Proper Secrets (37 page)

“You’re going to wait forever,” said Capt. Wingrave.

“Outside, gentlemen, “ said Peter.

“Annesley, take the ladies to the back of the house, please,” said the Captain.
 
Emily and Mary shook their heads in betrayal.

“Are you out of your senses, brother?” said Mary.

“I don’t want you to see this.”

“I’m sure I don’t care.
 
We will keep a distance, but Emily and I deserve to know immediately,” said Mary.
 
Capt. Wingrave frowned, but relented.
 
Emily remained silent, fear and anger gripping her words.
 
Elijah felt the resentment radiating from her.
 
It drove him to promise her in his head that he would spend the rest of his life making amends.

The men took their places, Peter in the center with the loaded pistols, and Capt. Wingrave staring down Jude Annesley.
 
Mr. Annesley kept careful watch on the ladies, keeping them on the front step while the duel took place on the lawn.
 
Emily couldn’t hear what they said, but she understood that it was about to begin.
 
Peter handed them their weapons and backed away twenty paces, his own pistol ready to shoot if Jude cheated.
 
Capt. Wingrave and Jude faced away and began walking as Peter counted aloud.
 
That, Emily could hear, one, two, three…
 
Time went by so quickly, it seemed nothing at all between that day when Capt. Wingrave had ruined her dress to this day, when one man would die.

“Ten!” shouted Peter.
 
Emily did not see much, for her eyes closed by reflex when she jumped at the sound of gunfire.
 
The patch of cloth that flew from Capt. Wingrave’s uniform burned into her vision before reflex took over.

“Was that just one shot?
 
What happened?
 
Wingrave didn’t fire!” said Mr. Annesley, rushing to the lawn.
 
Mary dragged Emily behind her.
 
Emily could not look, could not bear to see.
 
She clamped her hands over her eyes, and hid behind Peter as they all waited to the side.

“I won’t miss,” said the beloved voice.
 
Emily unclenched her hands to see him.
 
Capt. Wingrave still stood, bleeding from the shoulder.
 
A bead of perspiration fell from his jaw, his eyes focused on his target.
 
Emily swallowed against the closing of her throat, overjoyed that he still stood.

“What do you mean?” asked Jude, real fear drenching the air about him.

“I am granting you this one chance for asylum.
 
You will be escorted to a boat, you will get on this boat, and you will never return to Endland.
 
Do you understand that I’ve won the right to kill you?
 
Do you understand that I will if I ever see you again or hear of you contacting my friends and relations?”
 
Jude shook all over, unarmed before the man with the most reason to end him.

“I understand,” he whimpered.

“Your days of power are over,” said Capt. Wingrave, “Daniel, please begin.”
 
A manservant nodded, and with two others, shepherded Jude into the stables.

Dark realization overflowed Emily, her happiness quickly becoming a murky memory.

“You let him shoot at you?” said Emily over the ensuing excited chatter.

“I did.
 
It was the only way to grant him mercy, and save my family,” said the Captain.

“Peter, take me home,” said Emily, whirling to her brother.
 
Hot anger welled up in her chest.

“But…”

“Now!
 
If you ever loved me as your sister, take me home,” Emily demanded.
 
When he looked between her and the Captain, Emily shoved past him and marched toward Charlton.

“Emily, it will be dark soon!” called Peter.

“I will escort her,” said Mr. Annesley.
 
He called for his horse, and caught up with her easily.

“Excuse me, Miss Emily, but it will be much faster if you would ride with me.”
 
Emily accepted after thinking to refuse in her spiteful mood.

“Thank you, Mr. Annesley.
 
You are always dependable.”

“We admire that in each other.
 
Tell me, why are you so upset?”

“I have always done whatever I could for those I love, but I’ve been taken for granted.
 
No one seeks to please me because I am always there, ready to sacrifice for others.
 
Capt. Wingrave went forward with the duel, and let Jude shoot to protect everyone.
 
Everyone except me, who would be hurt the most by his loss.
 
I am weary of being his least priority,” said Emily.

“I do not think that you are.
 
In truth, I think he did all of this for you.
 
You would not accept a marriage that held him away from his family, correct?” she nodded, “Then all is solved.
 
The Wingraves can now be your happy in-laws.
 
Elijah could have dueled Jude last spring, but he did not.
 
He allowed Mary to pay him.
 
This time was different, both because Mary would finally refuse, and because Elijah wants you so badly.
 
You are remarkable, “ said Mr. Annesley.

“Remarkable?” asked Emily.

“Indeed.
 
You did this, you saved the Wingraves.
 
And me.
 
I am free.
 
Free from Jude at last.
 
Is it forward of me to inquire after your sister?”

“She is resigned, but not melancholy.
 
Her spark is dimmed, but not out.
 
Would it be too forward of me to suggest a mountainous apology?”

“No, I know.
 
Earning her trust is my chief objective until it is achieved, or she marries,” said Mr. Annesley.
 
Lord Worthing and Bridget waited outside when they heard the horse on the road, but neither expected its burden.

“Emily?
 
Mr. Annesley?
 
Where is Peter?” inquired Lord Worthing.

“I apologize for calling unannounced, Lord Worthing.
 
I would like to request an audience with you and the lady of the house, to inform you of certain events that transpired this evening that will undoubtedly affect your family,” said Mr. Annesley.

“I think Bridget should be privy to this audience as well,” said Emily, “It will be hard enough now that she is the last to know.
 
