“Hugh…” Alistair was sure to look directly at the boy, giving him nowhere to hide. “You know that you can tell me anything, don’t you? There is nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid.” Hugh sat himself up and grew determined.
“Is that so?” Alistair said. “Then prove it.” He cocked an eyebrow at Hugh, daring him to continue.
That he was spending the day with Hugh had come as a surprise to Alistair… and to Hugh, for that matter. He had not intended it, but when the opportunity presented itself, he figured it to be a good chance for them to improve their relationship further than what they already had done.
There was still that distance sitting between them, the noticeable tension that came from an awareness that they were not nearly so close as they could be. And while Alistair was determined to close this distance once and for all, he was wary to do so. For obvious reasons…
Reasons I wish I could tell Hugh. Dammit, reasons that I wish I could tell Miss Norleigh! Although, I suppose that’s what today is about, after all.
The idea had been sitting with Alistair for some time now, growing stronger with each passing day. When he had first adopted Hugh, it was done with the right intentions, a desire tohelp the boy as he deserved, while also wishing to put right the mistakes that his father had made.
What Alistair had not counted on was Miss Norleigh. Was she not involved in this, he likely would have been perfectly happy with where he and Hugh were at in their relationship. What was more, he might have seen no need to improve upon it further. Alas, she had changed everything, and so Alistair was determined to change with it.
The birth of cook Lucinda’s child last night was the final straw.
The manor had been a hive of activity this morning, and when Alistair was able to settle down his staff, he learned why. His head cook, Lucinda, finally had her child, and the joy this brought to his staff was unlike anything he could have expected.
What was more, when he saw how Miss Norleigh reacted… how happy she was… how at peace… he was reminded of their conversation the previous evening, he realized what this meant for the two of them, and he knew that he had to set things right.
So, he ordered his carriage to be brought outside. He was about to climb inside and take off when Hugh appeared. The boy had nothing to do, Miss Norleigh was busy with the baby, and Alistair figured it was a good chance to bring him along.
But is he ready to learn the truth? That… I am not sure. At the very least, having him here will be a good chance to confirm what he knows and how he feels, and then I can make a decision on the matter.
“My mother…” Hugh began warily. “You asked that I not… that I not speak about her to Miss Norleigh.”
“That’s right.”
“You never told me why.” Hugh bit into his lip. “And whenever Miss Norleigh asks about her, I… I do not know what to say.”
“That’s why we’re visiting the Vicar, Hugh. I wish to determine how much the Vicar has told his daughter, as I wish for him to help me tell Miss Norleigh…” He sighed. “You like Miss Norleigh, don’t you?”
“I do.” The boy perked up.
“Which means that you no longer wish to lie to her, yes?”
“Yes…”
“Good.” Alistair smiled and then, taken by a sudden urge that he could not explain, he leaned across and rested a hand on Hugh’s knee. “No more lies. After today, assuming the Vicar is in good spirits, when we return, we will tell Miss Norleigh the truth.”
And not just the truth as Hugh knows it… but everything.
Alistair’s stomach twisted with guilt and anticipation both. He forced a final smile so that Hugh would feel comfortable, and then he turned and looked out the window. The farms beyondpassed by, the workers could be seen tending them, and a sense of dread steadily built in Alistair’s belly.
He hated having to lie. And not just to Miss Norleigh, but to Hugh also.
As far as Hugh was concerned, the lies he told were those of omission. Before Alistair adopted him, Vicar Norleigh had instructed the boy to never speak of his mother to Miss Norleigh, or to anyone for that matter. She was, for all intents and purposes, to never be mentioned why he was living under Alistair’s roof.
Hugh did not know why he had to keep his mother a secret, only that he must..
It was a small secret in the grand scheme of things, made so that Miss Norleigh wouldn’t ask questions. Questions that, if she followed them to their natural conclusion, would change everything.
Miss Norleigh is likely going to hate me. She is just as likely to never want to see me again. And while she will be right to do so, she deserves to know the truth…
It was hard doing the right thing, a truth that Alistair was learning in real time.
“Here we are,” he sighed when he spotted the Vicar’s home appearing at the end of the road.
