No mention had been made as to whether Charles had a disfigurement, which would be a logical reason to hide him away. That didn’t make any sense though. He could have been sent to York and not a friend of his father’s. Too many mysteries and not enough answers. Arthur knew he needed to see all documentation regarding Charles. He needed to understand the reasoning behind it all.
He wrote a letter to the solicitor, asking for whatever correspondence he might have. There had to be quite a file on Charles, dating back to when he was first sent away. Arthurwanted to read anything and everything to decide what might come next. There were a couple of unused cottages that might suffice for his brother, since from what he understood, Charles stayed in a cottage on Wight. The solicitor mentioned he seemed to prefer the solitude a cottage had to offer. There were a thousand questions, and until he received information there was little to do.
Arthur decided he was at a dead end, so he stuffed the paper he’d been scribbling on into his pocket along with the letter to the solicitor. The sooner he received documents, the better. His other hurdle was going to be writing Roxanne and giving her the news. Knowing his sister, she would drop everything and be on her way home to help.
His carriage was waiting outside for him. He climbed in and gave the driver instructions. As the carriage lurched forward into the London traffic, he hoped Daphne would be there waiting at Jameson House for him. He needed to tell her and listen to her input.
As fate would have it though, the afternoon traffic in London was not for the faint of heart. After having to stop for a wagon having lost its load of fruits and vegetables in the middle of one of the most used streets, Arthur made the decision that he could walk home quicker than sitting still on a London street in the afternoon. He opened the coach door and jumped down, announcing to his driver his intentions.
He began walking, and soon Jameson House came into view. The brick facade was something he thought he’d never tire of. The structure demanded the attention of anyone who passed.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he entered the house, surprising the footman posted at the door as he divested himself of his hat, gloves, and greatcoat. Moving on, he quickly found Daphne in the drawing room feeding Sam, the macaw, pieces of fruit. She startled, not expecting him.
“You’re finished for the day?” she asked.
“Partially. More like I couldn’t concentrate after meeting with the solicitor.”
“What could he possibly have said to you?”
“That I have a brother. A twin brother.”
Her eyes widened as she took in what he’d just told her. “A twin brother you knew nothing about until today? How is that even possible? And why would your family hide him away?”
“I’m still finding out, but evidently, he was born after me, and he’s eccentric…”
“Eccentric? How?” Daphne inquired.
“He’s smart, has a mind like a steel trap.”
She nodded, giving Sam a piece of apple. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No, but he is evidently prone to temper tantrums.”
“And?”
“He’s living on Wight for the time being,” Arthur replied as he sat down in a chair across from his wife.
“Your mind must be going a hundred miles a minute with questions.”
He nodded. “It is. I’ll be making a trip to Wight to meet him and try and get to know him.”
“Does he know about you?”
“Yes, and Roxanne too. And speaking of Roxanne, I need to go write her a letter and let her know of Charles and what has transpired.”
“That would be a good idea. She would not be happy with you if she came home and found all this out,” Daphne replied.
“Precisely.” Arthur sat back in his chair, closing his eyes. “To think all these years Roxanne and I have had a sibling we knew nothing about. It boggles one’s mind.”
“I can only imagine.”
He turned his head in the direction of her soft voice. “Don’t we have dinner with the Smythes this evening?”
“Yes, they’re hosting a small dinner party. I can send our regrets if you don’t feel up to attending.”
“Please.”
“Consider it done. Now why don’t you go to your study and write that letter to your sister?”
