My dear Mrs. Henshaw,
Well, it would seem I have gone to pastures new, otherwise you would not be reading this epistle of mine. That being so, it is possible my beloved Annie is now aware of her unfortunate beginnings andhow she came to be my daughter in name only. If she is as yet unaware, I trust you will reveal the truth to her gently, for it will surely be a shock. I confess I never found the courage to tell her myself. The words, I fear, would have tasted too bitter on my tongue. It is of little consequence now, of course. Though I trust she knows it in her heart, please impress upon her that Muriel and I loved her as our own. She must never doubt it.
At this point, Mrs. Henshaw, I wonder if you have asked yourself why I am soliciting you to reveal the circumstances surrounding Annie’s birth. After all, you should not be cognizant of them, should you? That is, not unless you happen to be related to the child in some way. Which, of course, you are.
Yes, Harriet Caldridge, I am quite aware of your impertinent charade and always have been. Your attempt at falsifying your references left much to be desired. The motivation behind it, however, intrigued me, though I had my suspicions. So, I decided to do a little digging. Much to my indignation, my suspicions turned out to be correct, and I fully intended to challenge your deception and send you on your way.
Muriel, however, changed my mind. Or perhaps I should say I acquiesced to the pleadings of the woman I loved. When I told her of your chicanery and the reason behind it, she begged me to make a concession, the only concession my conscience would allow. So, despite a multitude of misgivings, I employed you. I did not, however, do so for your sake. I did it for Muriel, whose sympathetic heart insisted my sister be allowed to maintain a connection with her illegitimate child, albeit a clandestine one. Which was, of course, the original objective of your attempt to deceive.
My dear lady, I am compelled to concede, false references and misgivings aside, that your employment proved to be more than a reluctant concession on my part. Your service to my household has been totally without blemish. I am indebted to you for your kindness to Muriel during her final years, and I am thankful for the love and guidance you have shown Annie as she has grown into womanhood. Idepart this world comforted by the knowledge of your continued presence in her life.
As for Janet, though she disappointed me, I never stopped loving her. That love, in the end, was the cornerstone that determined my concession and my acceptance of you into my household.
More than this, I confess, would have taken a better man than I was able to be, may God forgive me.
I leave you with my sincere gratitude,
Clarence Fairfax
Scrubbing tears from her eyes, Annie read the words again, secretly admitting they were not quite what she’d hoped for. But then, what she’d hoped for was of her own creation. The letter in her hand actually epitomized the man she had known and loved as her father. They were honest words, written from his heart, a testimony to his compassion and the steadfastness of his doctrine.
“He’s right, Hattie,” she said, passing the letter to Janet. “You have been an invaluable part of my life. Of all our lives, Mama’s included.”
“A privilege and an honor,” she replied, as Annie passed the letter to Janet.
Janet eyed the paper with obvious reluctance. “Given that you’re both in tears, I’m not sure I want to read it.”
“You must, Mama,” Annie said. “I suspect it might give you solace.”
Hattie, still sniffling, nodded. “Yes, indeed. Oh, my goodness, I did not expect that.”
Janet read quietly, her expression unchanging. Even when it seemed apparent she’d reached the end of the letter, she remained silent and continued to stare at the paper.
“Are you all right, Mama?” Annie asked.
Janet flinched as if waking from a dream. “Yes, dear, I am. I was just thinking that my brother was under no obligation to do what he did. He could quite easily have cast us both aside. I cannot deny I’dhave struggled without him. All things considered, I’ve been fortunate, as have you, Annie.” She laughed softly as she glanced about. “I find myself thanking him for this day, with my child seated beside me, a royal diamond on her finger, readying herself to marry the nephew of a local earl.”
“I had a happy childhood, Mama,” Annie replied. “I truly did. I wanted for nothing.”
“I know,” she replied. “And that is all that matters.”
“I agree.” Hattie scrubbed her handkerchief over her nose and pushed her chair back. “Right, well, I’m going to put the kettle on, then I want to hear all about your wedding plans and how we fit into them.”
“They’re not quite finalized yet,” Annie replied. “The ceremony is to be a little different to what you’re imagining, I suspect.”
Janet wrinkled her nose. “So, not Westminster Abbey then.”
She chuckled. “Not quite. Actually, it’s to be a quiet ceremony in the family’s private chapel. Julian has already obtained the necessary license. His grandparents were the last to be married there, apparently.”
“Oh, I see.” Janet smiled and glanced away briefly. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be lovely.”
“I can guess what you’re thinking, Mama, but you’re wrong,” Annie said. “You and Hattie will be there, I promise. The decision to have a private ceremony has nothing to do with my birth.”
“Well, that’s good to know.” Janet pressed a hand to her chest. “Admittedly, I did wonder.”
“I’m sure it’ll be lovely, pet,” Hattie said, busy at the stove. “I have to say, without mentioning another name, you’ve had a narrow escape.”
“Odd you should say that,” Annie replied. “You see, I have a confession to make and you’re not going to like it, though it will certainly explain our decision to have a private ceremony. It’s about theweekend when I found out the truth of who I was. I didn’t go looking for proof because I’d suddenly remembered something. I went looking for proof because I had an encounter with someone atop Freya’s Farewell.”
