A Principle of Honour

Chapter 8

That night, Verity could not sleep. She just tossed and turned as unwelcome thoughts kept invading her conscience. She did not have the strength to vanquish them. The harder she tried to relegate them to the back of her memory, the more intense and disturbing they became.

She thought about her brother Reggie and remembered the conversations they had conducted the week before their father's funeral. Her brother had been furious with his oldest sister and had accused her of interfering in his affairs. He had told her that he was old enough, with the help of his appointed guardians, to look after his own future.

Verity had tried to warn him, about the full extent of their father's mismanagement. But, he did not believe her. How could she, a mere woman, know anything about the workings of his estate. It had not helped her cause when her brother's guardians, who just happened to be two of her father's old cronies, had told Reggie that everything was in order.

However, despite his hostility towards her, Verity still felt a familial loyalty to him. She could hardly blame him for his low opinion of her character. For many years, he had listened to their father continually assassinating her character. After all those lies and half-truths, he had told his son, why should he trust her now?

At least, when she signed Melrose's contract, Verity secured a brighter future for her brother. A future in which he would, at least, have land and an income. He may, in a few years, and with careful management, have enough to look after Cassie and provide her with a dowry. Her brother and sister would never need to know what she had had to sacrifice, in order to secure their financial future.

Reggie and the state of the finances at Hadlands had not been the only reason why Verity had been unable to sleep. She had also become increasingly concerned about her sister's behaviour.

That morning, just like every other morning, Cassie had left the house early. She had told Verity that she was going to visit her friends in the village. Verity did not want to deny her sister those last few days of freedom. It would not be long before Cassie would be leaving to start her new life as a governess. However, over the past two weeks, there had been something unusual about her sister's demeanour, and that change in her behaviour had bothered Verity.

Her sense of unease had been compounded the day before Verity's visit to Highfields when she had had a disturbing conversation with one of the young women her sister visited regularly. Miss Taylor, the vicar's daughter, had known Cassie for many years since they were little girls. When Verity met her by chance, just outside the village, Miss Taylor had denied seeing Cassie for several days. But, suddenly, as if she remembered something crucial, Miss Taylor became flustered, and her story changed.

'Oh, dear me,' she suddenly said, 'I am such a scatterbrain. Cassie came to visit me yesterday and accompanied me to the church...' Verity was sure that the young woman was fishing around her mind for a plausible excuse for a need for her friend's companionship. After a brief pause, where she stared at her feet, she continued. 'She helped me arrange the flowers for the Sunday service,' Miss Taylor said smiling, looking happy with the excuse she had given.

Verity was not convinced by the tale and asked. 'You arranged the flowers, for Sunday morning, on a Wednesday. I would have thought that was a little early. Surely they would wilt before the end of the week.'