The Settling of Scores

Chapter 15

            Once she was well enough she decided she would return to England, there was nothing here for her in America any more and maybe somehow, she might patch things up with what little family she did have left although she doubted it.

            Nurse and Daisy helped her into a chair near the fireplace and placed a cover over her legs to help keep her warm. Warm was something she never seemed to be any more. The fire felt good as she waited for Avery to appear.

            In her mind, she already knew just what she wanted to say to him having rehearsed the words repeatedly.

            Returning to England to confront her aunt and uncle was one of things she wanted and Avery had the ships available that she could sail there on.

            Ending their marriage was another one of them.

            She couldn't stay married to the man who killed her father.

            "Good evening, Priscilla," Avery said when he came through her door. She looked pale and fragile wrapped in a blanket near the fire. "It was so nice of you to finally grant me admission to your chamber."

            "I don't have much strength Avery and I would like to say what I have to say before it leaves me," Priscilla told him.

            "Continue on," Avery told her as he went to stand by the fireplace mantel.

            "I cannot stay married to you Avery, I want a divorce."

            "I will have Gordon Abbott start on it first thing in the morning," he said and went to stand by the window to look out into the darkness. It was better than standing there looking at Priscilla. He had accepted their marriage was over. Priscilla believed her father innocent of killing Arabella and Christopher and nothing he said, he knew, would change her mind about that. She didn't care for him enough to believe what he told her was the truth, but he understood how she felt. He wasn't sure he would believe anything bad someone may say his father had done or his brother, James.

            "I also want to return to England as soon as Doctor Perkins says I may travel. I would like passage on one of your ships."

            "What do you plan on doing once you reach England, Priscilla?"

            It was unnerving to talk to Avery's back but maybe this was the easiest way, she thought. "I plan on trying to patch things up with my aunt and uncle."

            "You do realize that someone in England is probably the one who hired the man who killed your first husband and almost you?" Avery turned his head to look at her, his eyebrow arched.

            "I know that, Avery, I thought about that but we don't know for sure any of this has a thing to do with England, my aunt and uncle or the solicitor. Jason might have seen or heard something he shouldn't have and for some reason after all this time that person thinks I know what it was."

            "That's very unlikely. Sir Alex Crofton is a man you can trust, Priscilla. He's with Scotland Yard and a good friend. He's also married to Amanda's Aunt Geraldine, her mother's sister. If you have any problems go see him or Lord Oliver Wainwright is another man you can trust."

            "I will need money Avery to live on," she told him.

            "I have an account in London I will wire them to allow you access to it. You also have the money in the account here you can take with you." He would make a point in the morning to place more money in her account.