“Me, too,” Hazel piped in, though Prim doubted she knew what cause she was supporting. Only wanting to be part of it. Or perhaps she did love James. Perhaps they all did. Children gave their love so easily.
She hadn’t offered James much resistance in bestowing hers, either. Despite her best efforts, she’d fallen like a rock. Fallen for his kindness, his faith. His stalwart support. Neither her cause for equality or her reticence toward remarrying had been able to stop her.
He was, as she’d told him, so easy to love.
And she did love him. With all her heart. To her surprise, there was a certain freedom in admitting it. To herself, at least.
“You are all just a bunch of fools,” Shane sneered. “As if love even matters. What would it get her? A warm bed and another passel of brats?”
“Shane!” they all protested in unison.
Prim rose shakily to her feet, hoping the children hadn’t understood his implication. She waved Jeremy and Dennis back when they also stood in her defense.
This was her fight.
“Your rudeness knows no bounds, does it? Well, I’ve had enough of you. Simply enough.” Her hands curled into fists, and she called Banks to escort the children away. They didn’t need to hear what she was about to say.
“I’d thought once you’d accepted I wouldn’t marry Mr. Leachman, that I was more than able of taking care of myself, my family, and my life without assistance, I might have the brother I love back. The one I always loved so dearly, who I knew loved me unconditionally. But that isn’t going to happen, is it?” she asked rhetorically. “He’s gone and in his place is an unrepentant bastard.”
“Now I’m a bastard? None of this ever would have happened if you’d just married Mossman in the first place,” he shot back. “You’re the one who made it worse. Letting MacKintosh into your personal affairs.”
“I’ve told you before, whatever place I allow Mr. MacKintosh in my life is my business.”
“It’s not just your business. He has no right sticking his nose in our finances.” Shane’s lips compressed tightly and Prim realized he’d said more than he’d meant to.
Then it dawned on her. “You know, don’t you?”
“Know what?” Dennis asked. Jeremy, too, looked curious.
“Monies have gone missing from all of Fletcher’s investment accounts.Allof them.”
“How much?”
“Hundreds of thousands,” she admitted. “Jam…Mr. MacKintosh had been helping me sort it out. Initially, we thought they were just loans being paid out but they weren’t. Someone has been stealing money from them.”
Shane remained tightlipped.
“But I thought Declan was helping you out with all that,” Jeremy said.
“Who else would have access to them?” Dennis asked.
“No one,” Shane choked out. “No one else had access to them. You see what I was trying to protect you from, Prim? To spare you? I wanted you to wed Mossman so you’d have someone to take control away from Declan. Instead, you’ve given him unlimited opportunity to rob you blind.”
Prim still couldn’t believe it, despite what she and James had come to suspect. Declan had looked almost apologetic when he’d personally delivered the last of Fletcher’s investment files after Christmas.
Not sorry, but apologetic, as if he’d been saddened about what she would find.
Not for his sake.
But for hers.
“I never wanted it to come to this, Primrose.”
She’d thought he’d been referring to what she’d be able to confirm about him when sorting through the files. About his crimes against her and his son’s legacy.
But he was trying to spare her something else altogether.
Something far more painful to digest.
