A Passion for Pleasure(105)

“I do trust you.” Her gaze searched his, her violet eyes filled with a mixture of warmth and sorrow. “And you have already proven your love for me. Now you must give me the chance to do the same.”





Chapter Twenty-Two




Andrew did not want to return to London with his grandfather. That much was clear. Rushton watched as the boy all but cowered against the side of the railway car as they made their way back to the city. He looked at Fairfax.

“What was this talk about an institution?” he asked.

“Andrew has refused to speak since his father’s death,” Fairfax replied. “Several doctors have recommended I consult a Swiss physician who can help determine the cause of his affliction. I intend to leave Andrew with him until he is cured.”

“You’ve no idea how long that will take,” Rushton said. Unease laced through him as he glanced at Andrew again. If Fairfax abused the boy, then one would think Andrew might be relieved at the opportunity to get away from him. Then again, he’d have to consider an institution and a physician as the lesser of two evils.

“It does not matter how long it takes,” Fairfax replied. “As long as Andrew is well cared for and cured.”

“So your plan is to leave him in Switzerland while you return to London?” Rushton asked.

“Not London. I shall return to Manley Park for the remainder of the year.”

Rushton narrowed his eyes. His unease intensified, alongside the growing sense that Fairfax was leaving something out of his story, some vital piece that might prove illuminating.

“If you don’t mind my asking, Fairfax,” he said, keeping his tone friendly and curious, “why exactly did your daughter leave Manley Park in the first place?”

“Oh.” Fairfax waved a dismissive hand. “She too was distraught over the loss of her beloved husband. So distraught, in fact, that she was unable to properly care for Andrew. She thought it best if she went to London to recuperate from her bereavement.”

A frown pulled at Rushton’s mouth. If Fairfax indeed believed Clara had been responsible for her husband’s death, why had he not accused her of the crime? And why would he concoct a tale of her grief driving her away from her own son? Which story was the true one?

Although Rushton possessed bitter, firsthand knowledge that a mother was capable of abandoning her children, he could not reconcile such drastic action with what he knew of Clara. So grief-stricken over the death of her husband that she would abandon Andrew, even if the boy was no longer her legal ward?

No.

The woman who had abducted Andrew in an effort to reclaim him, the woman who had begged Rushton for aid…such a woman would never leave her child behind. And even if Rushton was uncertain about his conclusion, he could rely upon his son’s actions for confirmation.

Not even to defy Rushton would Sebastian have married a woman who had abandoned her child shortly after the death of the child’s father. In a moment, Sebastian would have seen through to such coldness.

Instead Sebastian had married her partly to help her get her son back, obviously believing that Clara and Andrew should be together.

Rushton had never considered himself a man ruled by emotion. His anger toward his son was not so blinding that it obscured Sebastian’s admirable qualities. Sebastian had always been the one most capable of understanding what people truly needed, often better than they understood themselves. It was but one of the reasons Sebastian had always been at his ease in the world.

“When do you intend to bring Andrew to Switzerland?” Rushton asked.

“I’d intended to leave last week, so all preparations have been made,” Fairfax replied. “Provided I can change my tickets, Andrew and I should be able to leave for Brighton on Monday at the latest. We’ll take a boat to Dieppe, then stay in Paris for a day or so before leaving for Interlaken.”

Rushton tucked that information away in the back of his mind as he turned his attention back to Andrew. The boy stared out the window, his face pale but without expression.

Rushton had the upsetting thought that Andrew might very well try to run away at some point during his journey with his grandfather. Though likely Fairfax had also considered the possibility and would ensure the boy was well guarded.

Protected. Fairfax would ensure that Andrew was well protected.

Andrew turned his head and met Rushton’s gaze. The sudden contact brought to mind an unexpected image of his sons. All four of them. Dark-haired boys whose eyes glinted with varying hints of mischief, curiosity, seriousness, glee. Boys who had grown into men of sharp intelligence and strong constitutions, despite the obstacles that had been thrown into their paths.