Theodore sat in the kitchen with the rest of the servants, listening to the gossip of the maids, idly playing with his stew. The door opened and he turned, along with the rest of the table, to see Henrietta Graham standing in the doorway.
"Miss Graham," Mrs. Dunlap stood, the rest of the staff followed suite and Henrietta smiled.
"Please sit, I am here to see Mr. Wilder," she said and all eyes turned to him. "Can we speak a moment in private?" She asked.
"Yes Miss," he followed her out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
"Mr. Wilder I received a note," she said and handed him a small paper. He unfolded it and felt his heart drop. In the rapid pen strokes he knew so well was written:
Please take this to Theodore Wilder, he knows what to tell you.
-LC
"Where did you find this?" Theodore asked.
"Lily found it when she was unpacking my bag. Who is LC?"
"Laura Carter who is a dead whore who also happens to be your mother."
"What?" She asked with the expression of someone speaking with a mad person.
"Yes, I know it is hard to believe but I swear it is true. She may also be my mother and another of the maid's here."
"How do you know this?"
"I have received notes from her as well."
"But you said she was dead."
"She is, she died quite recently I believe." Theodore paused, the notes must have been talking about Henrietta, but why was she in danger? "The notes told me to protect someone, a girl. I think it was you."
"Protect me from what?"
"I don't know, that's what I was wondering."
"And do you have any proof that Laura Carter is my mother?"
"No, not yet anyway," he replied, biting a nail.
"And why should I believe you?" She asked shrewdly.
"You really have no reason but this note is the same as the ones I have received, I'd recognize the writing."
"But if she's dead than how did I get this?"
"I really have no idea." He paused, struck by an idea. "You were with your aunt Mary, were you not?"
"I was."
"And is Carlton her maiden name?"
"No, she was married for a brief time. I don't know what her maiden name is."
"Can you find out for me?"
"I'll try, Marcus doesn't like talking about the family much though."
"I know, he hired a lawyer to sort through some of these things."
"Why does he care? Is he just finding more reasons to loathe me?"
"No, but I do not know why he would be interested. He usually wouldn't want to dig through your past like this. It may hinder any marriage he tries to arrange for you.
"This Laura, how did she die?"
"She was murdered, by who I do not know."
"All right, thank you for this," Henrietta smiled and left the common room. Theodore returned to the kitchen where luncheon was almost finished.
"Susan, did y0u say Laura Carter was your father's second wife?" He asked the maid who glared at him.
"Yes," was the cold reply.
YOU ARE READING
Saving June (Book 3)
Historical Fiction'Yes, in the course of two weeks we've lost our childhood. I know that we are adults in age but really we were playing with something we knew nothing about and we were careless. We played with love and we've paid the price.' Ann said sadly. 'I sup...