I am retiring to my room, and I would not disturb me for three kingdoms.”

Bridget faired tolerably well, for while Emily did not wish to speak with anyone, she listened to the aftermath of Mr. Annesley’s audience.
 
Peter returned an hour or two after Emily.
 
One person she did not hear was Genevieve.
 
Emily, upon perusing her practiced memory, discovered every instance in which she had failed to see the truth.
 
Mary’s obvious curiosity about Genevieve and her upbringing had not caused anyone alarm, nor Mr. Annesley’s doting.
 
When the Wingraves had objected to Emily and Genevieve’s presence something should have triggered Emily’s suspicion, but she’d been so engrossed in ideas of love that sense eluded her.
 
Many times Emily cried thinking of when her parents must have concealed the truth from her, and Mr. Annesley telling her just enough to repulse the subject.
 
A mire of vices, that is what Emily concluded.

Up before the cock crowed, Emily would not hide, nor let anyone else hide from the terrible hypocrisy uncovered the night before.
 
She marched down to breakfast when it was served, spoke to and looked at no one, just waited.
 
Bridget chewed her porridge with
 
morose disinterest, much depressed by the mood.
 
Lord and Lady Worthing stared at each other from their seats at the end of the table, while Peter happily pretended to ignore Emily’s weighted presence.
 
At last, Genevieve, wringing her napkin to threads, spoke, just as Emily had expected.

“Emily?”

“Yes, Genevieve?”

“Are you very angry with me?”

“That is a difficult question, my dear.
 
It is strenuous to discern who I am angry with just now,” said Emily.

“Emily, allow me to explain,” said Lady Worthing.

“By all means, if you have an adequate explanation I should love to hear it, for I’ve become too weary of reasoning why my family, who held their honesty above all other virtues, should have hidden so much from me.”
 
Lord Worthing puffed up in his seat, ready to defend his wife.

“Roland, no.
 
Emily is right,” said Lady Worthing, “We accepted our role in this subterfuge when we let Genevieve decide how much to reveal.
 
Let me tell you where it began, from our end.
 
I had been ill for some months when I received a letter through one of our servants here.
 
It was from a relative of hers near Marchwood.
 
Mrs. Pratchett, without speaking of any names, inquired if we would be open to adopting a child.
 
She let it be known that the baby was illegitimate, though of high birth.
 
Our servant had suggested inquiring at our house because a pregnancy could have easily caused me to be bedridden, and most people knew that.

“I had just begun to recover, though as you know, it would not be the last time illness forced me to prolonged rest, so I accepted their offer.
 
Your father and I wanted more children, you see, but my condition was such that the risk was too great.
 
I convinced Peter, who was old enough at the time to realize I had not been with child, to pretend the tiny baby delivered to me by carriage was his own sister regardless of origin.
 
You and Bridget easily forgot the details in the excitement of a new baby, and our scheme was complete.

“By then, I knew Genevieve’s mother was Mary Wingrave, and I told her so at the age of ten.
 
I did not think it would ever be relevant other than to Genevieve’s peace of mind, and I allowed her to choose whether or not anyone else should know.
 
Unfortunately, I could not have predicted that Mary would risk our secret to see Genevieve, though as a mother I certainly understand.”
 
Emily wavered between rational and irrational responses to Lady Worthing’s tale.
 
She wanted most of all to laugh, to understand, and forget.
 
Her mother had handled a delicate circumstance to the best of her knowledge.
 
If only it hadn’t caused Emily such tremendous heartbreak, it might have been a trifling matter.

“I kept it secret because I love being your sister so much, and I didn’t want anything to change.
 
It was selfish, please forgive me,” said Genevieve.

“You are the easiest to forgive in all this.
 
You are very young, and someday you will understand what it means to be kept ignorant.
 
Then, I will get a complete apology,” said Emily.

“I have disappointed you,” said Genevieve beginning to cry.

“Only in that you did not trust my love to be unconditional.
 
Perhaps it is I who have failed, if I did not make my feelings known to you.”
 
Emily let her eyes wander to the ceiling.
 
Genevieve sobbed harder, her sensitive heart beating painfully.
 
“No difference of birth could erase all we have shared, dear Genevieve.
 
But I understand now, why you were so eager to see Landhilton and so disappointed with the result.”

Emily stood and reached for the tiny girl she had taught to walk and talk.
 
Genevieve flung her chair over to squeeze her older sister.
 
Lord Worthing clenched his jaw.

“We are sorry, Em.
 
Perhaps we should have paid more attention when the Wingraves came to Tripton.
 
It might have been our greatest failing to think you could protect yourselves without the knowledge required to do so.
 
Such a miscalculation almost cost us two of our precious children, not to mention a year’s worth of dreadful spirits.
 
If anyone else has anything they’d like to inform the table of, do so at once,” he said.

“Mary accepted my proposal,” announced Peter.

“Finally, some good news,” said Lady Worthing, beaming at him.
 
Emily righted Genevieve’s chair, and sat her upon it with an entreaty to finish her breakfast lest she never get as tall as her sisters.

“Up a wife and down a sister, is that a net profit?” Emily asked, glaring at him.

“I thought you were being unreasonable,” said Peter, holding his hands out.

“I will thank you to let me think for myself.
 
As it is, you have a choice to make.
 
You are either my brother, or his.”
 
Lord and Lady Worthing choked on their food.
 
They had thought the trouble past, yet a new explosive argument erupted before they could rest.