🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 24

"It's not what it looks like." I say trying to defend myself, before Angeles judges to harshly.

Angeles looks to me and sadness is etched on her face.
"Nova, I'm just shocked you would throw away your virtue like that. Especially to a man that has many women in his bed.. Weekly!"

"What?" I say, I know about Mabel but I didn't know he's had many women. But I think to his skilled hands and how he know just how to touch me.
My cheeks heat at the memory.

"The staff talk Nova, Dr Laywood has a certain reputation." She sighs.
"But I'm not surprised, I've seen the way he looks at you. Which makes it worse because he's...."

But before she can finish a knock on my door interrupts her.
I quickly grab my pink silk robe and hastily put it on before Angeles walks to the door.
"Good Morning Angeles! I've come to speak to Nova before breakfast."
Angeles moves to the side to let Mr Laywood through and quickly excuses herself and shuts the door.

Seeing Mr Laywood brings back all the memories of dinner. How was it only hours ago? With a turn of my stomach I remember that my father is getting executed, and Mr Laywood knew this. He was the one that informed the police of his whereabouts. I know he wouldn't of told me, so It was an unlucky turn of events that the newspaper printed the story. I'm sure Mr Laywood didn't predict it would be front page news. But then my mind drifts to my mother. I want to know what she was like as a child. I don't want my questions to be brushed aside and to be kept in the dark anymore.

"Nova my dear, I've come to apologise. After reflection I realise I was so very wrong in my actions towards you. I want to make amends and not to upset you any more than you have been already. Please forgive me my dear, I want to explain myself and why I did the things I did." Mr Laywood says with such sincerity in his voice I can't help but feel remorse for my behaviour towards him.

"Please take a seat and I will explain." Mr Laywood states, as I take a seat and he does the same.

"Your grandmother Mrs Jones was the cook here at Laywoods estate when I was just a boy. Her husband had died and due to financial reasons she and her three children moved into one of the smaller cottages on the Estate. My mother was very fond of Mrs Jones and she was concidered a friend more than the cook. Myself and my two brothers would play with Isobel, Trudy and your uncle James. We would play rain or shine for hours on end in the gardens around the Estate as we were all very similar in age. But myself and Isobel formed a special friendship, we were inseparable and spent alot of time together due to her love of reading which I shared, and her love of flowers and gardening."
Mr Laywood smiles at the memory, and I can't help but smile back.

"She had wild curly hair and bright green eyes, just like you my dear. You really are your mothers double."

"But as the years went by and we started to grow, Isobel and Trudy started to work here as maids. Isobel wanted more out of life than to be a maid for the rest of hers. Which is mostly my fault, I would encourage her to shoot for the stars, in a sense I felt she had so much more inside of her to be kept in one place. She wanted to see the world and I wanted to join her. But as the eldest of my brothers, I knew I would have to stay here to inherit the estate and the responsibilites that came with it.
So she left Devon and headed for London." Mr Laywood sighs but continues. "I missed her terribly."

"Shortly after she met your father, Roy Anderson. He was into stocks and shares and made a comfortable amount of money, enough to spoil Isobel with jewellery, trips out and even took her to Paris for a weekend. She fell madly in love with Roy.
She would write letters to inform us of the adventure she was having. Your mother didn't want to tell Roy that she came from nothing and she was simply a servant. She wanted to re-invent herself."
I can see a hint of sadness in Mr Laywoods face.