Hugh sat up and looked out the window. He frowned, started to fidget, and Alistair could sense his nervous energy. As far as the boy was aware, they were just here to decide how they were going to tell Miss Norleigh about Hugh’s mother and why the Vicar kept his involvement with her a secret.
As Alistair knew, that was less than half of it.
“Hugh…” Alistair licked his lips as the carriage started to slow down. “Perhaps it is best if you wait in the carriage.”
“What? Why?”
Alistair offered him a warm smile. “Just until I speak with the Vicar first. Make sure that we are on the same page. I do not want him thinking that we are ambushing him.”
Hugh’s brow furrowed with determination, and Alistair thought he was going to argue. He almost wanted the boy to, proof that he was growing more confident. But Hugh eventually leaned back and shied away…
“All right,” he said softly. “I’ll… I’ll wait here.”
“Good boy.”
A final smile for the boy, and in that moment, Alistair felt a kinship with him beyond anything he ever had. That alone was proof that he was doing the right thing, and that even if this blew up in his face, he had made the right decision.
A deep sigh, and he climbed from the carriage.
The walk to the Vicar’s home was not a long journey but it felt as if it took an age. Alistair’s legs trembled and his breathing grew heavy as he pictured what he was here to do.
The Vicar was the only other person on the planet who knew the truth, and the deal that Alistair had struck with the Vicar was done not just for Hugh’s protection, but for Alistair’s also… and for his father’s, for that matter. There was so much more here than even Hugh understood, and certainly more than Miss Norleigh could ever guess.
He reached the front door and hesitated.
Alistair took a deep breath and reminded himself why he was doing this. It wasn’t for him, nor was it for Hugh. He was doing this for Miss Norleigh, because she deserved to know the truth. His feelings for her were clear, he wanted to explore them, and he could not do that until the truth was revealed.
If she hated him for it and never wished to speak to him again, so be it. But for once, at least, Alistair was doing the right thing.
He knocked once on the front door.
There was no answer, so he knocked again.
Still, there was no answer, so Alistair pushed the door open and walked inside.
“Vicar!” he called out as he walked into the home. “Vicar? It’s me! We need to talk.”
He heard movement coming from the Vicar’s office, so he headed in that direction. The door was ajar, and Alistar did not hesitate to push it open. When he did…maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.
The Vicar sat behind his desk, but he was not hard at work. Rather, he slumped back, his head lolled to the side, and he stunk of liquor. When Alistair stepped inside, the Vicar squinted in confusion, barely able to move, let alone register who he was.
“What… what day is it...”
“This is a sad sight,” Alistair sneered at the drunken priest.
“Is it time for mass?” the Vicar coughed and punched his chest. “Let me just…” He tried to stand, but fell back into his chair, and then he laughed. “I guess not.”
“You’re drunk.”
“I am not!” The Vicar tried to sit up straight but again fell back. “All right, maybe a little.”
Alistair groaned and rubbed his eyes with his hands. He was here to do the right thing. Dammit, he wanted to do the right thing! But that was impossible if the Vicar was wasted… howcould they have a serious conversation if the Vicar could hardly see straight?
“How long?” Alistair asked him with a sneer. “How long have you been this way for?”
“What… what time is it?”
“How many days?”
