I was telling your wife, your son Harry was in employment with my late parents, the Duke and the Duchess of–"
"If he stole anythin', we ain't got it," the man interrupted Edward, waving his hand dismissively.
Edward cleared his throat a little before continuing. "I'm not here for anything like that."
"Then what are ya here for?" the man demanded to know.
