Angel of Mercy

Chapter 34

Peter was persistent. Emma could not discount that.

His attentiveness however would not prove worthwhile.

Emma was not going to give up her job as a nurse and she certainly wasn't going to marry him!

"Darling, please listen to reason!" Peter once again persisted as Emma looked through the drawers of Ethan's desk in his study. Reggie had got her thinking; he hadn't exactly admitted to any culpability in Ethan's accident, but he had implied any wrongdoing on his part may have not been of his own free will. "There's no need for you to continue working and after the children come, you'll be too busy."

Emma closed one drawer and opened another. Ethan had a large oak desk in a sunny part of the manor with floor length windows and a large grandfather clock in the corner ticking away.

"And what will you be doing?" Emma inquired, shifting some parchment aside. "I'll be home, I'll be taking care of the children and you'll be doing what?"

Emma turned to face him. He looked confused and not in an adorable way either but a rather stupid sort of confused way as if one had forgotten how to use a spoon.

"Will you be working?" Emma prompted.

Peter's family owned the mercantile in town. When they met Peter had been working there and informed her, he would take it over one day.

"Oh well of course from time to time." he hedged clearly not comfortable with this topic of conversation.

"From time to time? You think that's going to put food on the table?" Emma asked aghast. What an infuriating man!

"Emma you're not listening. Money is no longer an obstacle. We will live quite comfortably I assure you."

Emma stood with her hands on her hips. "How? How can you assure me? Where did all this money you speak of come from?"

Peter smiled and pinched one of her cheeks. "Don't you worry about that my sweet. I'll take good care of you."

"So, you've said." Emma said dryly, turning to pull another drawer open.

"Is that a yes then? You accept my marriage proposal?"

Something had caught Emma's eye. It was a drawing. Stuffed between the pages of a ledger. Emma carefully removed it, she thought she recognized Ethan as a young boy and who must be his parents. But the girl... she was a mystery. Huxley had said Ethan was an only child. So, who was this black-haired beauty?

"Emma, are you listening to me?" Peter demanded interrupting her train of thought.

She hid the drawing behind her back. "Yes, of course. I will not marry you."

"EMMA!" Peter cried aggravated. "Will you please listen –

"I have listened, Peter. Over and over and over again. And my answer remains the same. No. Now if you will excuse me, I need to speak with Lord Salisbury."

Peter grunted. "Of course, you do, but you're wasting your time with him."

Emma smiled. "Funny I was just about to say the same thing about you."

Emma left the room before Peter could respond. She imagined he had the same stupid look on his face that he did earlier.

What an ass. She thought as she hurried to the library where she knew Ethan was having tea and reading with Daisy. Although she was curious as to where Peter had gotten all this money. He seemed so confident and sure, but it made no sense. Did he acquire an inheritance from a great uncle? Sell the mercantile? He had to have done something. Money didn't just fall into one's lap.

Ethan was right where she expected him.

"Ah there you are." Ethan said, setting his book aside. "Have you run the oaf off then?"

Emma sat on the settee beside him and ruffled Daisy's ears from where she lay at their feet.

"No. Still working on that." Emma sighed. "I wanted to ask you about this?" She produced the drawing and held it out for him to take.

"Where did you get this?" Ethan asked, startled.

"In your study. I was looking to see if I could find anything that would tie Reggie to your accident. An old gambling debt or something like that where he would be forced to do nefarious actions."

"Reggie gamble?" Ethan asked dubiously.

"Well, you said he wasn't smart. It's conceivable he could lose a fortune gambling." Emma suggested logically.

"Yes, but that would require Reggie being inclined to be around other people. He likes to keep to himself in case you haven't noticed." Ethan said. 

"Yes, I know." Emma concurred. "But after speaking with him I'm sure whatever part he played it wasn't his idea."

"So, you're convinced Reggie was involved?" Ethan asked.

"Of course! It wasn't an accident, Ethan! You know it wasn't!

"Yes, yes, I know. I just don't see Reggie actually being able to pull off something that devious."

"I agree it's a bit implausible. But back to this drawing. Who is this?"

Emma pointed to the girl seated next to Ethan on the banks of a pond. She looked quite a bit older than him. Ethan could only be about three, while she appeared around thirteen or fourteen.

"That's Victoria," he said woodenly. "My sister."