Past Shadows

Part 6 - The Confrontation.

"Mrs Osborne Sir, shall I send in the tea?" The butler materialised, as Justin sat in the chair, behind his desk.

  Justin saw the slight lift of his very proper butler's eyebrows, when he didn't rise to greet his guest. They would shoot into his hairline, if he appreciated why his master failed to observe the social etiquette.  Justin sat straighter in his chair. He opened his long, muscular legs under the desk to ease the pressure of his erection, now straining against the fall of his breeches. His predicament made standing to greet the lady, unthinkable.

  "Mrs Osborne it's good of you to come at such short notice; please be seated. Forgive my breach of etiquette, I suffered a minor injury during the fire and standing is difficult at the moment."

  Lucinda Osborne inclined her head politely, in acceptance of his excuse and took the seat by the roaring log fire. Was it a coincidence, it was as far away from him she could be and still keep him within eye contact? "Thank you Mr Bracken. I understand your father has passed away. Please accept my condolences. I didn't like Charles Bracken, or his methods but I understand a son must miss his father," she smiled.

Justin nodded and wondered if she knew her eyes twinkled with unshed tears. It was as if she felt the pain of his loss and pitied him. Justin wondered how good an actress the woman before him was. She appeared genuinely sad for his loss and yet honest about her opinion of his father. Did she blame herself because she helped set the fire or knew who did? Or did he read too much into her carefully worded, seemingly sincere speech. He ran his fingers across the well worn leather insert of his desk, as he debated how to play this. His erection subsided, thankfully, as memories of his father's treatment of this woman invaded his thoughts, these feelings, in stark contrast to his sadness over his father's sudden and untimely demise. His body sufficiently recovered Justin stood and walked round his desk towards the fireside, where she sat stiffly on the edge of her seat. He affected a slight limp and roll of his gait, to reinforce his earlier excuse. He needed to see her expressions, when he questioned her.  He stood against the stone fireplace, careful to stand out of the direct heat, thrown out by the roaring log fire, "I appreciate your kind thoughts Mrs Osborne I know my father severely tried your patience."

Lucinda made a choking sound, which she turned into a cough, when his bland stare held her shocked gaze. Clearly she found his summation of his father's behaviour towards her wanting.  "They are well meant sir and I would not speak ill of the dead, you forget I am a vicar's daughter."

  Justin smiled, although he kept his gaze expressionless. Lucinda shuffled a little deeper into her chair, as if she could distance herself from his penetrative gaze. He moved away from the fireplace and sat in the chair closest to her, not missing the apprehension, which crept over her beautiful, expressive face. Her body stiffened, as if she readied herself for flight, if his father's tendencies proved to be hereditary." I have to ask Mrs Osborne do you have information about the mill fire and its perpetrators."

  Lucinda's face pinked up and her eyes glazed with unshed tears, he leaned a little closer, he wasn't mistaken, her rosebud lips trembled. She must be involved in the fire and now thought to use her feminine frailty and avoid his cross examination. Any sympathy he felt fled, this woman had damaged his property. Contributed to his father's death, her actions couldn't go unpunished by him. "Are they tears of guilt madam, or regret?"

  "Neither sir, I didn't burn down your precious mill, although I often wished it burnt to the ground to free your enslaved workers." A thread of honesty coloured her impassioned denial, which Justin couldn't ignore.

Would she do something so public, when she knew he would accuse her first, given her history with his father? No one apart from his father suffered physical harm from the fire but the fire setter couldn't know this would be the case. He discovered, within weeks of returning to his family home, her work improving the working lives of the mill workers. She wouldn't cause a fire, which might injury the people she cared about. "I'm not accusing you madam. I want the truth. You look as if you are hiding something and I mean to find out what it is."

  "How do you propose to make me reveal my supposed secrets sir?  Will you beat it out of me or threaten my father's livelihood?" Lucinda spat out her accusations, her defiance implicit in every word.

  "I'm not a tyrant or a fool. You will tell me the truth, without the need to resort to such crass methods."Justine flicked an imaginary speck of dust from his superfine coat and waited for his words to hit their target.

  "I'm leaving I shouldn't have come." Lucinda gathered her skirts and rose elegantly, if swiftly from the chair.

  "Sit down. I have a proposition for you." Justin didn't raise his voice but the command in his tone would have instantly had his men standing to attention.

  Lucinda didn't know him well enough."I have no interest in anything you may propose."

 Jane Hunt ©2015/Past Shadows